Organization

Singer

Soprano

Véronique Gens

viola

Léa Hennino

cello

Pauline Buet

Piano

David Violi

Orchestra

I Giardini

Palazzetto Bru Zane

Nuits

Grenoble

France

Pouzauges

Église St-Jacques,

Aix-en-Provence

Château du Tholonet

Nuits: Concert Various

Public

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Approved

NuitsAirs, mélodies et pièces instrumentales de Saint-Saëns, Ropartz, Berlioz, Chausson, Offenbach, Fauré, etc.Véronique Gens, sopranoI GIARDINISymbiose ent...

Nuits #recital - trailer (Véronique Gens & I GIardini)

Arias, mélodies and instrumental pieces by Saint-Saëns, Ropartz, Berlioz, Chausson, Messager, Fauré, etc.

As the symbiosis between the art of the poet and that of the composer, the French mélodie became the jewel in the crown of the music of the ‘Belle Époque’ in all the Parisian salons between 1870 and 1914. Moreover, the genre also turned, little by little, towards the concert hall, and decked itself in the hues of the orchestra thanks to the skill of Duparc, Saint-Saëns and Debussy. But curiously enough, in the space between simple piano accompaniment and the vast symphony orchestra, only a few works availed themselves of the richness and variety offered by chamber forces. Three such pieces, Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle, Lekeu’s Nocturne and Fauré’s cycle La Bonne Chanson, by placing a string quartet and a piano around the singer, combine the characteristics of the mélodie with those of the piano quintet, forming a whole whose tone colours fluctuate between intimacy and orchestral ambition. An isolated case in the history of music, these pioneering compositions have acquired a fame still undimmed today. The programme proposed by the Palazzetto Bru Zane, in close collaboration with Véronique Gens, experiments with the idea of applying the principle of transcription to her favourite repertoire. Alongside the three works mentioned above, music by celebrated composers mingles with unknown pieces to retrace a succession of emotional states within a nocturnal ambience: recollection, tranquillity, dreams, terror.

English

Arie, mélodie e brani strumentali di Saint-Saëns, Ropartz, Berlioz, Chausson, Messager, Fauré, etc.

Simbiosi fra l’arte poetica e quella compositiva, la mélodie francese divenne il fiore all’occhiello della musica Belle Époque, in tutti i saloni parigini, fra il 1870 e il 1914. Volgendosi pian piano alla sala da concerto sinfonico, il genere si arricchì inoltre di colori orchestrali, grazie al talento di Duparc, Saint-Saàns e Debussy. Stranamente, però, fra il semplice accompagnamento di pianoforte e il grande ensemble sinfonico, solo poche opere seppero sfruttare la ricchezza e la varietà degli effettivi per musica da camera. Con quartetto d’archi e pianoforte riuniti attorno al cantante, la Chanson perpétuelle di Chausson, il Nocturne di Lekeu ed il ciclo La Bonne Chanson di Fauré associano l’arte della mélodie e quella del quintetto con pianoforte, in un ensemble i cui colori oscillano fra intimismo e ambizioni orchestrali. Isolate nella storia della musica, queste pionieristiche pagine hanno acquisito una fama mai smentita. Il programma proposto dal Palazzetto Bru Zane, con la complicità di Véronique Gens, sperimenta l’arte della trascrizione applicata al repertorio prediletto dell’artista. Accanto alle tre opere citate, alcuni pezzi di compositori celebri si accompagnano a pagine sconosciute, per ripercorrere le emozioni di un clima notturno: ricordo, distensione, sogno o terrore.

italiano

Airs, mélodies et pièces instrumentales de Saint-Saëns, Ropartz, Berlioz, Chausson, Fauré, etc.

Symbiose entre l’art du poète et celui du compositeur, la mélodie française est devenue le fleuron de la musique « Belle Époque » dans tous les salons parisiens, entre 1870 et 1914. Tournant peu à peu ses regards vers la salle de concert symphonique, le genre s’est aussi paré des couleurs de l’orchestre grâce au talent de Duparc, Saint-Saëns ou Debussy. Mais, curieusement, entre le simple piano accompagnateur et le vaste ensemble symphonique, seules quelques œuvres ont su tirer parti de la richesse et de la variété des effectifs de musique de chambre. Regroupant quatuor à cordes et piano autour du chanteur, la Chanson perpétuelle de Chausson, le Nocturne de Lekeu et le cycle La Bonne Chanson de Fauré allient l’art de la mélodie et celui du quintette avec piano, dans un ensemble dont les couleurs oscillent entre intimité et ambitions orchestrales. Isolées dans l’histoire de la musique, ces pages pionnières ont acquis une célébrité jamais démentie. Le programme proposé par le Palazzetto Bru Zane, avec la complicité de Véronique Gens, expérimente l’art de la transcription appliqué au répertoire de prédilection de l’artiste. Aux côtés des trois œuvres citées, des pièces de compositeurs célèbres voisinent avec des pages inconnues pour retracer les émois d’une ambiance nocturne : souvenir, apaisement, rêve ou terreur.

français

Nuits by Various, From (2022/2023), Château du Tholonet, Aix-en-Provence, France

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