While perhaps not “essential” in terms of furthering the repertoire or filling critical gaps in the string music catalog, this new release from violin virtuoso Angèle Dubeau and her La Pietà chamber orchestra is just one terrifically entertaining CD, its devil-themed repertoire offering a truly sensational venture into a wild, other-worldly realm of daring, dazzling feats of diabolical music-making. Of course, the devil/violin connection is nothing new, but what’s new here–and especially engaging–are the arrangements/orchestrations by La Pietà pianist Louise-André Baril, whose effective use of color, rich textures, and cleverly shifting solo lines among different instruments and sections perfectly suit the ensemble’s high-energy style and brilliant, show-stopping technique while remaining true to the original works. These include a delightfully wicked version of Tartini’s famous “Devil’s Trill” sonata, a truly scary Saint-Saëns Danse macabre, and–for me the disc’s highlight–the last two movements of a rarely-heard Boccherini symphony, the final four minutes of which will keep you riveted to your seat.
Although the disc’s star is Dubeau–she’s a really fine, articulate, and commanding soloist who injects her playing with fire and romantic flair and consistent attention to quality of tone–her fellow musicians, which consist of 10 excellent Canadian women string players and one pianist, are anything but mere accompanists. Their role is one of continuous interaction and dialogue with Dubeau, often trading solo phrases back and forth, and the music demands a superior level of technical accomplishment from everyone.
Listeners will enjoy the madly whirling dancing in El Amor Brujo, the jumping syncopations in A. Rozankovic’s arrangement of the fiddle tune Devil’s Reel, and lighter fare such as Ennio Morricone’s Once Upon a time in the West and–no kidding–Rozankovic’s gritty mix of the Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black and Sympathy for the Devil. The sound is close and vibrant and the perspective takes us right into the robustly resonant midst of the orchestra.
A DVD of live concert excerpts and video clips accompanies the generously filled (76-minute) audio CD. It contains mostly material not included on the CD program–but the Danse macabre performance is terrific, giving us a chance not only to see the group’s stylish staging and enthusiastic performance but also to appreciate how much fun they’re all having! The “special effects” are a bit distracting and sometimes the camera is focused away from the action we want to see–but the combined impact of Dubeau and La Pietà’s sound and stage presence is a treat that even the devil himself wouldn’t want to miss. And neither should you.
