National Youth Orchestra of Canada

Jacques Lacombe, Conductor

July 24, 2010, Alumni Hall

****/4

Youth and talent - what a winning combination! The National Youth Orchestra of Canada brought tremendous vitality to the opening concert of its 2010 season which began here in London. It is a joy to witness the exuberance and the commitment of highly motivated young people who are all no doubt capable of making careers in music if they have the desire and the opportunity. The entire performance produced a stunning jolt of excitement with the combination of excellent playing and thrilling repertoire.

The London audience was treated to one of two programs the Orchestra is taking on its cross-country tour. Showcasing each section, the music of the evening created a kaleidoscopic array of color, and stirred up a rhythmic intensity that vibrated through Alumni Hall.

With the exception of Jacques Hétu’s tone poem Sur les rives du Saint-Maurice, composed in 2008, the program consisted of modern chestnuts. L’apprenti-sorcier, by Paul Dukas, set the mood with its brilliant orchestration. Maestro Jacques Lacombe demanded a brisk tempo and close attention to detail, which he was able to sustain throughout the entire concert. Ravel’s La Valse, though less obviously following a story line than the Hétu or Dukas pieces, evoked a definite image of a Viennese ballroom, albeit a ballroom flying out of control - and there, the true test of the skill of the musicians was evident in the way the madness never became fragmented, but retained the proper sense of organized chaos.

Most breathtaking was Igor Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, one of the groundbreaking compositions of the early twentieth century. Considered wild and unmanageable in its time, the great ballet has now entered the standard repertoire of professional orchestras. It is a tribute to the collective ability of the NYOC that they handled a score for virtuosi with confidence and élan.

This is the 50th anniversary of the National Youth Orchestra, a fact noted by Maestro Lacombe. At the beginning of the second half of the program, he invited former members of the ensemble  who were present in the audience to join with today’s players in his spirited adaptation of two favorites - woven together were Bolero and Happy Birthday - not a fugue, but a romp through classics that have a place in a celebratory moment.

The Festive Encore by Dmitri Shostakovich lent the final fillip to a totally satisfying evening of music-making. It is beautiful to see young artists engaged in high level activity. May their aspirations be encouraged by a society that values artistic accomplishment. And let us look forward to a return of this outstanding group next year!

Renée Silberman is founder and director of Serenata Music, the chamber music recital series in London. In London: 100 Fascinating Lives, Renée documented the stories of two local residents: Gordon Jeffery, who turned Aeolian Hall into the successful performing arts center it is today, and Maria Rosé who, through her relationship to Gustav Mahler, conserved a portion of the composer’s legacy of manuscripts and personal effects which are now housed at the University of Western Ontario. Renée is working on a study of Mahler’s travels in North America. www.serenatamusic.com