The Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia scored a triumph in the basilica on Sunday evening. Conducted masterly by Augustin Dumay in great form, it enthralled the audience which was not expecting such splendors. The program was admittedly quite a treat: first, Dvorak’s admirable Romance for violin and orchestra… Then, Mozart, with his Concerto for violin KV 216, and the 29th symphony KV 201 for total bedazzlement! The concerto, in turn elegant, incisive, turbulent and funny, showcased Mozart devoid of his excessive roundness, Mozart that masters such as Harnoncourt, Immerseel or Gardiner have completely redrawn. The soloist – and conductor – joined with obvious complicity in the orchestra playing without ever playing the virtuoso nor trying to dominate.
And yet, what precision! What a sumptuous cadence at the end of the allegro moderato! The final rondo, whence the roguish Strasbourg jibe gushed in an unexpected tempo, let the sun shine – something the sky had obstinately refused to do… …The symphony in A major, handsome, dynamic, dramatic to perfection, painted an accurate portrait of Mozart at 18… who had already overcome the torrid moods of the Sturm und Drang. A superb elocution of the initial theme with its delicate bow vibrato, remarkable hold of the andante which progressed roundly but “cantabile,” a wriggling, ideally dancing minuet, a frenzied finale with sparkling precision. It reminded us of the excellent “Anima Eterna” the year before. And that is saying a lot!
As an encore, A. Dumay and the Orchestra of Wallonia played a fragment from the “L’Arlésienne” [The Girl of Arles] in the memory of Simply splendid! (Read the article).
L’Union – L’Ardennais (France), F. A., 27 juin 2012
Flâneries Musicales de Reims, 24 juin 2012