Search - Nino Rota, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitan Du Grand Montréal :: Nino Rota: La Strada; Concertos

The definitive Strada

jean couture | Quebec city - Canada | 10/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There aren't that many recordings of Nino Rota's Harp Concerto and Trombone Concerto, and for the suite La Strada barely a handful seems to be available. Nezet-Seguin and the Montreal Metropolitain Orchestra submit scintillating performances, bursting with fervor and virtuosity. The Concerto for Harp is a nice rarity, its various moods and rhythms making for a gorgeous amalgam of soloist and orchestra. Jennifer Swartz is quite expressive; her sound is rich and lovely without being cold and distant as it happens so often when the harp takes center stage. The "softness" of the harp is well balanced and the soli is integrated into the orchestral drive with discernment, showing the conductor's knack of the music played and the producer's know-how in the proper handling of sound. The trombone, as an instrument, doesn't respond as well to the exacting needs of a concerto. Nonetheless, Alain Trudel plays his instrument very well--with wit, warmth and tenderness; his "voice" is sympathetic and distinctive. Of the two concertos offered here, i personally prefer the Harp Concerto. Like La Strada it contains some remarkable melodies that unveil underlying fire and sensitivity.



The neoclassical composer from Italy was a prolific maker of film music. The suite from La Strada comes from the original film score--and subsequent ballet--and was arranged by Rota with ingenious flair and artistry. Musically, the suite is pretty much like a mosaic rather than a foil of musical array disguised into a small symphony. But a "symphonic suite" it is, and i think the film music is another matter entirely. La Strada, as the orchestral arrangement it is, is a splendid work. The three first tracks (`il circo' notably) contain cheerful and coloristic music which will remind one of Khachaturian or Kabalevsky. And you might detect echoes of Gershwin as well. Yet, Nino Rota is far from being an epigone for he has fully developed his unique vision of the music--he "speaks" in his own words. The work is a milestone in respect to the composer's fruitful career. Different accounts of La Strada (the symphonic suite) were produced: Riccardo Muti (Sony), Marzio Conti (Chandos), Gianluigi Gelmetti (EMI), Josep Pons (Harmonia Mundi) and Fabio Luisi (Cascavelle) are all very good if not excellent interpretations--above all Muti, Conti and Pons--but i have to point out that Nezet-Seguin (ATMA) is the better, overall, for its very fine playing and impressive sonics. La Strada contains music which is moving, thrilling, brilliant: Music which is illuminated by a strange light, its contours looking like the vague glare of a shade in a mirror. For several reasons, Nezet-Seguin's dazzling account offers actually the definitive Strada.



With the making of this CD started the first recording session for Nezet-Seguin with the Orchestre Metropolitain. And a great one it is! The recordings took place in November 2002, at the Salle Claude-Champagne in Montreal, under the supervision of Johanne Goyette and Martin Laporte, assisted by Sarah Elola and Jacques-Andre Houle. Located at Montreal University, the hall is renowned for its magnificent acoustic properties and it shows to great effect on this ATMA release. The sound is so natural, the sound stage so vivid. It is one of ATMA's finest sounding discs. Indeed, this CD has superlative sonics; the timbre is rich, clear and extremely detailed, not to mention the more than generous dynamic range making all parts of the music audible--from delicate micro dynamics to the loudest bangs. In a word, sound quality is B-R-E-A-T-H-T-A-K-I-N-G!



So, for a first collaboration on disc--between ATMA, Nezet-Seguin and the Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal--this is a revelation. Not only does the program provide exciting performances, but everything on the technical side is absolutely irreproachable. As i meant to say, this CD is sensational in every way. Nino Rota's music will be cloned in your room, no less . . . Five stars."