By Sherry Steinberg
The Orchestre Classique de Montreal gave an excellent concert of works by Leonard Bernstein last evening, May 2. It was a benefit concert to support the OCM’s Music for Everyone program, which aims to make music accessible to all, including seniors, underprivileged people, women’s shelters, and children.
I was a violinist in this orchestra years ago when it was still called the McGill Chamber Orchestra. It became the Orchestre Classique de Montreal in 2019. It is one of Canada’s oldest and most reputable professional orchestras.
Leonard Bernstein was a prolific composer of music of different genres. This concert presented excerpts from his musicals “West Side Story” and “Candide” as well as his more classical works, “Simple Song” from “Mass”, “Serenade, after Plato’s Symposium”, and “Arias and Barcarolles”.
The concert was performed very well by a string chamber orchestra with timpani, percussion, and harp. The balance of sound among the instruments was fine, and the expression of the different musical pieces was moving and exciting. This was brought out very ably by the conductor Melanie Leonard.
Special mention goes to the soloists for their fine performances: violinist Marc Djokic and singers Sharon Azrieli, soprano; Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano; and James Westman, baritone. Marc Djokic, the concertmaster of the orchestra, played superbly the Serenade, which is a violin concerto. Sharon Azrieli sang “I Am So Easily Assimilated” from “Candide” and “Simple Song”. Julie Nezrallah and James Westman sang “Arias and Barcarolles”.
It was good to go back and hear one of my “alma mater” orchestras, and I enjoyed the concert very much.
