Paul Dukas's L'Apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) gained international recognition after being featured in Walt Disney's famous 1940 animated film, Fantasia.
Performer Biography
François-Xavier Roth, the conductor, founded Les Siècles orchestra in 2003 and is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with this program.
Composition History
Édouard Lalo's ballet Namouna, from which the First Suite is taken, was originally commissioned by Emmanuel de Vaucorbeil, the director of the Paris Opéra, in 1880.
Critical Reception
Lalo's ballet Namouna received a cool reception at its 1882 premiere, partly due to the unusual placement of the orchestra in the pit, on stage, and in the balconies.
Compositional Technique
Albert Roussel's Bacchus et Ariane Suite No. 2 showcases rhythmic ingenuity through virtuoso use of irregular subdivisions, enhanced by luminous orchestration.
Interpretation
Les Siècles, the orchestra on this recording, performs on French instruments from around 1900 with gut strings, reflecting historical performance practices.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Debussy's Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune aimed to restore 'a little life and freedom to symphonic music' by introducing a new flexibility in orchestral writing.
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