Latest news with #YannickNézetSéguin
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Mozart reveals everything
In an intimate portrait, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, shares how mentorship, Mozart, and a relentless commitment to authenticity shape his approach to conducting. From early lessons with piano to formative moments with legendary maestro Carlo Maria Giulini, Nézet-Séguin reflects on how vulnerability, clarity, and truthfulness are the real tools of the podium. 'Mozart reveals everything,' he says, as he describes how music, at its most powerful, speaks to everyone and why classical music must evolve to reflect the world we live in today.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
A new golden era for opera begins at the Met
Once viewed as a static art form, opera is being revitalised with contemporary stories and fresh perspectives to connect with modern audiences. From groundbreaking productions like Grounded to the passion of young singers from around the globe, The Met embraces change while preserving opera's timeless ability to ground us as human beings. The Metropolitan Opera's Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and General Manager Peter Gelb discuss the bright future of the art form alongside lauded tenor Benjamin Bernheim.
Washington Post
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
In a triumphant ‘Tristan and Isolde,' time stands still (for four hours)
PHILADELPHIA — On Sunday afternoon at Marian Anderson Hall, Yannick Nézet-Séguin led his Philadelphia Orchestra through the four-hour entirety of Richard Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde.' And I don't think I'm overdoing it to say that once it was over, it felt like something Very Important had just happened. Maybe that's because there were several bits of history in the mix — the sort of things that outside the context of opera's most tormented tragedy would qualify as 'fun facts': In addition to being the first Wagner opera that Nézet-Séguin has led with the Philadelphia Orchestra, this was his first time conducting 'Tristan and Isolde' in full. (His second will take place on Sunday, when the program repeats.) Additionally, this is the orchestra's first performance of 'Tristan' since 1934, when it gave the U.S. premiere of the uncut version of the opera, with Hans Grahl singing Tristan and Marga Dannenberg as Isolde. One more: The orchestra uses and in all of the materials where it mentions the title, but I keep typing und. But more than these tidbits, I suspect the palpable heft of the moment as we all mopped our cheeks and filed out through the plaza of the Kimmel Center was due to what we'd just heard — a finely wrought, fully realized performance of 'Tristan' that will reside in my mind as one of the greatest things I've ever heard. And I say 'fully realized' knowing that it wasn't — a good concert performance of an opera makes you forget it's 'just' a concert, and this was one of those. A few folks I spoke to during one of two intermissions even expressed surprise at their relief, freed as they were from extraneous concepts and undue time travel. Light and effective stage direction was provided by Dylan Evans, situating the singers on a platform above the orchestra, where they indeed roiled like the sea beneath Tristan's ship in the first act. If I make it back to Philly this weekend to do it all over again, it will be because of this highly concentrated, assiduously performed and gorgeous-sounding concert treatment. This was also a performance that looked forward. In March of 2026, Nézet-Séguin will lead the opera at his other home base, the Metropolitan Opera, where Yuval Sharon's new production will star tenor Michael Spyres and soprano Lisa Davidsen in the title roles. But Sunday offered a unique and rewarding chance for listeners to get acquainted with Nézet-Séguin getting acquainted with 'Tristan,' an effort that often had him on tiptoes, and not just to show off his Louboutins. Composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in 1865, 'Tristan and Isolde' is Wagner's telling of the tale of an Irish princess and a Breton nobleman, drawn together through violence and vengeance but ultimately bound in passion by a potent potion — their love in betrayal of a royal betrothal and defiance of the physical world itself. Were it not for the score's relentless climb, it would be heavy stuff. But from the slow, graceful assembly of themes in the first act to the blissful revelation (and resolution) of its final moments ('Liebestod'), Nézet-Séguin kept his players alive, attentive and attuned to Wagner's singular palette of colors. He stoked Wagner's 'fierce and terrible yearning' in storms of brass and scathing strings; but he also coaxed long stretches of impossible delicacy from the orchestra. The quietest parts were louder than the loudest. For Philadelphians who love their orchestra, it was a also a celebration of individual players. Principal viola Choong-Jin Chang had a sensational long afternoon, as did concertmaster David Kim. From an upper tier, Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia offered an entrancing lament on English horn in the third act, followed by Jeffrey Curnow, sounding the Holztrompete to indicate the long-awaited approach of Isolde by sea. One other fact (slightly less fun) is that these concerts in Philadelphia mark soprano Nina Stemme's final turn in the role of Isolde for the complete opera. The Swedish-born soprano first sang the part at Glyndebourne Festival in 2003 under the guidance of Birgit Nilsson. Two decades later, Isolde seems to reside within her body, her incandescent high notes just one feature of her ample arsenal. Stemme's voice can plunge like a blade (as it did in Act 1, as Isolde hungers for revenge) or leap in orgasmic ecstasy (as it did in Act 3's 'sun drenched day of bliss'). But more than anything, she maximized the tension that keeps the opera's massive emotional arc intact. Tenor Stuart Skelton was a sensational Tristan — his voice big and booming yet surprisingly lithe and lean. The resignation in an aria recounting his tormented past — which did sometimes lose him in the wash of the music — showed canny restraint as he unleashed his full force into the great collapse of Act 3. Mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill was endearing and fiery as Brangäne, switcher of potions and (otherwise) protector of Isolde. She's a mighty mezzo, fully present even when singing from the topmost tier, and gifted with strong, expressive instincts. Her 'Beware!' certainly worked on me, if not on Isolde. Baritone Brian Mulligan was also impressive as Tristan's right-hand man Kurwenal, though the role seemed to take a physical toll on him, a white-knuckle tension attending his hard, steely singing. I quite enjoyed bass Tareq Nazmi, who beautifully rendered King Marke's heartbreak over Tristan's betrayal by leaving shadows of his undermined authority intact. Tenor Freddie Ballentine was smart and affecting as royal tattletale Melot. The tenors and basses of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, directed by Donald Palumbo, made bracing contributions as a gang of 'sailors, knights and esquires,' depending on the act. If four hours of focused listening sounds demanding, the average concertgoer need not worry: The run time only makes a difference before the concert starts, when you're making your reservations for the dinner you will absolutely need afterward. In the midst of 'Tristan and Isolde,' time itself seems to come undone — Wagner recalibrates fleeting moments into endless eternities (and vice versa). Like the composer's intermingling themes and the lovers themselves, I left transfigured — the potion has yet to wear off. Richard Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde' repeats Sunday at Marian Anderson Hall, 300 S. Broad St., Philadelphia.
Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Silver nails and leather tops — the new faces of classical music
It was some way into Yuja Wang's rendition of Einojuhani Rautavaara's Piano Concerto No 1 at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, around the time she was slamming her right forearm down on the keyboard while her left hand did impossible things at impossible speed, that I realised that things were changing. You see, I do love classical music, but I've never been a huge fan of the piano. It's never really moved me in the way an orchestra can. But this pianist challenged that in the space of a single performance (and the multiple encores that followed it). Wang was playing with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra made up of students of the Curtis Institute of Music, which is where she studied from the age of 15. She was being conducted by the Canadian phenomenon Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who is head of conducting there. The two of them cut quite a dash on stage — she in a magenta evening dress with crystals, slit to the thigh, and he in a leather Nehru-collared shirt with silver cufflinks, black tapered trousers, black Christian Louboutin evening slippers with diamond bows, and shiny silver fingernails. • Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts Both Wang and Nézet-Séguin are committed to bringing new audiences into classical music. Arguably their megawatt wardrobes (and the conductor's regular hair-colour changes) are all part of the attempt to break down barriers of perceived old-fashioned formality that can make classical music and opera seem forbidding. 'It's what is called a Gesamtkunstwerk,' says Wang of her choice of outfits, referencing the German idea of a blending of multiple art forms to create a 'total work of art'. 'It's about being a whole. It's not just the fact of coming on stage. Otherwise people would listen to a recording, or Apple Music… There's a whole aspect of energy [at] work on stage.' The other thing that these two have in common, apart from being at the height of their international careers, is that both are Rolex testimonees — Wang since 2009 and Nézet-Séguin since 2024. As such they are involved in the Swiss watch company's Perpetual Arts Initiative, which has been running for half a century supporting artists and arts institutions. This initiative covers not only music, but also visual arts, dance, theatre, cinema, literature and architecture. Where classical music is concerned, the first testimonee for Rolex was the soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in 1976. Since then there have been many other household names on the Rolex roster, including the mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and the conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Rolex now also supports many of the world's most acclaimed musical organisations, from the Vienna Philharmonic to the Salzburg Festival, and from the Paris Opera and Teatro alla Scala in Milan to Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and the Royal Ballet and Opera in London. Wang is clear about the importance of the Rolex Perpetual Arts Initiative, saying she is 'grateful for Rolex's support'. 'Even from the time of Bach, the beginning of classical music, there's always patronage involved. We wouldn't have heard all the symphonies by Mozart if nobody had commissioned them. So we always need that support.' Another famous name that the Swiss watchmaker works with is the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the largest classical music institution in North America and, according to its general manager, Peter Gelb, the world's biggest purpose-built opera house. And so it is that over a weekend I am in the States at Rolex's invitation to meet Gelb, Wang and Nézet-Séguin to see the work of the firm's Perpetual Arts Initiative at first hand. The day after the concert in Philadelphia I watch the conductor again, this time in New York leading the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in Verdi's Aida. But first I chat to Gelb in his office, where he is sitting in front of a large abstract painting by Rashid Johnson. 'I believe that it's very important for the future of the art form to attract new audiences, younger audiences, diverse audiences. It's necessary to have operas that tell stories of today,' he says. 'This year, for example, we have three Met premieres taking place. Most recently we had Jake Heggie's [2010] opera Moby-Dick. And the actual opening night of the season was a new opera by Jeanine Tesori, a very celebrated composer, called Grounded, which is about a female fighter pilot who becomes a drone operator.' He explains that Tesori is the first female composer to open a season at the Met in its 141 years. 'We are a company that is trying to keep the art form moving forward creatively, because no art form can survive if it is stuck in the past.' But for this arts administrator this is not just about the art. It's much more fundamental than that. 'Civilisation without art is not very civilised. And unfortunately, in the world in which we live today, there's a great de-emphasis of art and culture. It's our duty — the duty of those people who have jobs like mine — to fight to keep it alive.' The Met receives no government funding, so Gelb explains that Rolex's support is crucial. 'Their association with companies like the Met has a direct beneficial impact, economically, of course, but also… they're providing a valuable contribution to developing artists in a very significant way.' Rolex's brand activities, however, are still more associated with the tennis court or endurance racing than the stage. And over my two-day immersion in the watchmaker's arts programme, the comparison with sports keeps coming up. Wang says of being a musician: 'It's like sports people… I think you just kind of try to get in the zone. So much of it is physical, you have to be in shape physically.' As for Nézet-Séguin, you can't watch him conduct Aida without thinking he's essentially engaged in a three-and-a-half-hour marathon. The physicality of his performance is striking. 'To conduct, it's a very intense thing,' he explains. 'I sweat a lot, it's a very athletic experience.' As a result he has a disciplined regime: 'I treat myself like a sports person. I don't drink a lot. I eat well. I have to really take care of myself.' The conductor has several affiliations. There's the gig at the Curtis Institute of Music as head of conducting, plus multiple posts as music director — of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal (an appointment for life) and the Metropolitan Opera. Splitting his time between three cities, he's constantly on the road. But he says this energises him. The only downside is he misses his three cats in Canada, though he has created a playlist for cats on Spotify (look it up) to keep them happy when he's away. Nézet-Séguin is a bundle of energy and a natural showman. His style is to enthuse orchestras to get them to give their best. The costume department at the Met makes him a new outfit to wear for each new production, inspired by the opera in question. It turns out that the silver fingernails he's rocking at the moment are to match a silver/grey shirt he will wear to conduct the opening night of Richard Strauss's Salome in a few days' time. For the golden opulence of Aida's set he has a glittering gold jacket. He worried the nails would clash. But don't be fooled into thinking that the theatricals are a sign of style over substance. Nézet-Séguin's aim, like his colleague at the Met, Peter Gelb, is to keep opera and classical music relevant to new audiences. Recently he had a hit on this front when he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra for the score of the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper, for which he won a Grammy.'What I want is to encourage the art form to be more open,' he says. 'So that everybody feels that they are welcome. I still feel that this is maybe the biggest hurdle.' The conductor is doing what he can to bring about change by commissioning new work with Peter Gelb. Nézet-Séguin talks of working with an African American composer, Terence Blanchard, an opera in Spanish by a Mexican, Daniel Catán, and a new work by an Asian composer, Huang Ruo. 'It seems very simple, but actually this has created such a difference in how people in New York perceive their opera house,' he explains. 'And, of course, some of them are only going to come when they recognise themselves [reflected in the work] — but actually this has been a lot more than we expected. And a lot are coming back. That was the key element for me.' This Rolex testimonee sees the long-term support of the arts from the watch brand as hugely important for his endeavour. 'Fidelity — trust — is what attracted me to be with Rolex.' His favourite Rolex, which he is wearing today, is a Day-Date in 18ct Everose gold. 'This one gives me brightness, it brings joy. It's shiny without being bling, and when I conduct rehearsals — because during the concert I can't really wear it, and anyway we wouldn't see it because of the outfit — but for the rehearsals I always do. Orchestras love it. It makes them smile. I ask, 'Oh, is it too bright?' And they say, 'No, no, it's just great. It allows us to participate in your movement even more.'
