Jeremiah knows a calamity is coming but no one pays him heed and the inevitable happens. The prophet foresees the destruction of Jerusalem and vainly attempts to warn his people. That is the emotion that Bernstein so brilliantly conveys in his Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” with its Hebrew liturgical chants. The despair of the final movement, sung by Karina Gauvin, is particularly moving. In contrast, enthusiasm and exultation mark Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, also known as “Lobgesang” (Hymn of Praise). Conceived of as a symphony-cantata, it spotlights the Choeur Métropolitain and the exceptional voices of Karina Gauvin, Myriam Leblanc and Andrew Staples.
