The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra has introduced a new notion this season: that of the national authenticity. In simpler words, for foreign music programmes the ensemble invites conductors of the same nation – France, Italy, Germany, Austria, etc. Indeed, French music, for instance, is mostly, though not exclusively, best interpreted by the French and, in particular, by Michel Plasson who opened recently the TSO’s season series of concerts “Music for All”. The today’s evening concert of the orchestra at the Conservatory’s Big Hall, “Images of Mussorgsky and Ravel’s orchestral painting”, was not altogether French-focused. The central piece of the programme is “Pictures at an Exhibition”, which however in this variant appear a joint Russian-French creative miracle. Ravel’s orchestration has given the piece a genuine French sound in a number of its episodes, and this comes to the fore in Plasson’s interpretation, still without restraining specifically Russian traits of the suite (“The Bogatyr Gates” in this performance especially feature the Slavic force).

Charles Gounod’s First Symphony was written after the Vienna canon and gives almost no clue to the personal style of who would become the author of Faust. Nevertheless, this rare piece deserves attention, all the more so in such a model-like presentation.

The chief part of the concert was the purely French music – Ravel’s “Mother Goose”. Plasson had already performed impressionist music with the TSO before, but only now it became an undeniable success. If only for such perfect Ravel, the French Maestro was surely worth his invitation.

Maxim Dmitriyev.Ñulture

 

04.12.2008

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