I Hear the Wolf, the Fox, and the Weasel at the Cité de la Musique
Léo Warynski’s Les Métaboles have the honor – but also the responsibility – of opening this weekend of choral and polyphonic music at the Philharmonie de Paris.
“The artistic and vocal performance of the twenty singers of Les Métaboles represents a feat in two respects: first, a meticulous interpretation of these highly evocative scores, which are technically demanding in terms of accuracy and precision in ensemble listening, all performed from memory for the most part, with smooth, polished voices—relatively straight yet homogeneous—seamlessly linking intoxicating, staccato rhythms as well as ethereal sustained notes with commendable mastery. It is also a feat because they manage to layer this meticulous vocalization with a rigorous yet free-flowing choreography, conceived by the highly inspired Éric Oberdorff, in which the bodies are invited to bend, sway their hips, prostrate themselves, stretch, run, and dance to imitate the elements or animals as closely as possible.
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Finally, Léo Warynski’s impeccable direction deserves special mention; he leads his troupe with firm, clear, and concise gestures that are always easy to follow and inspiring. [...] The audience at the Cité de la Musique, blown away by this musical feat, applauded warmly and expressed their delight by calling the conductor and his singers back for numerous encores.”
"The artistic and vocal performance of the twenty singers of Les Métaboles represents a feat in two respects: first, a meticulous interpretation of these highly evocative scores, which are technically demanding in terms of accuracy and precision in ensemble listening, all performed from memory for the most part, with smooth, polished voices—relatively straight yet homogeneous—seamlessly linking intoxicating, staccato rhythms as well as ethereal sustained notes with commendable mastery."