To lovers of new music, Esprit Orchestra needs no introduction. Founded in 1983 by conductor Alex Pauk, the orchestra has been at the forefront of presenting existing contemporary classical music repertoire, as well as the commissioning of new works by Canadian composers, since its inception. Thanks to this 65-member professional orchestra, Toronto music lovers get to discover and experience works rarely presented by other orchestras.
Their most recent concert, Violinissimo II, was aptly named as a follow up to the original Violinissimo, a well received, violin-centric evening presented by EO in the fall of 2022. On the program were Max Richter’s Four Seasons Recomposed, followed by a violin concerto by Hungarian György Ligeti, and a short four-minute harpsichord piece by Ligeti, Continuum, played by Wesley Shen. The violin soloist was the renowned Mark Fewer.
What you missed?
Richter’s Four Seasons Recomposed in this performance was the original 2012 version. I’ll be honest at the outset – I am musically a traditionalist at heart. When I first heard that a contemporary composer dared to “recompose” a classic of the standard repertoire that is as beloved as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
The piece is evocative, lyrical, and altogether lovely, and more importantly, aesthetically faithful to the spirit of the Vivaldi original. If anything, it has a certain sonic warmth that I wasn’t expecting, although the abrupt endings of each section were rather disconcerting. Fewer’s playing was truly virtuosic, and elicited a very warm reception from the audience.
Photo: Karen E Reeves
The second half was all György Ligeti, beginning with the four-minute harpsichord piece called Continuum – here, the duration was stipulated by the composer. According to harpsichordist John Hansman McKean, it works out to 13.6 notes a second, a lightning tempo if there ever was one!
Photo: Karen E Reeves
Shen’s tempo was very consistent and highly polished. It was so well played, in fact, that the piece had a mesmerizing effect on the audience. Unfortunately, the last 20 to 30 seconds of Shen’s performance were very soft making it difficult to hear the harpsichord, even from the hall’s orchestra section.
The centrepiece of the second half was Ligeti’s violin concerto, composed in 1990-92. Divided into five moments lasting a total of 30 minutes, the final cadenza was improvised by the soloist, as stipulated by the composer. It seems that it was originally planned as an eight-movement piece, but never finished. Some of the music in the unfinished sections was then redeployed by the composer and the premiering violinist in the cadenza.
Photo: Karen E Reeves
Ligeti’s musical writing requires effort to understand, and to enjoy. Depending on its interpreters, the violin concerto risks feeling like an exercise in cacophony, or rather undiplomatically, in sonic chaos. Fewer and Esprit Orchestra did not fall victim to these challenges, though, instead revealing new and thoughtful contrasts. The dissonance and the dense orchestral texture were there to be sure, but within them were moments of lyricism and even transcendental beauty.
The third movement, the Intermezzo, really lived up to the billing of “Presto fluido.” The cadenza ending by Mark Fewer was a stunning virtuosic display. Through it all, conductor Alex Pauk led the forces with a sure hand, in perfect sync with the soloist. The enthusiasm of the new music audience, who collectively gave the artists a standing ovation, was impressive. All in all, an adventurous and ultimately rewarding evening at the symphony.
Violinissimo II / Max Richter: The Four Seasons Recomposed / György Ligeti: Continuum / György Ligeti: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Mark Fewer, violin; Wesley Shen, harpsichord; Esprit Orchestra, Alex Pauk, conductor / Koerner Hall, March 28, 2024.
