Earth-Shattering Performances at the Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay with Les Métaboles
On the final night of the 2026 edition of the Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay, Les Métaboles chart a spiritual journey through the contemporary repertoire. Léo Warynski conducts the Metz Grand Est National Orchestra, Les Métaboles, and—for the first time—the Africa Lyric Choir.
Léo Warynski certainly never lacks ambition when it comes to his concerts at the Basilica of Vézelay. Following last year’s edition, which featured a program dedicated to Philip Glass titled “Another Look at Harmony”—in which he promised to “transform the basilica into a spaceship”— at the start of this concert, earplugs were handed out to the audience—a sign of a sound so powerful it could make the building’s walls tremble!
[…] With such ideal support, the Les Métaboles choir delivers a performance marked by delicacy and harmony. The unity within each vocal range—which blends seamlessly—allows the audience to appreciate both the shimmering radiance of the sopranos and the solemn power of the basses. This gives rise to moments of suspended beauty, such as the final “Sanctus” of the Te Deum and this plea for God’s mercy.
The Africa Lyric Choir, collaborating for the first time with Les Métaboles, presents stark contrasts, with long, deep, dark, and prominent bass lines. The dynamics are very clear, bouncy, and marked by a rhythmic precision that meets the demands of “Guard My Tongue” and, above all, the “Chichester Psalms” that follow. Here, earplugs are indeed welcome, as the extraordinary power of the sound is enough to make the floor vibrate!
In an ideal setting—directly in line with the choir—the perfect symmetry of Léo Warynski’s geometric compositional structure, with its clean lines, is crafted with meticulous care and precision, revealing, section by section and with exemplary clarity, the architecture of each work. This allows one to appreciate not only its structure but also the finesse with which it is executed. Combining minimalism with grandeur, he guides the musicians with meticulousness and sensitivity toward a moment of rare intensity. This is the very embodiment of top-tier conducting. [...]”
"With ideal accompaniment, the Les Métaboles choir delivers a performance full of delicacy and harmony.
The unity within each vocal range—which blends seamlessly—allows the audience to appreciate both the shimmering radiance of the sopranos and the solemn power of the basses. This gives rise to moments of profound, suspended beauty."