Submitted by Guest on Mon, 03/12/2007 - 8:27pm.
You may have seen the article Boston’s New Transition: From French to German New York Times 2/14/2007. Available on-line for free if you give them your email address. The article's main example of a potentially "German" composer (one emphasizing structure, not a nationality) was Berlioz while "French" composers, works, or interpretations were those emphasizing color, tone, and the like.
If anyone who knows what they are talking about has time:
1) Is this distinction useful?
2) Is the CSO "add Ravel to any concert that has time for it" approach to scheduling an attempt to avoid becoming "Too German"?
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James W | Thu, 03/22/2007 - 5:07pm
This post gave me food for thought going into last night’s Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France concert of Ravel and Berlioz at Orchestra Hall. I’ve seen lots of visiting German orchestras, but can’t really say I’ve seen a French one up til now. Certainly, their could be no better introduction to French orchestral color and expressiveness than the OPRF’s rendition of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite.
From the article you reference, it sounds like I’m not the only one who has had a hard time thinking of Berlioz as French. But after listening to Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique last night, I think that may be due as much to his influence on the German romantics that came after him (Wagner, Strauss, Mahler) as it is to Beethoven’s influence on him. In any case, the orchestra under Myung-Whun Chung made a strong case for both structure and color. Perhaps in view of Chung’s definitive readings here of Beethoven’s 3rd and 6th with the Dresden Staatskappele on tour a few years ago, his success leading a French orchestra in Berlioz is only natural. I can only hope the CSO directorship search committee has taken note of this latest Chicago triumph for Chung.
As far as the Frenchness of the CSO, by coincidence they are performing one of those insert-a-Ravels tonight so I’ll get a chance for a back to back hearing. I suspect, though, that they are a German orchestra with a very good French accent.
Finally here's a link to an interesting article with Myung-Whun Chung's own take on the subject.
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