Harpe romantique – concert by Emmanuel Ceysson, Frédéric Chatoux, Marc Desmons

Frédéric Chatoux, flute
Marc Desmons, viola
Emmanuel Ceysson, harp


Concert programme
Théodore DUBOIS:
Terzettino pour flûte, alto et harpe
Adolphe ADAM:
Giselle : Pas de deux du 2e acte pour alto et harpe
Gabriel FAURÉ:
Élégie pour alto et harpe
Impromptu pour harpe seule
Fantaisie pour flûte et harpe
Jean CRAS:
Suite en duo pour flûte et harpe
Claude DEBUSSY:
Syrinx pour flûte seule
Sonate pour flûte, alto et harpe
Jacques OFFENBACH:
Barcarolle des Contes d’Hoffmann pour flûte, alto et harpe



In early nineteenth-century France, the harp was a very modern instrument, replacing the “baroque” harpsichord and competing with the pianoforte in a quest for “classical” expression. Three areas of activity soon gave rise to a huge repertoire dedicated to the instrument. The development of salons explains the rapid dissemination of collections of pieces and romances of varying degrees of difficulty intended for enlightened amateurs. The concert hall was the venue where international virtuosos showcased the highest technical skill imaginable at the time in concertante works with orchestra. Finally, the harp began to stand out in the theatres: at the Opéra, it was used in divertissements to accompany ballets; at the Opéra-Comique, it appeared directly on stage as a decorative element, or was placed in the hands of a heroine who pretended to accompany herself. Between its different roles, the harp crystallised the appeal of a musical style that was still searching for its own identity and would soon find it: early romanticism was not far off.


📖 Programme notes: https://bru-zane.com/wp-content/uploa...


Concert dedicated to the memory of violist Laurent Verney


Recorded in Paris, Auditorium du Musée du Louvre, 16 June 2021
Video: Musée du Louvre


Co-production: Musée du Louvre / Palazzetto Bru Zane
Concert as part of the 8th Festival Palazzetto Bru Zane Paris