Rachel Talitman, Luc Loubry, Benoit Fromanger, Pierre-Henry Xuer
Jean-Michel Damase Concertos Ballade, harp, Duo Concertant-flute and harp, Double Concertos viola and harp, bassoon and harp
This cd is a big event for harp, bassoon and harp, flute and harp, and viola and harp lovers. A unique cd presenting 4 concertos of the famous french composer Jean-Michel Damase -and a première of a double concerto for bassoon and harp composed for us.
Born in 1928 in Bordeaux into a musical family, his mother being the renown harpist and musician Micheline Kahn, Jean-Michel Damase showed precocious musical talent. His studies began at an early age: when he was five he began to attend the Samuel-Rousseau courses in piano and solfège. When he was twelve, he became a pupil of Cortot at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and in the next year he joined Armand Ferté’s piano classes at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1943, he was unanimously awarded the Premier Prix in piano at the Conservatoire. Two years later he entered Busser's composition classes and began to study harmony and counterpoint with Dupré. At nineteen, he won the first prize in composition with his Quintet and his cantata “Et la Belle se reveille” (And Beauty Awakened) won him the Prix de Rome. Damase's youthful compositional maturity helped to foster a considerable technical facility and he has produced a great deal of music in a style that is attractive and elegant, remaining close to the traditions of the Conservatoire. All his works show deep knowledge of the possibilities of instruments, and his orchestration is rich, full and varied; evidenced most notably in the chamber and concertante works. He is also great lover of ballet and a close friend of several leading choreographers. His first ballet score was “La Croqueuse de diamants” (The Diamond Cruncher) written for Roland Petit and first produced at the Marigny Theatre in Paris. He was awarded the Grand Prix Musical de la SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques) and the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris. This recording proposes 4 concerti for the harp, the composer’s favourite instrument, to which he adds successively a flute, a viola and a bassoon. The Concerto for bassoon, harp and strings is dedicated to Harp & Co-soloists Rachel Talitman and Luc Loubry, and was recorded here in world premiere conducted by the composer himself.
RACHEL TALITMAN
was born in Tel Aviv. After graduating the Music Academy at the Tel-Aviv University, she came to Brussels to study with Suzanne Mildonian at the Royal Conservatory of Music where she obtained the “diplôme supérieur” for harp and chamber Music with distinction. At the same time she specialised in French music with Pierre Jamet in Paris. Prize Winner of the Tenuto Virtuosity Competition in 1975, the International Harp Competition of Paris 1976 and the International Harp Competition Cazala 1977. Harp Professor at the Antwerp Royal Conservatory of Music till 1985. In 1980 she created with the bassoon player Luc Loubry the Harpeggio Ensemble, which has the aim of playing, recording and promoting the unknown repertoire of the harp, which is rich of composers and compositions that contributed to the virtuosity development and recognition of this instrument as solo and chamber music. The discography of Rachel Talitman is vast and original, covering the repertoire of the harp solo, chamber music and concertos.
BENOIT FROMANGER
Was born in Paris. Since April 2004 he is Professor at the Hans Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. He studied the flute at the CNR in Versailles and at the CNSM in Paris with Roger Bourdin, Alain Marion and Jean-Pierre Rampal. For ten years he was solo-flute player of the orchestre de l’ Opéra de Paris, later at the Radio Symphony orchestra of Bavaria ( conductor: Lorin Maazel). During his long career as orchestra musician and as solist he worked with prominent conductors such as L.Bernstein, B. Haitink, Z. Mehta, C.M. Giulini, D.Barenboim, P.Boulez, C.Davis, G.Nowak, G.Solti, C.Kleiber, R.Muti ,M.Jansons. He has also participated in various music festivals and played with world famous orchestras such as l’Orchestre Philarmonique de Radio-France, l’Orchestre d’Auvergne, l’Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, les “Baroques Solistes” de Munich, l’Orchestre de chambre de Munich, l’Orchestre de Chambre d’Europe, l’Orchestre de chambre de Prague, the American Chamber Orchestra, l’Orchestre de la radio KBS de Séoul, la Capella Andrea Barca etc... In his versatile performing career he played with prominent musicians such as Andras Schiff, Jessye Norman, Carolyn Carlson, Patrick Dupond, Katia et Marielle Labèque, Maxim Vengerov, Sting, Olivier Nivet, Misha Maïski, Claude Bolling, Juliette Hurel, Rachel Talitman ,Bud, Alessandro Barrico, Viktoria Mullova, Gérard Depardieu etc....
PIERRE-HENRI XUEREB
After a first Prize at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in viola class of Serge Collot, Pierre-Henri Xuereb studied in the United States, first at the Juilliard School, than at Boston University. He was one of the last students of William Primrose.
After listening to him in New York, Pierre Boulez invited him to join the Ensemble Intercontemporain, where he remained two years.
He is now making a successful International career as a soloist and chamber musician, performing with numerous ensembles and orchestras. Regularly invited to play in various chamber music festivals. He has appeared next to musicians as Natatia Gutman, Eugène Istomin, Oleg Kagan, Gary Karr, Janos Starker, Walter Trampler.
Pierre-Henri Xuereb teaches viola at the Paris Conservatoire, as well as in various international music academies.
LUC LOUBRY
was born in Antwerp, Belgium, where he studied at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Music. In 1974 he obtained the Higher Diploma for chamber music and in 1975 the higher diploma for bassoon with the greatest distinction. Later he specialised with Michel Denize in Geneva and with Maurice Allard in Paris. Prize winner of the international competitions « Prague Spring » in 1974, Colmar (France) in 1976, the Brussels «Tenuto Virtuosity Competition » in 1977 and Geneva in 1980, Luc Loubry is principal bassoon of the Belgian National Orchestra. Since 1993 he is also professor for bassoon and chamber music at the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory. He plays concerts all over the world as soloist and in chamber music. He is a member of the « Avena » woodwind trio, the « Bellerophon » ensemble and the « Harpeggio » ensemble which he founded in 1980 with the harpist Rachel Talitman. His vast discography (30 titles!) covers both the solo bassoon and the chamber music repertoire as well as the bassoon concertos. Luc Loubry plays a bassoon made by Buffet-Crampon and reeds by Glotin, France.
Classical: Concerto