Tugan Sokhiev highlights the colors of Rimsky-Korsakov and the OSR

Published on October 4, 2024 at 6:31 p.m.

Thursday evening in Lausanne, the Orchester de la Suisse Romande (OSR) gave the impression of pitching in the final picture of Scheherazade, by Rimsky-Korsakov. The music – distantly inspired by the tales of Arabian Nights – evoked The Party in Baghdad and the sinking of a sea vessel on rocks. Ossetian conductor Tugan Sokhiev managed to instill this sensation of capsizing and intoxicating enthusiasm to close the first concert of the OSR’s 2024-2025 season, given alternately in Geneva and Lausanne.

Thursday evening, many people from Lausanne came to the Théâtre de Beaulieu for this curtain raiser. The French virtuoso Bertrand Chamayou played the 2nd Concerto in G minor by Saint-Saëns, a hit among the concertos of the 19th century. His dexterity and brilliant playing greatly impressed the audience who applauded the soloist between each movement. We regret, however, that this one missed out a little on the first movement, the first pages of which parody the style of an organ improvisation – a fake Bach – before branching off towards a much more nineteenth-century style.

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