Paavo Järvi with Orchestre de Paris, Chostakovich and Beethoven 9.

By Henning Høholt, text and photos

Philippe Aïche, soloist in Chostakovich 2. violin concert with Paavo Järvi, Orchestre de Paris at Philharmonie. 17.6.2015. Photo Henning Høholt

PARIS/FRANCE: With Chostakovich Violin concerto no 2, with Philippe Aïche as soloist, it became and agressive concert, full of sadness, and also beauty in the middle of the sadness and agressivity. This sadness and dark mood was contrasted by Beethovens 9th Symphony, which ends with the “Ode to Joy”, a poem by Friedrich Schiller.

All the first parts sadness and darkness, was a great contrast to the happening in the last part of Beethovens 9th Sympnhony which was programmed after the break,

Paavo Järvi and Orchestre de Paris at Philharminie in Paris, after Beethovens 9. Symphony 17.6.2015 Soloists at the Balcony are, from left Petra Lang, mezzo, Luba Orcon´sová, sopran, Michael Schade, tenor, Matthias Goerne, baryton. Photo Henning Høholt

The second violin concerto was originally created in 1967 in Moscow by David Oistrakh, it was a 60 years birthday preent to Oistrakh from Costakovich.

Philippe Aïche managed brilliantly to perform the magic of the Russian art of violin in this extraordinary Sovjetique musicale excellence. In the second part he took good care of the melancholy    

Ludwig van Beethoven 9. Symphony:

Philharmonie de Paris, seen from Academie de la Musique et Danse at Cité de la Musique, Paris. 17.6.15. Foto Henning Høholt

Among critics, Beethovens 9th Symphony, is almost universally considered Beethoven’s greatest work, and many consider it one of the greatest compositions in the western musical canon.

However for me, personally, I feel that many of Beethovens Symphonies gives me more interesting parts, as i feel that, a lot of this 75 min. long symphony is “only”, but also “elegantly” buildng up the choire and singing soloists in the last movement, with allways modulating on themes that we, when we know the symphony is directing in to the final part.

Part of Choeur del Orchestre de Paris and soloists,from left Lang, Orconásová, Schade, Goerne, 17.6.15. Foto Henning Høholt

The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony, thus making it a choral symphony. The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus. They were taken from the “Ode to Joy”, a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803.

Paavo Järvi and Henning Høholt, after concert 17.6.15, at Philharmonie de Paris.

Beethovens 9th. Symphony is a large work, and in this cooperation for the first time (as far as i know) between Orchestre de Paris and Paavo Järvi, it is allways exiting how it will function, and happily they were going to repeat it at the concert 18th of June.   The first part was powerfull, sometimes a bit too powerful for me, but in the second part with the dialogue between horn and wood and the direct dialogue between solo flute and solo horn is very interesting and was beautifully and with great musicality played by the two excellent soloists.

The final is the hit with its fanfare sounds in the deep strings and beautifully with one of the coming leading themes in the bases continuing up in the lighter strings andthrough all the groups is a masterpiece by Beethoven, taken well care of by the Orchestra.

Beethovens 9 Symphony at Philharmonie in Paris. Michael Schade, Paavo Järvi, Matthias Goerne, Petra Lang, Luba Orconásová. Photo Henning Høholt

With good soloists like Matthias Goerne (bassbaryton), who was beautifully and very well sounding opening it all in the singing part, and  Michael Schade (tenor), together with Luba Orconásová (sopran) and Petra Lang (mezzo), and a very well  singing Choire de Orchestre de Paris, with app 110 persons, led by Lionel Sow, the last vocal part of this famouse Beethoven Symphony was in the very best hands. The sound of the choire was some times extraordinary well formed.