A Viennese evening at Salle Métropole

Unpublished article - Jonas Follonier

On Thursday, November 28, the Orchestre de la Suisse romande (OSR) performed two very different works at the Salle Métropole, but linked by the same musical nation: Austria. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 and Anton Bruckner's Sixth Symphony were on the program. Here's an emotional look back at one of the concert's many highlights.

There are few moments in our hyperconnected, anti-classical society when we can enjoy a breath of fresh air and a chance to focus. Classical music concerts, in particular, are among them. By this I mean the family of Western art music, encompassing both the Classical period in the strict sense and the Romantic period, for example. Not to mention everything that came before, starting in the Middle Ages, and everything that came after—and everything that is yet to come.

However, it would be a mistake to pit classical music against popular music. Take a repertoire like Aznavour’s: classical music is present in it in the instrumentation. And even a genre like metal isn't entirely unrelated with the Baroque. Classical music, in the broadest sense, is part of our most basic daily lives, and I like to think that the less we forget this “little” music—which is actually great music—the more we remember the connection that human beings have with something that transcends them.

Read also: Music, from silence to mysticism

In short, classical music expresses transcendence: the transcendence of the infinitely small—that is, the intimate—in chamber music; and the transcendence of the infinitely large—that is, the absolute—in orchestral music. So let’s make way for this evening, which falls into the second category. An evening marked by Vienna, since the two composers whose works are in the spotlight tonight—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Bruckner—both died in that city. Vienna, a city of music—a city of diverse musical styles—as evidenced by the stark contrast in sensibility one feels when listening to the former’s concerto and the latter’s symphony.

Mozart's Most Interesting Concerto

Conducted by the renowned conductor Andris Poga—who himself studied under Uros Lajovic at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna—the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande opened its late-November concert with a performance of the Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595 by Mozart. A captivating concerto—if not the most captivating of the master’s concertos—since it is also his last. This piece, with its unique melancholy and secret tenderness, was completed on January 5, 1791; when Mozart himself performed it in Vienna two months later at its premiere, he did not know that it would be the last time he would play the piano in public.

Who better than Paul Lewis to take on this piece on November 28 in Lausanne? In his interpretation of this piece—which demands, above all, expression rather than mere virtuosity—the British pianist demonstrated masterful precision and a touch that was as subtle as it was imaginative. Blending perfectly with the orchestra, Paul Lewis must have thoroughly enjoyed the back-and-forth between soli and tutti which are what make this concerto so special. Much to the delight of the audience.

Finally, the OSR allowed the audience at the Salle Métropole to immerse themselves once again in the romanticism of Anton Bruckner—or to become familiar with this specific genre for those who had never ventured into it before. It’s not easy to get into this style for those who don’t care for the twisted and intense quality found in late Romanticism. Moreover, just like the concerto mentioned above, the Symphony No. 6 in A major It is neither the best-known nor the most accessible of Wagner’s contemporaries. But what a contrast to his compatriot Mozart! In that sense, the program presented that evening was varied yet cohesive. A success.

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

Cover image: Andris Poga © Jean-Philippe Raibaud