Unique: For an encore, this new music director sings a little song
mainFrançois-Xavier Roth is relatively new at the Gürzenich orchestra in Cologine, still feeling his way with the audience.
So, at the end of the concert, he gave a little chat in German and English on recent results – football and the French election. Then he went into cabaret mode, singing Charles Trenet’s classic La Mer, with orchestral accompaniment.
Not many music directors get this volume of applause.
Now test it against the great original:
LOVE this! Bravo and Bravi!
… and for an encore, FXR could try Boum!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnsQaMVO74c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LJRUzrOKkI
NL’s “original” above is a nice video. This link here points to Trenet’s 1946 recording, made a year after another singer first recorded Trenet’s 1943 song, and it captures the Postwar joy and exuberance like no other version.
This is the France everyone loves, and I would bet it is what FXR grew up with.
Been there :)) It was a great moment. It perfectly fitted to the whole concert and its atmosphere. FXR had the right feeling with the audience just from his first concert as Kapellmeister on. When he conducts he knows what he wants – and gets it from the orchestra.
Thanks for the post! Apologies, we have had to down the livestream for technical reasons! Stay tuned for the new links soon and enjoy meanwhile our orchestra in our GO Plus Streaming section, e.g. with a great all-saint-saëns-program! http://www.guerzenich-orchester.de/go-plus-sinfoniekonzert04
Oh, that’s unfortunate. Will you be putting it back up? If not, could we just have the clip of Francois singing?
we put the video with Francois singing back up. please find it here
https://youtu.be/UN-tLM7vFvg
Norman, the extract with FXR singing is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-tLM7vFvg. It is a pitty that they did not leave the whole concert published. I hope they will change mind on that.
Dear Norman, the whole concert will be back online in a few days! We will keep you posted! Best,
Patrick
One word: Delightful.
INteresting that Sarah Willis (horn player in Berlin Phil) was presenting. Maybe she’s moving to a new career
Yes, she is a natural in that role. Surprised she has time (and permission).
Ahem, the Budapest Festival Orchestra regularly do encores on tour, and when they do, they often do it where a collection of the singers (and Maestro Ivan Fischer) sing. This kind of alternative approach, from both this maestro and BFO, usually charm audiences. It’s very welcome.