Airat Ichmouratov - Overtures; Symphonies (Jean-Philippe Tremblay)

Information

Composer: Airat Ichmouratov

• (01) 'Youth' Overture, Op. 50
• (03) 'Maslenitsa' Overture, Op. 36
• (05) Symphony in A minor, Op. 55 'On the Ruins of an Ancient Fort'

Orchestre de la Francophonie
Jean-Philippe Tremblay, conductor

Date: 2020
Label: Chandos
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2020172

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Review

Airat Ichmouratov (b1973) is a Tatarstan-born, Canadian-resident composer. He has lived in Montreal since the 1990s but his musical roots are Russian to the core. The overture Youth (2016) is a light, fun concert-opener, rather in the manner of some of Shostakovich’s lighter overtures. It was commissioned by the Orchestre de la Francophonie and Jean-Philippe Tremblay, who play it here with relish, audibly enjoying the theatrical atmosphere, almost circus-like in places.

At almost 14 minutes, Youth is a touch overlong, a fault he avoided in the other overture here, Maslenitsa (2016). The title translates as ‘Pancake Week’ and refers to the week-long pre-Lent festival in the Orthodox calendar. A vibrantly orchestrated homage to Glinka and Mussorgsky, a little after four minutes in there is an imaginatively scored passage that reminded me of the Sibelius of the theatre scores, before the music transmutes seamlessly into Ichmouratov’s standard manner.

The Symphony in A minor, On the Ruins of an Ancient Fort, is an example of Ichmouratov drawing inspiration from his adoptive homeland, the edifice in question being Fort Longueil. Commissioned by the Longueil Symphony Orchestra, the symphony is colourful and descriptive rather after the manner of, say, Kalinnikov or Steinberg, a touch prolix in places (it runs here past 47 minutes in duration). Attractive if not great music, the first three movements evoke in turn the 17th-century fort (and its commander, Baron de Longueil), the bustling modern city and the founder of the local convent, Mother Marie-Rose Durocher (as well as the composer’s then recently deceased mother); the finale gathers up the various expressive threads. Composed in 2015-17, composition dates of a century earlier would not have surprised me. The Orchestre de la Francophonie under Jean-Philippe Tremblay perform it and the overtures more than capably, and with affection. Excellent sound, as usual.

-- Guy Rickards, Gramophone

More reviews:
https://www.classical-music.com/reviews/orchestral/airat-ichmatourov-symphony-overtures/
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Aug/Ichmouratov-sy2-CHAN20172.htm

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Airat Ichmouratov (born June 28, 1973 in Kazan, Tatarstan) is a Russian/Canadian composer, conductor and klezmer clarinetist. He studied clarinet in Kazan, before moving permanently to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1998. In 2000, Ichmouratov joined the klezmer group Kleztory, in which he presently plays the clarinet, composes and arranges. With Kleztory, he has appeared as soloist with several orchestras, and has recorded award-winning CDs. As a composer, Ichmouratov's music has been performed by a wide range of ensembles and musicians in countries around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airat_Ichmouratov
https://airatichmouratov.com/

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Jean-Philippe Tremblay (born 1978) is a Canadian orchestra conductor. He was initially trained in viola, composition and conducting at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, then went on to further study at the University of Montreal, the Pierre Monteux School, the Tanglewood Music Center and the Royal Academy of Music in London. In addition to an international career as guest conductor, Tremblay is the founding Artistic Director and chief conductor of the Montreal based Orchestre de la Francophonie. Under his leadership, the orchestra has given concerts across Canada, China and the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Philippe_Tremblay

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