Chamber-like dialogue and dynamic interaction from a new-generation maestro bring the joy of ensemble performance into full bloom
By Takaakira Aosawa
Everything is incredibly clear—almost too clear. It’s as if one had just gotten a new pair of contact lenses: the view is sharp, everything is in focus, and everything is bright. And everything is bright—lucid, sharp, transparent, articulate, precise, unmistakable… Any attempt to describe it would inevitably lean on words rooted in the idea of clarity and light.
Klaus Mäkelä and the Orchestre de Paris embarked on an Asia tour, marking the close of his fourth season as chief conductor. The celebrated duo’s last visit to Japan was in October 2022, in the midst of the pandemic. Since then, both Mäkelä’s dynamic artistry and his relationship with the orchestra have clearly evolved and deepened.
If the beginning of Mäkelä’s second season as music director was a “season of love and longing,” where his quick-witted and intelligent leadership drew the orchestra with the pull of a magical baton, then at this point, the chamber-like dialogue and proactive musical exchange have grown even more vibrant, with a deepened sense of trust and collaboration.
One reason for this could be the spirited dialogue woven by concertmaster Andrea Obiso—clearly in high spirits—and the other principal players. Their interaction brought a Latin temperament and an open sense of freedom into Mäkelä’s finely tuned control and structural design, allowing the joy of ensemble playing to bloom all the more.
Following the evening of French symphonies by Saint-Saëns and Berlioz, the audience was treated to a luxurious night devoted entirely to Ravel’s orchestral suites. The program formed a full-course experience of three contrasting characters: Le Tombeau de Couperin, originally a solo piano work; Ma mère l’Oye, a duet for children orchestrated by the composer himself; and Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. While the concert served as a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth, what stood out was the finely detailed expressive clarity, as if seen through the lens of a new era.
The Orchestre de Paris made full use of its vivid, dynamic, and spectacular qualities—traits that might best be described as visual or painterly. The performance brimmed with color and texture, with brushstrokes rising to life. Its immediacy was strikingly precise, to the point where one could almost see the particles of sound.
The first half of the concert presented two suites, arranged in a well-ordered sequence like à la carte masterpieces. In the Mussorgsky arrangement, the narrative quality of performing the complete work stood out all the more.
From the characterization of each Promenade, the interpretation was intelligent, and the vivid imagery and narrative skill in each piece were consistently impressive. In Bydło, for instance, rather than applying thick layers like oil paint, the performance brought out the heavy emotion and texture by clearly outlining the musical expression and carefully balancing the spatial acoustics. The contrast between the two Jews, the simultaneous chatter of the marketplace—each scene was portrayed with remarkable finesse. Even as the suite progressed into grotesque territory toward the end, it was not driven by weight or volume, but by precision and refinement. Everything unfolded under a highly elegant and smart approach.
Mäkelä’s remarkable appeal lies in how his sharp visual sensibility and subtle storytelling combine to produce an expressive effect marked by awakened detail and keen thrills.
In older terms, a screen reflects shadows, while a display emits light. His conducting clearly belongs to the latter—it radiates brilliance, which he controls with composure despite its dazzling intensity.
It is truly the gaze of a standard-bearer of a new era.
Performance Data
Klaus Mäkelä Conducts the Orchestre de Paris 2025
Date & Time:
Friday, June 20, 2025, 7:00 PM
Suntory Hall, Main Hall
Artists:
Conductor: Klaus Mäkelä
Orchestra: Orchestre de Paris
Concertmaster: Andrea Obiso
Program:
Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin (orchestral suite)
Ravel: Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) – Suite from the Ballet
Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition
Encore:
Bizet: Carmen – Prelude
