Seiji Ozawa -- that adorable gray mouse of a 73-year-old conductor -- is back in the Henri Dutilleux saddle. Tonight at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, he'll herald France's premiere of the Dutilleux song cycle, "Le Temps l'horloge" with Renee Fleming and Orchestre National de France.
The American premiere of Hank's work was in November 2007 with James Levine and the BSO, while only a month prior, Ozawa led the world premiere in Japan. The 9-minute song cycle, comprised of three songs and written expressly for Fleming, is based on French poems from Jean Tardieu & a WWII Nazi victim memorial inscription by Robert Desnos.
France is all about a bukkake of Ozawa-related stuff these days, so today Radio France is throwing an Ozawa-fête, where they'll devote the entire day of programming to the Japanese maestro.
The highlight is a live stream from Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, which will broadcast the 8:00 pm concert. In addition to Fleming and the Dutilleux song cycle, the program includes Ravel's Ma Mère and music selections from Berlioz's Roméo et Juliette. Ozawa conducts Orchestre National de France.
Le Figaro is carrying a story with Ozawa, who they've appropriated as ~King of French Music~. We're gonna go ahead and appoint Édith Piaf as the Queen and MC Solaar as the Prince...thanks in advance.
The cool thing about contemporary musique is that, if you're lucky, the composer is een ze haus and you can actually cheer and clap your hands and show him how much his music means to you.
Last night in Boston, one such occasion. That sweet teddy bear of a 'froed maestro, Jimbo Levine and la Renay Fleming brought the Symphony Hall down by having 91-year-old Henri Dutilleux stand up to receive the applause that's duly his.
Inveterate opera-and-symphony-goer & friend of OC, blogger Of The Kosmos, was there.
And took a video.