Far from Saint-Cyr, a rarity!Under the expert direction of Kirill Karabits, the full majesty of Racine’s theatre is restored by the Ukrainian Thomas de Hartmann
Without abandoning Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff, showcasing Ukrainian music was an idea that was bound to occur to today’s artists. As the Montpellier Opera prepares to give the world premiere of the opera
The Queen of the Glaciers (1914) by Ukrainian composer Theodor Akimenko, the Pentatone label, always eager for rarities, is turning its attention to one of his compatriots and contemporaries. Thomas de Hartmann (1884-1956) is a fascinating figure, if only for his life story. A student of Arensky and Taneyev, he composed for the Ballets Russes from 1907. The following year, he was in Munich with his friend Kandinsky and joined the
Blaue Reiter group. Some fifteen years later, he settled in Fontainebleau with his mentor, Georges Gurdjieff. In the 1930s, he wrote film scores to earn a living, but also a whole series of more ambitious works. In 1950, he emigrated to the United States, where he died shortly afterwards of a heart attack.Alongside his songs, he left behind a single opera,
Esther , composed in the 1940s when, living in Garches, he had discovered Racine’s plays by chance. Recognizing in Esther a prefiguration of the Holocaust, Hartmann himself adapted the play, written for the young ladies of Saint-Cyr, into a book and composed a score, which he only orchestrated on the other side of the Atlantic, but was never able to have performed. After championing his orchestral works (
see here ), his chamber music, and his songs on record, the Thomas de Hartmann Project decided to record his opera and was fortunate enough to assemble a team of prestigious performers. Does the work possess sufficient dramatic qualities? How would these (very) long monologues, which often reproduce Racine’s alexandrines verbatim, translate to the stage? Perhaps only time will tell.In the meantime, let us thank Pentatone for allowing us to listen to this music which, far removed from the interludes composed in 1688 by Jean-Baptiste Moreau, evokes Honegger, Prokofiev, and Carl Orff (not to mention a brief quotation from
Thus Spoke Zarathustra ), and to which the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra does justice, under the judicious direction of the Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits – this is particularly noticeable in the four symphonic dances that open the third act. The Grange Festival Chorus participates enthusiastically in the large ensembles whose welcome breath frames the dialogues, with the participation of a cantor, or rather, a synagogue cantor. Among the seven soloists are two French speakers: Edwin Crossley-Mercer, effective in the role of the confidant Hydaspes, and especially Bernard Richter, who lends his clear voice to the villain, Haman. Andrew Foster-Williams, frequently called upon by the Palazzetto Bru Zane, demonstrates his mastery of French as Mordecai. All the others clearly take care with their diction, but it lacks a certain naturalness. As Esther’s attendant, Olga Bezsmertna really only has one scene to sing. Initially a little hampered by the cantor’s very high tessitura, Paul Appleby recovers later. Yuriy Yurchuk is a majestic Ahasuerus. In the title role, Corinne Winters displays a powerful dramatic voice, with dark tones, and lends the queen all the appropriate modesty and majesty.Laurent BuryConcert schedule for Kirill Karabits:
here ; Corinne Winters:
here ; Edwin Crossley-Mercer:
here ; Bernard Richter:
here ; Andrew Foster-Williams:
here ; Paul Appleby:
here ; and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra:
hereThomas de Hartmann: EstherCorinne Winters (soprano), Yuriy Yurchuk (baritone), Andrew Foster-Williams (baritone), Bernard Richter (tenor), Olga Bezsmertna (soprano), Edwin Crossley-Mercer (bass baritone), Paul Appleby (tenor)The Grange Festival Chorus, Bournemouth Symphony OrchestraMusical direction: Kirill Karabits2 CDs Pentatone PTC 5187 4241 hour 56 minutes.Published online on Tuesday, July 7, 2026