Missing enthusiasm
Amal Choucri Catta asks if this concert should really have been called gala
Gala Concert, Cairo Opera Orchestra, conductor Nader Abbassi; cello soloist Kamel Salaheddin; Carmen Suites I and II, Bizet, and works by Couperin, Fauré, Saint-Saens and Ravel; Cairo Opera House Main Hall, 21 May
Compared to Russian or German composers, French composers lack popularity among local music lovers. And it was the idea that it would be interesting to introduce some of the lesser-known French composers to Cairo's audiences that gave rise to last week's Gala Concert at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall.
The idea was doubtless interesting, though the concert, mainly the second part, was somewhat lacking in spirit. Adroitly mingling the better- with the lesser-known composers, Couperin and Fauré with Ravel and Saint-Saens and Bizet, conductor Nader Abbasi was spirited, almost vivacious as he conducted Bizet's Carmen Suites I and II during the first part of the concert. However, starting with Couperin in the second part, the mood gradually turned heavy and sullen, even in Saint-Saens' allegro appassionato. The Gala Concert did not yield a full house, nor a full stage -- since certain pieces were written for a limited number of instruments -- something audiences generally dislike.
The second part of the concert featured guest soloist Kamel Salaheddin, the well- known cello virtuoso who has lived in Germany since 1988, working as cello co-leader of the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra. Yet his solo performance was not reason enough to give this soirée the title Gala Concert. It seems that responsible parties at the Opera, perhaps the younger generation, are not sufficiently familiar with the meaning of "gala", originally a Spanish and old French word ("gale") meaning enjoyment or amusement that has come to imply an official reception or a major spectacle undertaken in honour of a newcomer or guest.
The concert started splendidly with selections from Bizet's Carmen Suites I and II, extracted by Fritz Hoffman after Bizet's death. The Prelude to Suite I begins with the theme of fate mercilessly knocking on Carmen's door, while she ignores the omen. In the second movement the aragonaise with strong Spanish rhythms precedes the meditative mood of the calm intermezzo, with Manal Mohieddin at the harp and Reham Abbas at the flute. Their duet, preluding Carmen's Seguedille, was brilliant; followed by Dragons d'Alcala, a light-hearted movement typical of Don Jose's military themes, it gave way to Les toréadors, which closed the movement with the lively exuberance of a bullfight.
Suite II opened with another march: the crisp and wild debonair of smugglers culminating in Carmen's Habanera. The third movement revealed Nocturne, a lovely violin solo by Khaled El-Sheweikh, while Movement IV delved into Escamillo's unforgettable Toréador en garde, a popular aria of the second scene of Act II. The Bohemian Dance, a flamboyant orchestral fantasy, joyfully performed, brought Suite II to a triumphant end. With it, however, as the second part of the concert started, ended the maestro's triumph too.
Kamal Salaheddin's performance of Fauré's Elegy was captivating during the second part. His touch was noble, and his sound as passionate as ever. Salaheddin plays with thrilling energy. Remaining on stage for the duration of the second part, whether as soloist or member of the orchestra, he also gave a wonderful display of modesty.
The second part started with a "musical piece" by Couperin, a composer, harpischordist and organist. The most distinguished member of his family, he was known as Couperin le Grand due to his prowess as an organist. Born in Paris in 1668, he was organist of Saint Gervais from 1685 to his death in 1733. As organist of the royal chapel of Louis XIV, he gave chamber concert for the monarch almost every Sunday, for which he composed partitas in several movements, mostly intended for the harpischord. He had a strong influence on Bach; his music appealed to Richard Strauss so much the latter orchestrated it. Ravel paid a 20th-century tribute to him in Le tombeau de Couperin, a suite in six movements produced as a ballet choreographed by Balanchine in New York in 1975. He is considered very modern to this day.
Couperin was followed by Saint-Saens' allegro appassionato, Opus 43. Born in Paris in 1835, Saint-Saens gave his first recitals at 10. Composer, pianist and organist, he travelled widely and, working for most of the 86 years of his life, he was remarkably prolific. Elegance of form and line, which showed clearly in the allegro appassionato as it was performed under Abbasi, together with melodic grace, have ensured the survival of most of his work. He died in Algiers in 1921.
The third composer featured in the second part of the concert was Fauré. A pupil of Saint-Saens, he counted Ravel among his students. Born in Pamiers in 1845, he died in Paris in 1924. He was slow to gain recognition outside France, though he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest French composers, a master of the song cycle and a poet of the keyboard. Though by no means harmonically adventurous, his music, exemplified here by one of his most famous short compositions, has a unique strength and emotional appeal.
Last came Ravel, who, partly due to his Bolero, is far better known than the previous three. Born in 1875, he died in 1937, leaving behind a vast body of work. And among his compositions is Pavane pour une infante défunte, which brought this concert to a close.
All in all composers were too many and compositions too brief in the second part of the concert, giving the audience little time in which to take in each work. The Pavane, for example, an otherwise lovely piece, became one among many, losing much of its individual appeal. A dance of Italian origin, it was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries; and its home is generally assumed to be Padua. It was adopted by various composers through the centuries; even in 1930 Ralph Vaughan William used it for his Suite de concert. Notwithstanding its nostalgic, melancholic beauty, to have been featured so briefly and with such little impact on the present occasion was therefore something to regret.
