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Since the start of the new season in 2022, conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni has headed the Orchestre symphonique du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal as well as the orchestra conducting class. A graduate of the Conservatoire himself, he says he is struck by the quality and passion of the orchestra, despite its youth. He praises the enthusiasm, open-mindedness, will and energy that characterize these young musicians on the threshold of their professional careers.
The orchestra is currently rehearsing for a benefit concert in support of the Fondation du Conservatoire, which offers grants to students to enable them to finance their studies and access specialized training such as master classes, competitions and internships. This is how the foundation helps develop and maintain the quality of the training offered at the Conservatoire.
The first item on the program is Légendes, written in 2007 by another graduate of the CMM, Jacques Hétu. It’s an orchestral suite close in form to the symphonic poem. Jean-Marie Zeitouni describes it as an outstanding and charming work. Full of traditional tunes, its three movements outline some popular legends in Quebec folklore: Alexis le Trotteur, Le diable au bal and La Chasse-galerie.
These folk elements echo Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, a concerto piece for piano and orchestra. It will feature the young CMM piano graduate Christine Pan, who won the CMM’s annual concerto competition. Zeitouni underlines the wide variety of the 24 variations that make up the work. Moments of chiaroscuro, redolent of Orthodox religion, alternate with very opulent passages making full use of the horn and percussion sections of this very fine accompanying orchestra.
Finally, the Symphony No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns, known as the Organ Symphony, will bring to the fore the extraordinary sonorousness of the Maison symphonique organ. Zeitouni, an enthusiast of French romantic music, brings out the formal clarity of the symphony and its colourful palette. The organ part, played by Jean-Willy Kunz (Conservatoire professor and organist at the MSO), reveals the sweet and velvety cadences in the Nocturne before exploding into its full power in the Finale, which the conductor describes as a true moment of celebration to close the 2022-23 season of the Orchestre du Conservatoire.
The program was designed to offer both students and audiences a variety of musical experiences. The many genres reveal the richness of the orchestra while offering a fresh component in the training of these young musicians.
Translation by Cecilia Grayson
As part of its annual benefit concert, the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal will give an eclectic and colourful symphonic performance under the baton of Jean-Marie Zeitouni on March 24 at the Maison symphonique.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
