Mahler's Rückert Lieder and Tragic Symphony

Tout Mahler par Gatti, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, January 13 2011

 

Conductor ..... Daniele Gatti

Soloist ..... Matthias Goerne

Orchestre National de France

Symphony No.3 by Mahler: Daniele Gatti at the Théâtre du Châtelet

Last night at  the Théâtre du Châtelet I attended the 4th in the series of concerts spread over the period of 2 years with the Orchestre National de France lead by its musical director Daniele Gatti performing the full opus of Mahler's Symphonies.

And so it was the night of the Symphony No.3. This orchestra is definitely improving and in spite of a few tiny glitches they sounded great last night. Gatti is really a major asset to this orchestra and it was a very clever idea to offer him the job.

Maestro Gatti does what Mahler did 100 years ago

Last night was a positively crazy musical night in Paris. Look at this:

• the last show of this memorable Werther, with Kaufmann and Koch rocking la Bastille again
• Théatre des Champs-Elysées hosted the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment lead by Vladimir Jurowski to perform the Beethoven's Symphonies 4 & 7
• Pleyel was singing with Philippe Jaroussky and Orchestre de Paris (I bet this is the material for his next CD)
• Garnier Opera hosted the Luc Bondy production of Idomeneo with Kasarova, Workman, Iveri...
• Salle Gaveau organized the baroque concert with Ensemble Orfeo 55 and Nathalie Stutzmann
• in Théâtre du Châtelet maestro Daniele Gatti (our fav) was conducting the Orchestre national de France -- the Symphony #2 by Mahler, a.k.a. the Resurrection [which is where I decided to go ;)]

Conductor Daniele Gatti
Soprano Camilla Tilling
Contralto  Marie-Nicole Lemieux

Orchestre National de France
Radio France Chorus

I thought the theater would not be that packed -- because of so many events  happening in Paris [and it was a Thursday-night], but I obviously underestimated the intensity of the Mahler-mania among Parisians ;) Even the staircases were crowded with people (many of them very-very young!).

Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra hit Paris (Dec.17 2009)

The "Salle Pleyel", as it is called here, is the Paris' best concert-hall. Its magnificent quality in programming pretty much owes to its music director and manager Laurent Bayle, who I'll say a bit more on some other occasion.

Today it's snowing in Paris, the public transportation is rarefied because of the social movement on the RER lines... but we hope for a good concert tonight in Pleyel to end the day on a good note: 
Mahler's Second Symphony by Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - excuse meh! ;)

Report to follow...