Philip Glass Europe premiere in Paris.
Philip Glass Europe premiere in Paris
Review and photos by Henning Høholt
PARIS/FRANCE: Still that Philip Glass piano double concerto for the first time in Europe was supposed to be the “hit”. With Katia and Marielle Labeque as piano soloists.
It became Sjostakovich 5. Symphony who became the big hit this evening. As it was extrairdinary well formed and performed by Orchestre de Paris this evening at the new Philharmonie at Porte Pantin in Paris. Led by Jaap van Zweden. Piano soloists in the Glass piece was Katia and Marielle Labeque.
Katia and Marielle Labeque and Jaap van Sweden after the Europe premiere of Philip Glass new Double piano concerto for two pianos and Orchestra de Paris. Foto Henning Høholt
PHILIP GLASS
With a swinging opening part, building up to a dialogue between the two pianos and the orchestra followed by a percussion and pauke part. Ending out in a quiet romantic atmospheric feeling where only the two pianos playing more and more pianissimo only beautifully accompanied by the large cymbal, more and more quiet, this gave an extraordinary feeling of beauty, in contrast to the swinging opening.
Second part started with Glass usually minimalistic repetitive details, where the one piano is like playing a melodic line, and the other is repeating a 4-5 tune scala, where the melody is in the bottom tune, and then filling up with the upper tunes up and down to the melodic tune. Syncope details in the piano parts with flute and obo doubling the top tunes. – During the way I was thinking film music cowboy film, eventually to a fairytale film with a lot of action. So far I was feeling that the two pianos was playing as they were members of the orchestra and nt really soloists. I also felt that it was a bit easily to let the two hard working pianists only playing orchestral voices, and also that their melodic line, was to build up under the wooden blowers top tunes.
Katia and Marielle Labeque, ready to play Philip Glass. With Orchestra de Paris and Jaap van Sweden. Foto Henning Høholt
In third part, which starts with an underlaying sound from bases and with piccolo flute and xylophone on top. This new sound idea was being developed through all the orchestra, inn a slowly march alike tempo, building up to a dramatized ending where the two pianos are merchant playing a melodic thema line. All this builds up through a slow march tempo, to an ending with a drum, a bass drum and a triangel on top. Where in the end it all runs out, like in the first part, but now with more instruments, with a soft string carpet, bass drum and once again the large cymbale. This gave a beautiful ending.
I had the feeling of missing one or two leading melody tunes
. As mentioned, in the two first parts it was like something was missing, the two pianists was like members of the orchestra, where only some solo instruments and triangel was playing the same themas as the piano soloists.
Opposite many other piano concertos, this was a piano concerto where all parts ended in pianissimo. An interesting choice.
However. A piano concerto for two pianos is not normal to get. I should have wished to have the possibility to hear it one or two more times. I was happy to notice that ARTE was present with TV cameras
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As encore the two Labeque sisters gave the fourth part of Philip Glass Piano sonata for two pianos, which the audience appreciated very much.
Chostakovitsj
As mentioned the 5th Symphony by Chostakovitsj presented the wonderful Orchestra de Paris at its very best. It was a highlight played to braver, a great pleasure. The audience, in the completely full Paris Philharmonie, loved it.
Too far away
Unfortunately the new Philharmoni is situated too far away from the city center. For me it took one hour to get back from Porte de Pantin to Chatelet, with two times waiting for new metro, from where I then had to change.