PARIS: Orchestra de Paris conducted by their inspiring music chief Paavo Järvi opened its Paris season after having visited Proms in London and Enescu Festival Bucharest with an interesting programmed concert 11. and 12. September at Salle Pleyel – (Their usual Paris home)
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Review and applause photos by Henning Høholt

Program: Bechara EL-Khoury: Orages, Ouverture to a concert for orchestra,

Serge Prokofiev; 2. Violin concerto.

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana.

Applause for Orchestre de Paris after Carmina Burana, from left Paavo Järvi (conductor), Lionel Sow (chef de choire), Max Emanuel Cencic (Countertenor), Ludovic Tezier (baryton), Mari Eriksmoen (soprano)
. Foto: Henning Høholt

The concert opened with Ouverture, Orages by Bechara EL-Khoury.  An exciting, immediately catching start, during the way unexpected details, interesting beautiful string glissandi in all the string groups, long lines, Fanfare like violins, interesting orchestration, during the way the eccentric feeling was broken by a romantic before the dramatic culmination.

After that Janine Jansen fascinated the audience as soloist in Prokofievs 2nd. Violin concerto, brilliantly played, and to answer the ovations from the audience she and the orchestra played encore Melody in F by Tchaikovsky. Beautiful
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Part of Orchestre and Choir de Paris, with from right Mari Eriksmoen, Ludvoci Tezier, Max Emanuel Cencic. Foto from applause: Henning Høholt

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana.

However the real hit of the evening, in this, in a strange way assemble of a program came with Carl Orff´s majestetic Carmina Burana. Orchestra, big Choir of Orchestra de Paris, and girls choir, Maitrise de Paris. An last but not least the three singing soloists, the wonderful young and beautiful soprano Mari Eriksmoen, who glittered with her delicious young soprano voice on top of it all, her “Amor volat undique” together with the girls choir was splendid, and her solo “Stetit puella”, and the famous “In trutina mentis dulda”  showed her graciosity, and the very high notes in her voice, last but not least the charming part “Tempus est locundum” together with the choir and the outstanding baritone Ludovic Tézier, which also had several great parts alone and with choir. The world famous counter tenor Max Emanuel Cencic who unfortunately only had one, but important, solo with male choir, the characteristic: “Olim lacus colueram”.  Great.

Paavo Järvi photographed in Bucharest during Orchestre de Paris´visit at the Enescu Festival last week
. Photo Henning Høholt

I was impressed by the inspired and energetic orchestra, choirs and conductor Paavo Järvi. I feel they have a good atmosphere. Many details during this evening was brilliant, extraordinary solo parts in all the groups. Inspired. The choirs has had a large preparation work for this demanding concert, with so big variations in their parts, and they did very well, The Choir of the Orchestra de Paris is led by Lionel Sow, and the Maitrise de Paris led by Patrick Marco. The Choir has a very good sound, an did a good job, in this concert with so many different moods, it was a good possibility to enjoy how versatile and well prepared the choir is. The girls choir did very well, and their cooperation with the soprano soloist Mari Eriksmoen was first class.

Please enjoy our review from Orchestre de Paris with Vilde Frang som soloist in Bucharest: http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2013/09/vilde-frang-paavo-jarvi-and-orchestre-de-paris-in-bucharest/

Please enjoy our review of Bechara El-Khourys  

Espaces-Fragmentations.   http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2012/11/beethoven-symph-26-at-champs-elysees/