Chamber music: French composers
Debussy’s mission statement was clear: ‘Being a lover of music, I try to liberate her from the sterile traditions which oppress her.’ True to his word, his music is always original, though he never denies his debt to his Romantic background. Instead, his music weaves a consummate tapestry of nuanced emotion flecked with exoticism. In addition, the musicians of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra bring music of two other French greats to AMUZ. Roussel demonstrated in his Trio that flute, viola and cello is indeed a winning combination, while Dutilleux’ Ainsi la nuit, now an acknowledged masterpiece, proved beyond doubt in the 70s that the string quartet had plenty of life in it yet. It still does.
Programme
Debussy String quartet in g, opus 10
Roussel Trio for flute, viola and cello, opus 40
Dutilleux Ainsi la nuit
Performers
Mariss Jansons
conductor
Diana Damrau
soprano
Lisanne Soeterbroek
violin
Mimi Jung
violin
Barbara Giepner
viola
Claire Bleumer
cello
Edith Van Dyck
flute