Louis Lortie – Orchestre Symphonique de Québec

Louis Lortie’s 2010 Juno-nominated recording of the Mendelssohn Piano Concertos, paired with that composer’s Reformation Symphony, was revelatory. Working with the OSQ in Québec City’s Salle Raoul-Jobin du Palais Montcalm – a more intimate hall – meant that Lortie already had an advantage in his quest to present the works with a lighter, fleeter sound, but the presence of legendary sound engineer Carlos Prieto meant that there remained no real need to force or project the music. The resulting disc – Lortie’s debut recording as pianist/conductor – is a miracle of clarity and detail.