Collegium Vocale Gent & Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest olv. Y. Nézet-Séguin

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, Collegium Vocale Ghent and Kate Royal. World class, times four. In a programme where the beauty of sound, timbre and effect are of the greatest importance. Definitely a winning combination.
Schubert’s ‘Unfinished Symphony’ is always impressive for its delightful melodies, lively harmonies and marvellous orchestration. All with a frugality of resources in a classical structure.
No standard patterns for Debussy. But studies in light and shade for a large orchestra. In the first ‘Nocturne’, immobility and grey tints dominate, interrupted by white. Then the jollity breaks out, with dancing rhythms and sudden flashes of colour. As if in a drunken dream. In the final part, a mysterious female chorus hums, weaving a golden thread into the enchanting tissue of sound.
Rather than sensuality, Poulenc’s ‘Stabat Mater’ offers austere beauty. He himself thought that the best and most sincere part of his personality was to be found in his religious works. This meditation on mourning and deliverance certainly shows he was right. It is intense music, always elegant and full of nuance. And once in a while an angel sticks out its tongue.