Local Brass Quintet - Ravel, Debussy, Philippot (2022) [Official Digital Download 24/48]

During a concert given in Matignon for the Fête de la Musique in 2018, we performed Debussy's La Fille aux cheveux de lin. Gabriel Philippot, who had come to hear his arrangement of Granados' Valses poéticos, fell under the spell, amazed that Debussy renders so well in brass quintet. So the idea came to him to offer us his own transcription of Debussy's La plus que lente. When, a year later, we presented this piece on stage in Paris, it was a real trigger, as much for us as for the public - and for Gabriel himself who, once again present at this concert, found that the formation brought a new light and a formidable added value in terms of chordal support, richness of timbre, contrast, etc.

And so, little by little, the idea for this second CD was born. After our first recording, Stay Tuned, which explored the Hispanic and French musical universes, choosing the identity of the program was indeed easy thanks to the feedback from the public, colleagues and Gabriel: it was obvious that this new recording had to honor French music. But, rather than starting with a very vast repertoire as for the previous CD, we decided to concentrate on two quasi-contemporary composers: Ravel and Debussy, two emblematic figures of the French music of the beginning of the 20th century. This choice also seemed interesting to us because it is not often defended and explored by our group and by our family of instruments.

As with our first CD, our wish was to explore several facets of these composers and to show how a brass band can transform their orchestral and piano pieces, and even their string quartets - something unheard of for our band! And as French music continues to create beautiful works even today, we had the idea to complete this journey with a new work, Trois Danses, specially composed by Gabriel Philippot as a tribute to these great elders who have forever marked music and whose sensitivity and audacity still nourish the imagination of contemporary artists.

Tracklist
1. La fille aux cheveux de lin, L. 117 (02:25)
2. Quatuor à cordes in F Major, M. 35: II. Assez vif, très rythmé (05:46)
3. La plus que lente, L. 121 (04:59)
4. Concerto pour piano in G Major, M. 83: II. Adagio Assai (08:31)
5. Trois danses pour quintette de cuivres: I. Danse mélancolique (06:12)
6. Trois danses pour quintette de cuivres: II. Danse langoureuse (02:57)
7. Trois danses pour quintette de cuivres: III. Danse hystérique (03:52)
8. Clair de Lune, L. 75 (04:17)
9. Danse, L. 69 "Tarentelle et Styrienne" (05:31)
10. Quatuor à cordes in G Major, Op. 10, L. 113: III. Andantino, doucement expressif (06:37)
11. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, M. 84: Chanson romanesque (01:50)
12. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, M. 84: Chanson épique (02:49)
13. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, M. 84: Chanson à boire (01:41)
14. Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, L. 86 (09:32)