Credits:

Chopin

Description:

La Valse and Serpan Concerto by the standard-bearer of French modern and contemporary orchestral music! French conductor Alexandre Bloch, born in 1985, has been highly acclaimed in recent years for his performances of modern and contemporary French works. He and the Orchestre National de Lille perform Ravel's highly acclaimed Chausson (ALPHA441/Domestic release: NYCX-10048) with Jansons. The orchestra is low in the center of gravity, and the various instrumental sounds stand out from time to time, and Ravel's skillful orchestrations are rendered with the utmost color. The coupling is Adh-Dhohr, a concerto for serpan and orchestra by Atayel, a French composer of the same generation as Bloch. Inspired by the Muslim prayer custom of Salat, the work is composed of melodic dialogues, as in traditional Eastern music, and the harmony is almost never grandiose and is often handled rhythmically. The rhythms created by the unison of multiple instruments and intertwined phrases make this a very interesting work.The booklet includes a text (French, English, and German) about this work by French author Lanceuro Amran, which is set as a dialogue between soldiers in the ruins of Aleppo, Syria. Serpan is played here by Vivard, a period bass brass virtuoso who plays the ophicleide in Les Siecle and has also released a solo album (RIC362). In the rare situation of listening to Serpan's solo in a concert hall, he controlled this instrument, which is difficult to keep the pitch steady, with excellent technique and delivered a unique full and soft tone. Naxos Japan

Tracklisting:

1.Valse, M.72
2.Adh-Dhohr, Concerto for Serpent and Orchestra~I. [Selvaggio]
3.Adh-Dhohr, Concerto for Serpent and Orchestra~II. [Ieratico]
4.Rapsodie Espagnole, M.54~I. Prelude a La Nuit
5.Rapsodie Espagnole, M.54~II. Malaguena
6.Rapsodie Espagnole, M.54~III. Habanera
7.Rapsodie Espagnole, M.54~IV. Feria