#dusapin

“One could almost describe it as neoromantic, in that it is emotionally very open, yet its orchestration and language are absolutely of today.”

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein speaks to the Chicago Tribune in advance of the world premiere of Pascal Dusapin’s “Outscape” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

D is for Pascal Dusapin: Etude pour Piano N° 2

I’m doing the A-Z Aprils Challenge again. This year, I’m going to look only for composers born the same year as I was: 1955. Today is C, and my choice is Ofer Ben-Amots: “Akeda for Piano”   Wikipedia Entry on This Composer

Piok, le poulet.

Court métrage, réalisé par Theo Dusapin et Clément Dartigues pioklefilm.blogspot.fr/

Clément Dartigues clementdartigues.fr/ clementdartigues.blogspot.fr/

Programme

Berlioz - Overture 'Le corsaire'

Faure - Pavane

Pascal Dusapin - String Quartet No. 6, 'Hinterland' ('Hapax' for string quartet and orchestra) UK Premiere 

Stravinsky - The Firebird

La Corsaire opened last nights Prom, its exuberant tone giving a sense of adventure to the evening, one needed given the varied programme. Berlioz’s Overture conjures up images of the sea and pirate adventures, performed with great vigour by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Faure’s Pavane followed, signalling a dramatic shift in the mood. This slow dance piece moved gracefully through its series of crescendos, leading to tonight’s premiere of Dusapin’s String Quartet No. 6 for String Quartet and Orchestra played by The Arditti Quartet.

One of this unusual pieces titles is ‘Hapax’ (meaning only once) as Dusapin commented that it is‘…highly unlikely that I will ever write another quartet with orchestra,’ and with its fast paced statements could almost be seen as the orchestra extended rather than a String Quartet with orchestra. The quartet players seem to fight the orchestra for control, almost as if each tries to come up with a different means to outdo the other. That isn’t to say that it’s unpleasant, but in the context of this evenings programme, the piece does come as a bit of a surprise.

The opening of The Firebird, with its sweeping strings sets the expectation for this breakthrough work of Stravinsky, and it certainly delivers. This performance of the full ballet score delivered on every level, with Thierry Fischer creating an atmosphere so captivating that the 45minutes of this piece fly by so quickly and leave you wanting more. Luckily we still have Petrushka to come in Prom 44.

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Programme

Messiaen - Les offrandes oubliées

Pascal Dusapin - Morning in Long Island (Concerto No. 1 for large orchestra)

Beethoven - Concerto in C major for Violin, Cello & Piano (Triple Concerto)

The opening of last nights Prom, Chung was in stark contrast with the previous night’s aural assault that was the Gothic Symphony. Messiaen’s Les offrandes oubliées, his first public work at the age of 22 opened in a very sedate manner, not unwelcome for many for the first day of the working week. Each movement of this piece is a declaration of Messiaen’s religious beliefs, The Cross, Sin and the Eucharist. Whilst slightly jarring, the second movement, Sin, is very effective in demonstrating its allusion. To finish the evening we had Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, the only one he ever wrote. The piece builds through its first movement, though at times the soloists, in particular Frank Braley on piano, seemed slightly hesitant. As we moved into the second movement, however, each came into their own, with stylistic solo passages, adding to the ceremonial feel of the piece. The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the baton of Myung-Whun gave a very respectful performance, allowing the Capuçon brothers and Braley the space they needed. Yet whilst the Triple Concerto seemed to be what many had come for, it was the new piece by Dusapin which stood out. Based on a walked Dusapin took when he spent some time in Long Island with a friend, the piece, a co-commission for the BBC with Radio France, very effectively captured Dusapin’s descriptions of his experience. The experimental techniques used lend themselves to the subject matter well and the orchestration shapes and uses the orchestra in an extraordinary way, creating an amazing sense of journey and drawing you through the piece. The Brass section in particular is used to great effect, and for me created the wind ‘swirled in all directions.’

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