Benjamin Levy
Benjamin Levy
Conductor
Paris est une fête- Alexandra Soumm, Violine – Orchestre de chambre Pelléas - Fuga Libera - 2024
“A champagne-like sparkle runs through this French programme.”
“A wonderfully vivid, contrasting picture... carried by an orchestra that is both lively and boisterous. The young Bizet’s symphony benefits from a reading that is at the very heart of the matter, chiselled and poetic, with well-defined accents and relief.
Benjamin Levy and his musicians bring back to life the atmosphere of the Riviera of the Roaring Twenties... Particular attention has been paid to the instrumental colour, to the balance, particularly to the dosage (and the playing) of the percussion, to better reflect the range of styles. Hats off to the performers!”
“A real feast! I hesitated to credit the formidable violinist Alexandra Soumm, the Pelléas orchestra or conductor Benjamin Levy. Each of the works is the subject of a particular reading. Although there are some very good versions of the “Cinéma Fantaisie”, this has become my favourite. Levy has avoided all the commonplaces.”
Festival International de la Roque d’Anthéron
Abdel-Rahman El Bacha, piano - Orchestre national de Cannes – Juillet 2024
“Le pianiste Rahman El Bacha et l’Orchestre national de Cannes ont ensorcelé le public de La Roque d’Anthéron.
…Une première symphonie de Prokofiev à la gouaille communicative, et un « Tombeau de Couperin » de Ravel, onirique, servis par un Orchestre national de Cannes plus cinégénique que jamais.
Dès le prélude, Benjamin Levy y tisse des cieux colorés avec une précision de dentelle. «Forlane» aux bois remarquablement dessinés, «menuet» aux nuances parfois spectaculaires (ce decrescendo final !), «rigaudon» ensorceleur, dominé par un dialogue du hautbois et du cor anglais à la longueur de souffle irréelle.
Preuve, s’il en fallait, que la phalange cannoise (qui annonçait dès le lendemain prolonger le mandat de son chef jusqu’en 2026), n’a pas volé ses galons d’orchestre national, obtenus en janvier 2022. Grâce au travail réalisé sous sa baguette, mais aussi à l’esprit d’initiative de ces musiciens, qui depuis quelques années multiplient les propositions audacieuses et inattendues (à l’image de leurs programmes pour les plus jeunes, ou de leur dernier disque, Croisette, paru chez Erato).”
Croisette – Orchestre National de Cannes - Warner Classics / Erato – 2022
“Benjamin Levy is the right chef to distil the intoxication promised by these hits of the Roaring Twenties.”
“Benjamin Levy, a master of this repertoire.”
“The same precision, the same finesse as in Mozart... Benjamin Levy has won his bet.”
“The Cannes National Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Levy, finds the colours and suppleness for the lemony, heady, delicate and sought-after fragrances of these little gems.”
Dvořák, concerto pour violoncelle – Caplet, Épiphanie
Nadège Rochat, violoncelle – Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Ars Produktion - 2022
“The playing of the excellent soloist Nadège Rochat and the finely accompanying Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Levy is borne by the palpable will to make an original artistic concept audible - in Caplet’s Épiphanie as well as in the Dvořák concerto, which here never sounds like “another” Dvořák concerto ! The performers deserve thanks for the successful revival of this extraordinary work, as well as for their fresh approach to the “old” Dvořák. A very convincing CD.”
