Fiery display of icy works by the WSO

Out of Nordic lands of ice and snow sprang two works brought to life during Pouliot Plays Sibelius, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s final offering in its Thursday Classics series.

The 90-minute program (sans intermission) was led by Daniel Raiskin and celebrated the return of Canadian violinist Blake Pouliot, 30, who last dazzled local listeners during his WSO debut with Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, Op. 14 in December 2021.

The Toronto-born phenom, now based in New York City, marked his orchestral debut at the tender age of 11 and continues to garner critical acclaim for his solo performances with major orchestras throughout North America and Europe.

The night’s second star was Pouliot’s gleaming 1729 Guarneri del Gesu violin, currently on loan from the Canada Council of the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. Listeners with sharp eyes — or ears— might recall this same precious fiddle in the hands of Canadian brothers Timothy Chooi and Nikki Chooi during their local appearances.

Known for his flashy concert attire — Thursday night proved no exception — Pouliot exudes self-confidence; he’s a natural showman. His muscular approach to music-making is visceral; he dug hard into the first movement, Allegro moderato, of Finnish composer Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 like a man possessed. He navigated its blazing runs, multiple-octave leaps, double and triple stops, and slithery passages of harmonics as crystalline as icicles; his burnished tone was particularly resonant in his lowest register.

A few minor intonation issues did not detract from his fierce artistry, with the artist often closing his eyes, his head thrown back, as he fully immersed himself into the music.

The more subdued second movement, Adagio di molto, followed. As Raiskin coaxed lush sonorities from his players, Pouliot displayed his more lyrical side, his instrument often soaring above the orchestra. He infused the finale, Allegro ma non tanto, with plenty of rhythmic punch, ripping out runs that turned this impassioned performance into blood sport, igniting the imagination while leading to a thunderous ovation with cries of “bravo!”

The dynamo also possesses sharp comedic skills, cracking, “I can talk too, you know,” before announcing a planned encore of his own Celtic-inspired arrangement of The Last Rose of Summer, penned during a COVID quarantine, and performed on this same stage in 2021.

A split-second pivot led instead led to the Gavotte en Rondeau from J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006, which was met with more cheers from the enthralled crowd of 951 — many of whom apparently did not attend the prior show in the looming shadows of the pandemic.

The program also included Grieg’s Symphony in C Minor, famously known as “the forbidden symphony” of the classical canon. Its mysterious roots are cemented by the then-20-year-old Norwegian composer’s cryptic inscription on his manuscript cover that it “must never be performed.” Despite this (still) unsolved riddle, lucky Winnipeggers were treated to the WSO première of the four-movement work, written between 1863 and ‘64, that teems with colour and life.

The maestro led the players through its “dark to light” journey with well-paced finesse, setting a brisk tempo for opening movement Allegro molto, highlighted by sprightly, tightly knit winds. Kudos to the cellos for their soulful rendering of the theme during the subsequent Adagio espressivo, followed by the contrasting Intermezzo: Allegro energico, propelled by syncopated, percussive accents.

Then the sun came out again, as crisp as a wintry fjord, during finale Allegro molto vivace, the accelerating pace hurtling towards a triumphant finish and the night’s second rousing ovation.

Holly.harris@shaw.ca