Français

We tend not to think of the 19th century as a golden age for wind instruments. While the individual instruments themselves enjoyed varying fortunes, their standing was much less significant than that of string instruments or the piano. However, the situation improved for all of them with the onset of Romanticism and a remarkable new repertoire for ensembles of differing types. One such type grew out of the Classical tradition of the divertissement or serenade, bringing together winds and strings in sizeable ensembles ranging from the sextet to the nonet. Another also hailed back to the end of the 18th century and combined winds with piano. And then there was the wind quintet per se, a recent innovation brilliantly exemplified by Anton Reicha and Franz Danzi up until the mid-1820s, which had established itself as a separate genre, characterised by skillful and sophisticated writing.

Les Vents Français have been described as “the wind-quintet equivalent of a supergroup”. The ensemble’s five members – Emmanuel Pahud, Paul Meyer, Francois Leleux, Gilbert Audin and Radovan Vlatković, all world-renowned soloists in their own right – are joined by pianist Eric Le Sage for a fascinating 3-CD programme of chamber music that spans three centuries and the French, Austro-German and Russian repertoires.

Vous avez tout bon, il goes français! Avec sa touche perso il reprend et interprète les plus grands de la chanson de l’hexagone. Joe Dassin, Niagara, Nino Ferer, Dutronc, Renaud son autant de monstres sacrés que Pépé met à sa main. S’attaquant aux grands de la chanson française avec une fougue délirante, il nous gave de hits et nous fait faire un tour de France digne d’un champion du monde! The style could be described as folk-punk-ska rock, in other words Pepe can give new life to any old song, make it catchier and funnier as ever before.