Grand concert de Musique Française

It brings to light rich, expressive music in which the whole range of human emotions can be found.

Programme:

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

● Gallia (1871). Composed in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War, this sacred cantata expresses the grief of a wounded nation through the lamentations of the people of Israel. Gounod deploys a powerful and deeply moving choral writing, running through with hope.

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

● Super Flumina Babylonis (1865)

Inspired by the famous psalm "By the Rivers of Babylon", this early work blends contemplation, nostalgia and melodic delicacy. The harmonic refinement that will make Fauré's style so distinctive is already apparent.

● Cantique de Jean Racine (1865)

Written at the age of nineteen, this masterpiece of the French choral repertoire combines the purity of Racine's text with music of great serenity. Its luminous lyricism makes it one of Fauré's most beloved pages.

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

● Priez pour paix (1949)

Set to a poem by Charles d'Orléans, Poulenc offers an intense and poignant meditation on the desire for peace. This piece for solo soprano reveals the composer's full spiritual and human sensitivity.

● Litanies à la Vierge Noire (1936)

Poulenc's first major sacred work, composed after a profound personal upheaval. The female voices give voice to a fervent prayer, by turns humble, ardent and mysterious.

● Gloria (1959)

A major work of the twentieth century, the Gloria combines spiritual fervour, rhythmic vitality and bursts of joy. Poulenc brilliantly blends gravity, tenderness and light in a deeply human celebration of the sacred.

Cast:

● Michel Piquemal - Conductor of orchestra and choir

A renowned baritone, an emblematic figure of French vocal art, and artistic director of several regional choirs. Through his generous direction, he shares his passion for music and his demanding standards, always pushing the performers further than