Program

French music : Berlioz, Debussy, Lysight, Bizet...

Conductor :

• Roger BAUSIER

Soloist :

• Ronald VAN SPAENDONCK – clarinet

Programme :

• Hector BERLIOZ : Roman Carnival
• Michel LYSIGHT : Concerto for Clarinet
• Claude DEBUSSY : La Mer
• Georges BIZET : L’Arlésienne (suite no. 2)

Organiser :

• Permanent Organisation for the Integration of European Culture

Berlioz, the “enfant terrible” of 19^th Century French music introduced new styles that were to shape the Romantic movement in his native country. Disappointed by the lack of success of his opera “Benvenuto Cellini”, he took two themes from the work to create the “ Roman Carnival” overture, a true masterpiece of modern instrumentation and orchestration.

Michel Lysight is a Belgian Canadian composer and conductor who is involved in the post-modern musical trend known as new “consonant music”. Composed in 2002 upon the request of the clarinettist Ronald Van Spaendonck - to whom the work is dedicated and who shall be tonight’s soloist - the Concerto for clarinet and orchestra performed on 1^st April 2005 in Moscow was a great success

At the time it was written, “La Mer” appalled admirers of Debussy’s music because they were not able to detect the soft ambience of his previous works. In these three symphonic sketches, the composer uses a more powerful register, with more definite shades of musical colour and frees himself of melody and form.  

The second orchestral suite “ l’Arlésienne” is an extract from the incidental music written by Georges Bizet to accompany the work of the same name by Alphonse Daudet. Inspired by local folklore, the audience is guided through the “pastoral”, “intermezzo”, “minuet” and “farandole” movements.