Krivine

Beyond their brilliant virtuosity and craftsmanship, Camille Saint-Saëns’s epic Piano Concerto No. 2 and irresistibly exotic No.5 (‘Egyptian’) invite listeners on a riveting and richly imaginative journey. Hailed ‘the new French prince of the piano’ (Diapason), Bertrand Chamayou also reveals a more intimate side to the great composer-pianist, exploring the hidden charm and secret sensuality of his rarely-heard etudes and solo piano miniatures.

This is one of the better sounding Villa-Lobos Cds out there. Albeit, quite obscure. Krivine and the Lyon Orchestra play beautifully on 2 of Villa Lobos better known widely recorded Bachianas (2 & 5) and the under recorded Amazonas suite. And Aussel is simply terrific with the Guitar Concerto.

For this second collaboration between the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Emmanuel Krivine and Zig-Zag Territoires, two major Russian works were chosen. Both make the orchestra sound sumptuous with, for the first, the complicity of that fantastic colourist and orchestrator Maurice Ravel, and for the second, the skill of a composer nicknamed ‘the magician of the orchestra’. Emmanuel Krivine excels in these works, which demand much of all the musicians and necessitate as much commitment as perspicacity from the conductor, at the service of scores magnifying the fantastic musical instrument that is the modern symphony orchestra.

Repin's withdrawn tone in moments of meditation and his fondness for the gentlest pianissimos are as remarkable as his purity and sharpness of focus in bravura. He brings many moments of magic, such as the gentle lead-in to the second subject and the whispered statement of the main theme in the central Canzonetta, enhanced by the natural balance of the soloist in refined and well-detailed Erato recording, making this a highly recommendable alternative to Chung Tchaikovsky/Sibelius: Violin Concertos in this favourite coupling.

The first Debussy disc (La Mer 1C1165) received very positive critical acclaim from the classical press and rightfully hailed Emmanuel Krivine as one of the conducting greats, revisiting one of the greatest French composers. Emmanuel Krivine is one of the most distinguished European conductors, with a particular expertise in French repertory and classics of the 20th century literature.

Debussy began composing La Mer in 1904, in Burgundy, but as he wrote to fellow composer André Messager, his memories of the sea were “worth more than a reality whose charm generally weighs too heavily on the imagination”. He continued to work on the score, however, while staying in Jersey, and then in Dieppe. For Debussy, even less than for the Beethoven of the “Pastoral” Symphony, writing about nature does not mean naïvelyimitating it by portraying the elements or the meteorological phenomena that animate them; descriptive music suits neither the flexibility of his music nor his creative temperament. Instead, he invents, he responds to nature through his art, setting up something else in contrast to it.

French composers had taken little interest in the cello until the 1870s when three wonderful masterpieces were written. Orchestre National de Lyon led by Emmanuel Krivine accompanies the magnificent, Anne Gastinel in performances of cello works by Saint-Saëns, Lalo and Fauré. The vigour, elegance and charm of Saint-Saëns, the expressiveness, imagination and exotic touch of Lalo, the humanity, feeling and depth of Fauré: these three works sum up the spirit of French music.

French composers had taken little interest in the cello until the 1870s when three wonderful masterpieces were written. Orchestre National de Lyon led by Emmanuel Krivine accompanies the magnificent, Anne Gastinel in performances of cello works by Saint-Saëns, Lalo and Fauré. The vigour, elegance and charm of Saint-Saëns, the expressiveness, imagination and exotic touch of Lalo, the humanity, feeling and depth of Fauré: these three works sum up the spirit of French music.