Orgue Barbarie

Interprété par François Morel, Olivier Saladin, Pierre Charial.
Prokofiev fut non seulement un immense compositeur mais également un fin pédagogue ce qui nous vaut de nombreuses pièces de piano pour les enfants et surtout l'incontournable Pierre et le loup où chaque personnage est un instrument. C'est cette personnalisation intime de l'instrument - personnage qui a conduit Pierre Charial à réaliser une version musique de chambre de ce conte symphonique. …

This volume of Sony's György Ligeti Edition contains all of Ligeti's music either written for mechanical reproduction or arranged for mechanical instruments. Dating from his brief flirtation with the Fluxus movement, "Poéme Symphonique," scored for 100 metronomes, produced one of the great scandals of Ligeti's career. As the metronomes wind down, what sounds like a waning rain storm evolves into overlaying rhythmic patterns and finally a single metronome coming to a halt. From the other end of his career come the etudes arranged for player piano.

Alberto Rosado showcases some of the most significant modern composers in this well-considered programme. Inevitably he’s up against fierce competition, not least Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s recordings of both Ligeti’s Ricercata (included on the disc which received Gramophone’s Contemporary Award in 1997) and the complete Vingt Regards.

György Sándor Ligeti was a Hungarian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" and "one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time".

It was Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Album fur die Jugend that inspired Tchaikovsky to start composition on his Children’s Album in 1878. He dedicated the set to his nephew Vladimir Davidoff (Bobik) who was 7 years old.‘For a long time I have been saying to myself that it would be a good thing to contribute, within the limits of my powers, to the enrichment of the piano literature for children, which is rather poor. I would like to compose a series of very easy little pieces with attractive titles like Schumann did’ he wrote to his patron Mme von Meck.

Vladimir Cosma became a highly regarded and hugely prolific soundtrack composer for the French cinema in the 60s and 70s. Cosma is a stellar example of the rich traditon of French movie composers, from Auric to Delerue to Desplat. Like them, he seems to effortlessly breathe melodies. His music can be lush, it can be spritely. It shimmeres, cascades, and yes, sometimes, it kicks butt. This second box set of his scores, like the first, is a treasure chest for fans of rich, melodic film music.