United States Stravinsky: Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä (conductor). Carnegie Hall, New York, 16.3.2024. (ES-S)
Stravinsky – The Firebird; The Rite of Spring
Born in June 1996, Klaus Mäkelä is, at his young age, one of the most sought-after conductors on the classical music circuit. He has held the position of Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic since 2020 and has been Music Director of Orchestre de Paris since 2021. Mäkelä is scheduled to assume the title of Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw, one of the world’s greatest orchestras, in 2027.
Igor Stravinsky was only 28 when he completed the music for the ballet L’Oiseau de feu (The Firebird), and three years older when the riotous première of Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) took place at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. One would assume that an enthusiastic, dynamic and confident maestro of similar age would have excellent qualifications to bring out the radical, revolutionary character of these works, to rekindle for today’s audience the extraordinary novelty of the music that the Parisians heard in those tradition-shattering performances of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.
In Mäkelä’s debut at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestre de Paris, the results were somewhat mixed, particularly in the rendition of The Rite of Spring. The sensation of encountering those unbridled primeval forces that haunted Stravinsky’s music and Nijinsky’s original choreography was constantly present, especially during the ‘Ritual of the Rival Tribes’ in the first part, and in the demonic ‘Sacrificial Dance’, the Rite’s earth-shattering final tableau. Nevertheless, there is no need for maximum decibels to portray the frightening ferocity of the depicted rituals. Utilizing subtler dynamic contrasts and highlighting the fantastic rhythmic variety could yield the same results.
Paradoxically, despite the conductor’s renowned attention to detail, inner voices were occasionally lost in the overall frenzy. While calmer sections such as ‘Spring Rounds’ and the ‘Ritual Action of the Ancestors’ were imbued with significant tension, the Introduction to Part 2 could have evoked a more eerie atmosphere. Although the coordination between musicians was nearly faultless, the sensation of instability resulting from frequent changes in time signature seemed subdued at times, with syncopated accents sounding more like ornaments than existential threats.
All in all, Mäkelä conducted with visceral joy a performance in which the instrumentalists were dedicated to following every indication of his baton. Beginning with Giorgio Mandolesi’s ‘ad libitum’ bassoon incantation, Mäkelä allowed various members of the orchestra to express their individuality while holding the steering wheel with a firm hand.
The rendition of The Firebird was more nuanced and, arguably, achieved greater success. Echoes of Debussy’s innovative harmonic language and lush orchestration, alongside noticeable elements of Russian folkloric tradition passed down to the young Stravinsky through Rimsky-Korsakov’s mentorship, were clearly palpable. Performing the complete score allowed for a sensuous and impressionistic symphonic reading that flowed seamlessly from scene to scene, creating a narrative arc absent in the suites Stravinsky fashioned from the original ballet’s music. From the persistent velvety murmur of the lower strings in the Introduction to the final series of molto pesante dissonant chords, Mäkelä and his instrumentalists masterfully married force and subtlety, achieving a remarkable balance between the strings and woodwinds, with the brass section having a powerful presence without overwhelming the texture. The conductor succeeded in maintaining a sense of playfulness and marvel during the entire unfolding of the fairy tale.
The quality of the woodwinds was already evident in the passages describing the enchanted garden and the firebirds’ apparition, dance and capture. The understated way in which violin (concertmaster Eiichi Chijiiwa), oboe (Alexandre Gattot) and flute (Vicens Prats) detached themselves from the orchestral tapestry in ‘Supplication of the Firebird’ – the scene when the bird plaintively begs, in late-Romantic-inspired arabesques, to be released – illustrated the high level of understanding among the members of the ensemble. The entrance of the thirteen princesses was as suave as the later arrival of Kastchei’s monster-guardians was frightening. The consecutive interventions of the bassoon (Marc Trével), oboe and solo cello (Eric Picard) in the ‘Berceuse’ were exquisite. Benoît de Barsonny’s horn legatos during Ivan Tsarevich’s appearance and the disappearance of Kastchei’s Palace were full of mystery.
For years, the fact that Klaus Mäkelä is destined for a truly great career has been accepted by a vast majority of music lovers. His successful debut on Carnegie Hall’s history-laden podium will be remembered by anyone lucky enough to have attended the performance.
Edward Sava-Segal