883 Nord Sud Ovest Est

Do you know Duni? Martin Wåhlberg and Orkester Nord take you on a journey of discovery of the father of opéra-comique through two of his emblematic works: Les deux chasseurs et la laitière, and Le peintre amoureux de son modèle, recorded here for the first time.

Dutch/Belgian group Gare du Nord was formed in 2001 by Ferdy Lancee and Barend Fransen. Signed to Play It Again Sam, the lounge-oriented style synthesists released several albums during their first few years, beginning with 2002's In Search of Excellolounge and concluding with Sex 'n' Jazz. They aligned with Blue Note, beginning with 2007's Jazz in the City, which was heavy on interpretations of the label's '60s and '70s output (from Duke Pearson's "The Phantom" to Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew"). The same year, Italian singer Dorona Alberti (KMFDM) was added to the lineup and featured prominently. In 2001, Gare du Nord established a performing version of the group, fronted by Alberti, while a studio-based entity remained driven by Lancee and Fransen. The Blue Note association resulted in additional releases such as 2011's Lilywhite Soul and 2012's live release Lifesexy.

1773 was a key year for orchestral music. Mozart composed his “little G minor Symphony”, no.25, and began work on the music for the play Thamos, König in Ägypten. In Paris, Grétry perfected the opéra-comique, a genre combining the light and the serious, and completely renewed the musical drama. Is it a mere coincidence that their compositions of that year show the same intensity and dramatic efficacy?

Pfleger is unquestionably one of the most fascinating baroque masters of Northern Europe of the seventeenth-century. Embodiying the transition between Schütz and the heritage of Monteverdi on one side, and the music of Buxtehude and later Bach on the other, Pfleger’s music testifies to the musical culture of Northern Europe. Orkester Nord here proposes for the first time a full-length programme set up as one coherent dramatic work, connecting Pfleger’s key cantatas in order to form a continuous narrative, as told through the voices of its recurring protagonists. What emerges is the story of the life of Christ. A fascinating soundscape.

Nord (Sztakics István Attila) is a musician on synthesizers, sequencers and samplers, midi keyboards & theremin.
Nord: "A few weeks ago I was the whitness of two Starlink trains flying one behind the other above my town. I was speechless. It was incredible to see it. I thought myself in the future. This inspired me to realise my newest album: Linking the Stars. The future is here."

Nord is a musician on synthesizers, sequencers and samplers, midi keyboards & theremin. Sometimes we need quiet moments, when we are just with ourselves, to do what we really desire, or just do nothing, or enjoy the music in our headset…

Quand le temps s’étire, quand le paysage que l’on parcourt est sans fin, c’est en cet instant, ici même, que la sérénité approche et qu’elle s’offre à nous. Lorsque le futur et le passé se confondent, là où le Nord et le Sud ne sont plus qu’un, la paix sans doute se comprend et peut enfin s’affirmer. C’est ce que nous dit à sa manière la musique du guitariste Gérard Pansanel, qui pour son dernier enregistrement, Future Early Years (label Nord/Sud ; Coadex), a réuni comme à un point de maturité maîtrisée le contrebassiste Arild Andersen et le batteur Patrice Héral. Ces trois musiciens ont trouvé ici pour leur première rencontre une sorte d’équilibre, d’écoute réciproque et partagée, mais aussi d’attention aux choses du monde, à tous les univers possibles et imaginables. L’équilibre est parfait. A chaque instant, chaque mesure. Pansanel a beaucoup voyagé.