Random Flâneries de Reims

Once again, the Flâneries musicales de Reims offer this subtle blend of popular celebration and musical demand which is the priority of their artistic director, Jean-Philippe Collard.

A way of remembering that there is no democratization possible without excellence.

Until July 9, 43 concerts in three weeks bring to life the emblematic places of the champagne capital, making churches, theaters, parks and palaces places of sharing.

A shadow on the board, despite everything, at the concert on June 24.

During our last visit to Reims, in 2018, Jean-Philippe Collard and Claire Taittinger, director and president of the event, told us of their frustration at the lack of a real symphonic auditorium in Reims.

We have only just understood why.

We were so happy with the Kantorow father and son concert!

Read also:

Canceled, maintained or postponed: the festival calendar in the time of Covid-19

Alexandre, 24, pianist, winner of the 2019 Tchaikovsky competition and one of the most endearing musical personalities of the moment. And Jean-Jacques, 75, conductor to whom we owe some nice memories at the head of the Orchester d'Auvergne or of what was still called the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris. Last year, their irresistible recording of three Saint-Saëns concertos at Bis, Victoire de la musique and Diapason d'or of the year, broke the house. In Reims, they presented the

2nd concerto

of the same, with the National Orchestra of Belgium, which we had not heard for a long time and we were also delighted to find again after tense years where the shadow of a fusion with the Orchestra of the Mint.

By the way, the Belgian National Orchestra has anglicized its name like so many other Brussels institutions, so as not to have to choose between French and Dutch… But it is in a very French program that it presented itself in Reims, Fauré and Bizet supervising the

2nd

of Saint-Saëns.

The wings of sound

This long preamble to tell you that we are unable to give you an account of this concert.

Because the Reims Opera where it was performed simply does not ring.

The sworn enemy of both the acoustician and the musician, the carpet, which absorbs sound, is the main suspect.

Impossible to say, therefore, if the harsh sound and the choppy phrasing of the so delicate

Pelléas et Mélisande

by Fauré, or if the dull dryness

of Bizet's

luminous

Symphony in C

, are the work of the orchestra and the conductor, or acoustics.

Especially since the Covid arrangement does not promote the perilous cohesion of widely spaced violins, nor the projection of the woods, broken by a nasty plastic wall.

Read also:

Reopening of French operas: ask for the program

On the other hand, the bass of the piano buzzing and resonating like a badly switched off engine while the highs slam, we know: this is not the game of Alexander Kantorow.

Finally, we still prefer churches or the outdoors, where we always adapt as best we can, rather than a room that cuts the wings of sound before it can take off.

Musical strolls in Reims until July 9

https://www.flaneriesreims.com/