Mireille Caza Mireille Airat Ichmouratov Airat Ichmouratov (b. 1973) premiere recordings ‘Youth’ Overture, Op. 50 (2016) 13:48 To Jean-Philippe Tremblay and the Orchestre de la Francophonie on the occasion of their fifteenth anniversary and To the Youth of our Planet, ambitious and fearless in making our home a better place 1 Adagio magnifico – Allegro maestoso – Tempo I – Allegro maestoso – Allegro vivace – Scherzoso – Maestoso – 8:04 2 [Allegro vivace] – Poco meno mosso – Più mosso, accelerando poco a poco – Più mosso 5:43 ‘Maslenitsa’ Overture, Op. 36 (2012) 11:34 3 Lento religioso – Poco più mosso – Allegro brillante – Maestoso – 8:30 4 Lento – Allegro brillante – Presto festivo – Moderato maestoso – Poco meno mosso – Presto festivo 3:04 3 Symphony, Op. 55 ‘On the Ruins of an Ancient Fort’ (2015 – 17) 47:37 in A minor • in a-Moll • en la mineur À Marc David et l’Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil Olivier Charetter violin Patrick Namur cello Daniel Venglar trumpet 5 I Andante – Moderato espressivo – Più mosso – Poco meno mosso – Moderato – Larghetto – Andante – Allegro con anima – Maestoso – Moderato espressivo – Meno mosso, maestoso – Andante 15:49 6 II Allegro scherzando 5:50 7 III Largo 13:55 8 IV Allegro con fuoco – Andante misterioso – Larghetto – Allegro con anima – Poco meno mosso – Meno mosso, maestoso – Allegro con brio – Festivo 11:58 TT 73:07 Orchestre de la Francophonie Jean-Philippe Tremblay 4 Ichmouratov: Overtures / Symphony The Music of Airat Ichmouratov These works are united by an ear for bold Self-avowedly of ‘the Russian school’, orchestral colour, a dramatic sense of form, Airat Ichmouratov (b. 1973) derives the and a firm dedication to tonality as a musical fundamentals of his craft from such masters language for our time. as Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky but ‘Youth’ Overture, Op. 50 inspiration from multiple sources, including The ‘Youth’ Overture is dedicated to the his native Tatarstan and the surroundings Orchestre de la Francophonie and its founder, of Montreal, the city which he has called Jean-Philippe Tremblay, as well as ‘the home for more than twenty years. It says Youth of our Planet, ambitious and fearless something about his eclectic interests that in making our home a better place’. Stirring Ichmouratov acquired a taste for klezmer – fanfares establish the dotted three-note a remarkable avocation, as he observes, motive that pervades the overture. Restless for a Muslim by birth – while busking in the modulations evoke the limitless vista of Montreal metro system. Indeed, he has made possibilities which a young person faces, his mark as a performer as a clarinettist a prospect which the composer compares for Kleztory, an ensemble that recorded for to an ocean that must be crossed despite Chandos with I Musici de Montréal. strong headwinds and rough seas. Soon the The music on this recording, however, matchlessly positive and promising key of is linked to other sources: the universal C major is established as the tonality of the optimism of young people and their main Allegro. The clarinet sallies forth with a determination to make the planet a better good-natured variant of the dotted theme, place (‘Youth’ Overture); a traditional pre- ending with a run of semiquavers that would Lenten festival celebrated in Russia and its not have disgraced Rossini. An even more neighbouring nations (‘Maslenitsa’ Overture); boisterous sequence builds tension until the the ruins of a seventeenth-century fortress much-awaited dominant is reached, a broad in the Canadian city of Longueuil (Symphony). melody for strings, marked cantabile. Young 5 people, it seems, have their affectionate of Mussorgsky’s pictorial expressions moments. A cheeky rising figure for bassoons of Russian grandeur in Boris Godunov. A and xylophone brings a return of the high lonely oboe leads to a fanfare starting with spirits, and is followed by a martial passage an assertive rising fifth in unison horns, that expresses determination in the face of spanning an octave which is soon modified stormy weather (represented by the wind slightly to define a major seventh – an machine). In the compressed recapitulation interval which the composer regards as his the cantabile tune seems ready to have the personal fate motif. Sombre music returns, last word before ominous figures in the horns to be swept away by scurrying figures in the and muted trumpets introduce an uplifting woodwinds and a crisp theme for strings, coda. The voyage is successful; the vitality of which frankly pays tribute to the spirit and youth leads to the confidence of adult life. key – D major – of the Overture to Glinka’s The ‘Youth’ Overture was premiered by the Ruslan and Lyudmila. Material returns for dedicatees on 28 July 2016, as a celebration development, sometimes in cinematic of their fifteenth anniversary, in the Centre splendour. Noble trumpets are heard at the Pierre-Charbonneau in Montreal. The start of a section marked Moderato maestoso composition was supported by a grant from but the lively principal theme returns Presto the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. festivo to leave the merriment of Maslenitsa distinctly in the ascendant. ‘Maslenitsa’ Overture, Op. 36 The ‘Maslenitsa’ Overture was The ‘Maslenitsa’ Overture, a portrayal of the commissioned by the Orchestre week prior to Lent, is meant to represent an symphonique du Saguenay – Lac-Saint- array of carnival-like festivities, including Jean, which gave the first performance in folk dances, disguises, troika rides, ice Chicoutimi, Quebec on 25 February 2013 sculptures, and blini – the crêpes that under the direction of Jacques Clément. adhere to the protocols of the meatless diet already required of the faithful. The Symphony in A minor, Op. 55 ‘On the Ruins of beginning, however, establishes the religious an Ancient Fort’ context of the celebration with a solemn Ichmouratov’s Symphony in A minor seeks to chorale in woodwinds, augmented by tubular recreate the vitality of Longueuil, a city on the bells, which might put the listener in mind south shore of the St Lawrence River, from its 6 beginnings as an outpost of New France (only solos for violin and woodwinds again invite the foundations of Fort Longueuil remain) to comparison with Shostakovich’s Fifth. the present day. Soft strokes on the timpani The spacious Largo, in E major, opens and bass drum evoke Iroquois war drums in a nostalgic rather than sorrowful mode, and an era when a clash of cultures was all with swelling strings, although soon enough but inevitable; an ominous figure for solo lyrical solos are heard from the trumpet, tuba features a rising minor sixth, recalling flute, and clarinet. Ichmouratov’s initial object the opening motif of Shostakovich’s Fifth was to portray Eulalie Durocher, who was Symphony. A stalwart iteration by unison known as Mother Marie-Rose Durocher in her horns of this theme in fuller form establishes role as the founding superior of a religious both the intrepid character of Charles (II) community in Longueuil. This plan was le Moyne de Longueuil (created a baron by greatly intensified by the shocking death in Louis XIV) and the home key of A minor. After an auto accident of the composer’s mother, a some turbulent working out, the second woman of similar compassion and fortitude. theme, introduced by a solo violin, paints While the prevailing message is of affirmation a human portrait of the Baron, who was a in the face of adversity, there is room for a peacemaker as well as a commander – and, humorous march, cheekily orchestrated and like the composer, a person of traditional by no means always in common time. upbringing who felt energised by the special The finale opens, Allegro con fuoco and dynamism of the New World. While there is fortissimo, with a rising three-note motto that no orthodox recapitulation, materials are encompasses a major seventh. This musical heard again, including, in the final minute, the signature, derived from a theme found in the portentous drumming of the opening, which finale of Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony, leads to a decisive cadence. has appeared in almost every work The second movement, distinctly Ichmouratov has written since 2009. Here scherzando in character despite the 4 / 4 the interval is intended also to form a heroic time signature, introduces the bustle of and ultimately celebratory bridge between contemporary Longueuil. We hear children the era of the Baron de Longueuil, one of playing in parks, adults on the street engaged warfare and hardship, and the present day. in boisterous debate, traffic noises, and the An exuberant second theme in winds evokes sound of a trumpet from a nightclub. Puckish a jig; a more pensive section marked Andante 7 misterioso brings back the ominous theme Agnieszka Duczmal and the Amadeus of the opening of the symphony. Later, a solo Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, Evgeny cello with woodwind commentary restores Bushkov and the Belarusian State Chamber the nostalgic mood of the slow movement. Orchestra, Israel Soloists, Taipei Symphony The conclusion, however, is entirely positive Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de in character, making exuberant use of timpani Québec, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, and bringing to mind the close of Mahler’s Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Seventh. symphonique d’Ottawa, Les Violons du Roy, The Symphony in A minor was composed New Orford String Quartet, Tatarstan National in 2015 – 17 in Montreal and premiered Symphony Orchestra, Omega Ensemble, and on 28 September 2017 by the Orchestre Symphony Orchestra of India. Holding a PhD symphonique de Longueuil under the baton in orchestral conducting from the Université of Marc David. The composer gratefully de Montréal, he has served as Conductor in acknowledges the support of the Conseil des Residence of Les Violons du Roy (2007 – 09) Arts de Longueuil.