Godard

This compendium of original essays offers invaluable insights into the life and works of one of the most important and influential directors in the history of cinema, exploring his major films, philosophy, politics, and connections to other critics and directors. …

Dante Alighieri, born in Florence in 1265, was at once a poet and an important political figure of his time. His celebrated Divine Comedy relates his supposed descent to Hell and slow ascent to Paradise. Godard’s operatic treatment of his life (1890) skilfully juxtaposes the political milieu – crowd scenes in Florence and the quarrel between Guelfs and Ghibellines – with the expression of the courtly love he feels for Beatrice, betrothed to his friend Bardi.

Issu de la bourgeoisie protestante, cinéaste culte d'A bout de souffle et de Pierrot le fou, chef de bande de la Nouvelle Vague, agitateur des années gauchistes, publicitaire de lui-même, aujourd'hui ermite de Rolle, J.-L. Godard aura 80 ans en 2010.
Prix de la Revue des deux mondes 2010. …

Howard Shelley directs the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra from the piano in this latest volume of The Romantic Piano Concerto series. As ever, they perform unknown music with consummate style and deep understanding, making the best possible case for the works. We have reached Volume 63 and the works of French composer Benjamin Godard, a figure who is almost totally forgotten today. He is described by Jeremy Nicholas in his booklet note as ‘a composer who combines the sentimental melodic appeal of Massenet with the fecundity and technical facility of Saint-Saëns’.

French avant garde jazzman Michel Godard is one of the world's leading players of the serpent, a Renaissance wind instrument, ancestor of the tuba and which was first used to accompany Gregorian chant. The instrument's connection to the sacred is wonderfully rendered on his latest album Awakening recorded with Azerbaijan's Alim Qasimov.

The tuba, alas, has a reputation of being the least cool and most cumbersome of the family of brass instruments - until the album Tuba Tuba, that is. A quartet of two tubas, accordion, and drums, Tuba is the vehicle for American Dave Bargeron (Blood Sweat & Tears, many big bands) and Michel Godard (French National Orchestra, Ray Anderson). Each fellow endows his tuba with exhilarating swing, grace, and (of course) humor on classics by Charlie Parker and John Coltrane.

Following the remarkable success of Victor Sangiorgio’s recording of Benjamin Godard’s delightful First Piano Concerto for Dutton Epoch, we now have Godard’s even more tuneful Second Concerto of 1893 and the colourful Fantaisie Persane (1894), also for piano and orchestra, both of which are essential listening for Godard fans. Conductor Martin Yates completes the programme with orchestral music from two of Godard’s operas – the powerful overture to Les Guelfes of 1882 and the orchestral suites from Jocelyn (1887), until now only remembered for the enchanting Berceuse, here played by Aleksei Kiseliov in its version for cello and orchestra.

The Castel del Monte near Ruvo di Puglia, Southern Italy, was the last and most beautiful building of Frederick II (1194-1250), Roman emperor and King of Sicily. It dominates the Apulian landscape like a white crystal, a fata morgana beyond time and space whose original purpose will probably be a mystery forever. When German producer Achim Hebgen and French musician Michel Godard visited the castle together, they felt there should be music created in and for the building - music that is simultaneously in the past, the present and the future. Cooperating with some of the finest musicians from Italy, France and Switzerland (most of them known from the project La Banda), they imagined a timeless musical synthesis based on old forms (e.g. chaconne, folia, tarantella), yet open to the inspiring eternal atmosphere of the mysterious Castel del Monte.