Montreal’s maestro puts in the hard yards
OrchestrasThe Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has rolled out its 2023–2024 season.
Music director Rafael Payare will conduct no fewer than 30 concerts. Given that he has another orchestra in California and a growing career in Europe, that’s quite a commitment.
The soprano and condcutor Barbara Hannigan will join the OSM as artist in reisdence.
As he should, he is MUSIC DIRECTOR of the OSM. This isn’t a fly-in-for-a-day job like they treat it here in the UK, you commit or you can go.
Payare is a truly great leader, musician, and unlike 90% of conductors now, actually has GREAT technique. You know, unlike most of the diversity bs hires going around.
This man will one day be a firm touchstone of music history.
His hands do the speaking for him and that’s how it should be.
I like Payare but just who are these “diversity bs hires” of whom you speak? Most orchestras want to have a conductor they like to work with and who knows what they’re doing. A lot of conducted get dumped on here on SD, but they keep getting hired for one reason: Orchestras like working with them.
I know nothing about him, except that his Mahler 5 with the OSM on Pentatone is surprisingly very good – and quite different from the equally good (and equally recent) Bychkov/Czech Phil. one (also Pentatone). I’ll look at the schedule to see what they’re doing (I think Mahler 3 is on the list).
Mahler 1 and 7 this year.
Since when is 30 concerts in a season a lot for a music director? It’s 10 programs, each played three times.
He has a lot of good programs, though.
I don’t understand why the OSM doesn’t play more on weekends. Back when they were in Salle Wilfred-Pelletier and shared the house with the opera and ballet, it made sense that weeknights were what was available. But they’re the primary tenant of Maison Symphonique – it was built for them. Yet most of their shows seem to be Wednesday-Thursday, with a small number Saturday/Sunday. Though unlike many orchestras these days, they seem to draw a good crowd, so what do I know?
I recently saw him on tour with OSM and was very disappointed. I think his hairdo is doing the heavy lifting. I’ve not heard of folks who have worked with him that finds him legit. I just don’t understand how/why he getting the gigs he does.
If that was in DC, I had a much different impression. At least the OSM was its usual fabulous self, so he didn’t make a hash of things.