Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival (live stream), 04/04/2021

 Saint-Saëns Gala Concert

Renaud Capuçon, violin

Bertrand Chamayou, piano

Ensemble Les Siècles

François Xavier Roth

Of the composers' anniversaries being marked this year, two in particular stand out; the 50th anniversary of Stravinsky's death, and the centenary of Saint-Saëns's.  Tonight's concert, streamed live from Aix-en-Provence, where Renaud Capuçon heads a prestigious annual Easter Festival for the last decade or so, was wholly dedicated to Saint-Saëns, and Saint-Saëns at his most colourful.

The programme began with the last, and least known of the three symphonic poems Saint-Saëns wrote based on Greek mythology, La jeunesse d'Hercule.  It is, despite the best efforts of conductor and orchestra, rather apparent why this piece is somewhat neglected, particularly compared to the other two in the group.  It lacks both the drama of Phaéton, and the charm of Le rouet d'Omphale, both also played tonight, and revealing of a much richer, and much subtler orchestral palette.  Presumably La jeunesse... seeks to refer to the infant Hercules's antagonistic relations with the goddess Hera, who made multiple efforts to kill him, but the situations are not as specific as in the other two works, and didn't create the kind of associations for Saint-Saëns that really sparked off his creative imagination.  Phaéton, on the other hand, was gripping right from the start, the galloping, breathless rhythm splendidly articulated, while the delicate textures of Omphale were also admirably captured.

In between the symphonic poems came a selection of concertante items.  Renaud Capuçon delivered the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso with a kind of insolent ease that did not quite, however, carry through to the Havanaise.  Not that it was poorly played, just that after the dazzling virtuosity and precision of the Rondo, it seemed a shade less accurate, both from Capuçon and from the orchestra.  For the piano, they chose the concert fantasy Africa, and the second movement of the 5th Piano Concerto.  The two pieces come very much from the same place, musically as well as inspirationally.  For a moment, as the concerto movement began, it seemed almost like a continuation of the fantasy.  Both reflect Saint-Saëns's love of travel, and his appreciation for northern Africa, with melodies of clear Arabic inspiration.  The streaming service used for these concerts offers multiple camera views of the players, and in particular, fascinating overhead shots of the piano keyboard, allowing a rare view of Chamayou's hands dancing agilely over the keys as he played what looked like a late 19th Century Pleyel grand piano, in keeping with Les Siècles philosophy of appropriate period instrument usage.

The concert ended with two contrasting waltzes.  The first came from Saint-Saëns's opera Le timbre d'argent, which is a "monkey's paw" type tale with a happy ending, and which Les Siècles and Roth have recorded complete.  The waltz is all charm and elegance, and sets up the famous Danse macabre excellently as its dark counterpart.  For once, this latter piece was not presented as a violin and orchestra showcase, but as the symphonic poem it was conceived as, with the solo violin part played by the orchestra's leader, François-Marie Drieux.  Again, this was an interpretation of crisp accuracy, without unnecessary effects or emphasis, and concluded the evening with a devilish wink.