4 stars out of 5
I Musici de Montreal is led by Yuli Turovsky (center, with baton)I MUSICI DE MONTREAL Yuli
Turovsky, conductor Saturday, Alys Stephens Center
A shaky start didn't prevent I Musici de Montreal from turning in
an invigorating performance of a Tchaikovsky classic and a compelling multimedia presentation Saturday at the Alys Stephens
Center.
Conducted by Yuli Turovsky, the 14-member Canadian string orchestra began with Borodin's "Nocturne,"
the lovely slow movement of his String Quartet No. 2. The transformation from quartet to string orchestra worked well enough,
but as a concert opener it failed to generate much excitement, and was further held back by languishing tempos and sloshy,
sometimes sour solos.
Turovsky quickly turned things around with a sparkling reading of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for
Strings. It's hard not to think of this work without visualizing dance, so ingrained in the mind's eye has George
Balanchine's choreographic setting become. This performance had every bit of the bounce and lilt that inspired Balanchine,
with an earthy blend and vibrancy added to the mix.
Exaggerated tempo shifts made the second movement waltz surge and
swirl. In the Elegie, sound grew nearly imperceptibly from silence, swelling to a rich resonance. The finale was sculpturesque,
kinetic and pristine.
Natasha Turovsky starred in Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," not only for her role in the violin
section but for her paintings.
With many of Mussorgsky's primary source paintings no longer available, the conductor's
daughter sought to turn the tables by creating art works inspired by the 1874 score. Filmmaker Gael Hollard gave them life
in video animation, which was projected center stage and flanked by the musicians. Without resorting to showy technical gimmickry,
this was a truly artistic meeting of art forms that reached from the humor of dancing eggs with protruding legs and beaks
to ominous images in catacombs.
See the YouTube video
Mischievous gnomes, dragonflies, dogs and spirits took turns jumping from canvas to video screen in this intricately
coordinated performance. Reminiscent of the sophisticated humor and darkly evocative works of European expressionists, the
paintings evoked ghosts, bizarre cityscapes, swaying bells, even a Picasso-esque image of a critic with an upside-down head.
They ranged from simple charcoal swashes or elaborate landscapes.
Sometimes freely interpretive, sometimes literally
rhythmic, the arrangement for strings was colorful, densely scored and well executed. But as finely synchronized as it was,
all eyes were drawn to the screen in this mesmerizing display.
mhuebner@bhamnews.com
blog.al.com/mhuebner
