Performers
- Valentine Michaud soprano saxophone
- Gabriel Michaud percussion
Programme
François Couperin Le Rossignol en amour, Le Rossignol-vainqueur from ordre XIV, book III of Pièces de clavecin [6’]
Kevin Juillerat Le Grand Tétras (No. 1) from Tombeaux-volières [4’]
Hoagy Carmichael Skylark
Kevin Juillerat Le Cassican flûteur (No. 2) from Tombeaux-volières [2’]
Raphaël Sévère Oiseaux de Bali
Anders Hillborg The Peacock Moment [2’]
Kevin Juillerat La Bécassine sourde (No. 3) from Tombeaux-volières [3’]
Astor Piazzolla Los Pájaros Perdidos (arr. Philippe Maniez) [6‘]
Kevin Juillerat Le Méliphage tui (No. 4) from Tombeaux-volières [7’]
John Lennon/Paul McCartney Blackbird (arr. Philippe Maniez) [4’]
Concert description
As early as the fifth century BC, Aristophanes presented a picture of a perfect kingdom of sky creatures in his comedy The Birds. So we know that since antiquity in literature and art they have been a symbol of the sun, air, deity, immortality and freedom. Although they are different from humans in almost every way, they are particularly close to us in at least one aspect. Few can resist the charm of birdsong, their filigree music – and the works of composers of various eras are the best proof of this.
Imitazione della natura, or imitation of nature’s sounds, was one of the leading compositional ideas of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. It can be heard in the works of François Couperin, where melodic ornamentation is meant to illustrate the lyrical singing of a nightingale. The revival of this idea occurred in 20th century music. Contemporary composers, however, became increasingly fascinated by less obvious bird sounds, such as the crepitating song of the grouse – rendered with percussion in a piece by Kevin Juillerat – or the bright cries of the peacock, which are imitated by a saxophone part composed by Anders Hillborg. In contrast, sincere admiration for the beauty of exotic species is expressed in the poetic music of Astor Piazzola and Raphaël Sévère.
– Karolina Dąbek (pisanezesluchu.pl)