Jean Julien

Renowned as a virtuoso jazz clarinetist and legendary bandleader, Benny Goodman is also remembered for the works he commissioned from leading composers of his day. Poulenc’s strikingly beautiful Clarinet Sonata was his last composition, while Bernstein’s was his first published piece. Both Gershwin and Stravinsky added their distinctive stamp to the swing vibe which was all the rage in the early 20th century. The jazz flavour of Morton Gould’s Benny’s Gig is heightened by the unusual coupling of clarinet and double bass, while pungent folk rhythms define Bartók’s virtuoso Contrasts.

Lily Laskine was one of the most prominent harpists of the twentieth century. Born Lily Aimée Laskine to Jewish parents in Paris, she studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with Alphonse Hasselmans and became a frequent performing partner of several distinguished French flautists, including Marcel Moyse and Jean-Pierre Rampal. Laskine also served as professor of harp at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1948 to 1958. She was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1958. She died in Paris.

Le frère de la saxophoniste Sophie Alour est un des trompettistes qui comptent désormais dans la jazzosphère, excellent lecteur, excellent soliste, il est de toutes les aventures orchestrées. Son premier album était donc très attendu et les plus impatients ne seront pas déçus. Pour ce W.I.L.L.I.W.A.W de facture classique, Julien Alour a réuni pour ce disque un quintet traditionnel : lui à la trompette et au bugle, François Theberge au saxophone ténor, Adrien Chicot au piano, Sylvain Romano à la contrebasse et Jean-Pierre Arnaud à la batterie. Toutes les compositions et les arrangements sont du leader. Tant qu'au titre, W.I.L.L.I.W.A.W, c'est le nom d'un vent turbulent et imprévisible qui descend par rafales des sommets glacés dans les régions extrêmes des Amériques. La musique est mélodique sans renier pour autant le swing et la niaque de ses ainés.

The myth of Phaedra and Hippolytus, as terrible as it is fascinating, has been retold by many artists over the centuries, including composers. This recording presents the first performance of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne’s opera in its complete form since the premiere. It reveals a work whose classical surface conceals a style that is vehement, exalted and threatening by turns, a thrilling testimony to the bubbling energy of pre- Romanticism. Served by the total commitment of the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir under the direction of György Vashegyi, the drama closes in on the inescapable destinies of Phèdre, Hippolyte and Thésée, movingly sung by Judith van Wanroij, Julien Behr and Tassis Christoyannis.