Thierry Bizot

You do not know who is Thierry Eliez …? Imagine a "talented little genius" who has played with the greatest: Horace Silver, Jaco Pastorius, Jimmy Smith, Aretha Franklin and so on, who has multiplied the participations and has intervened on many music films. But that's not all … because when you are an artist who plays at the level of the stars, you are asked and we have the pleasure of accompanying great French performers such Nougaro, Aznavour, Salvador and Catherine Lara, among others … And in addition to this resume to piss off a lot of French musicians (and not only those of the hexagon), we find ourselves faced with a personality almost shifted so it surprises, surprises, charm, seduced, because Thierry Eliez owns an extraordinary auditory memory and what is called "the absolute ear".

After 2014’s critically acclaimed and hugely successful album “The Alchemist,” Thierry Maillard and his trio have recorded “The Kingdom of Arwen” on the Naïve Label. In addition to the trio is the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Jan Kucera. The scheduled release date is September 25, 2015.

Mendelssohn conceived the Violin Concerto in E minor for his childhood friend, Ferdinand David, concertmaster of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, though it took the composer years to perfect it.

This CD offers a rare opportunity to hear Igor Stravinsky's opera buffa, 'Mavra.' At only 28 minutes, the opera is short, but interesting. By scoring the orchestra with full winds and just a handful of strings, Stravinsky molded the usually romantic opera genre into his cool, neoclassical form. Both the singing and the playing are highly energetic, and contain a certain wittiness. Conductor Thierry Fischer does something quite amazing: instead of the usual separation between voice and pit orchestra, Fischer puts the orchestra in direct dialogue with the stage action, creating an incredible integration. The 'Octet' and 'Concertino', more standard works, are also well played. Attacks and articulations are so very clean, and it was this cleanliness that attracted Stravinsky to wind instruments in the first place. Unlike other Stravinsky recordings, this one has the vitality and moodiness that make the notes sparkle. One always feels a sense of propulsion. In the 'Concertino', this rhythmic drive is contrasted beautifully with eerie string lines. The 'Octet' manages to achieve a perfect chamber music feel. The ensemble never forces the sound, and the result is an elegant, interesting and contagious performance. The same could be said for the whole album.