Classical music
The French National Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi & Fazil Say
Recorded at the Théâtre du Châtelet in paris, october 2014
Creation or performance, Fazil Say masters the art of taking the public’s breath away. His virtuosity allows him to use a stunning spontaneity during his concerts. Concerts he is performing here under the direction of Kristjan Järvi with the...
Bartok & Beethoven
The Orchestre National de France, conducted by Bernard Haitink, proposes a two-part concert to pay tribute to two great composers :
- Béla Bartók : Concerto for orchestra BB 123
- Ludwig Van Beethoven : Symphony n°3 of half flat opus 55 , the so-called "Eroica"
The first concerto by Bartok is ...
Beethoven, Symphony # 3 Op. 55, «Eroica»
Beethoven firstly devoted this symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte but the composer gave up this idea when he learned that the first consul was crowned emperor. He then renamed it in memory of a great man, though it has been finally dedicated to his main patron, the Prince of Lobkowitz. This symphony is ...
Beethoven, Symphony N°8 in F major, op. 93
Beethoven spent the summer of 1812 in Bohemia, in the spas of Teplitz and Carlsbad. It was in Teplitz, where he wrote his famous love letter to his "Immortal Beloved," that he composed most of the Eighth Symphony, continuing immediately on from the Seventh.
The symphony is distinguished by its simpl...
Beethoven, Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60
In the Autumn of 1806, Beethoven was staying in Silesia with his main patron, Prince Lichnowsky, who gave him a large allowance and showed a great deal of interest in him. This friendship ended with a violent quarrel, provoked by Beethoven, who refused to play for visiting French officers (Germany b...
Brahms, Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Unlike the two previous symphonies, that were created in Vienna, this symphony was premiered on the 25th of October 1885 in Meiningen by the Meininger Hofkapelle under the direction of the composer, and it was a success. Brahms and Hans von Bülow, conductor of the Meiningen orchestra, then took it i...
Brahms: String Sextet No.1 in B-flat major, Op. 18
This sextet for two violins, two violas and two cellos was completed in 1860 in Ham. Nicknamed the "Spring Sextet”, the first two movements have a pastoral air. This work has to be played with exceptional commitment to reveal its true nature, which is exactly what Les Dissonances do here. It is driv...
Jean-Philippe Rameau, Le grand ThÉÂtre de l’amour
Love is everywhere and forever. The world of Baroque opera is certainly no exception, because whether they are Gods or men, nobody can escape Cupid's arrows.
Sabine Devieilhe and Alexis Kossenko selected the most beautiful movements from Rameau’s operas to let us feel the pleasures and the torments...
Monteverdi’s Madrigals, Book V
Paul Agnew’s monumental project to perform all eight books of Monteverdi’s madrigals in just four years seems as ambitious as performing the complete works of Bach! A bold challenge, like the work itself. Contained within these eight Books are the foundations of modern music, from the end of the Ren...
Montserrat Figueras
Musical portrait of a major figure in early music and the leading voice of a vast Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque repertoire.
Through interviews and musical extracts, Spanish soprano Montserrat Figueras takes us on musical and spiritual quest, in which she tells us about her life and shares her...