Henri Dutilleux was active almost until his death in 2013 at age 97, and over his long career, he combined influences from Debussy, Ravel, Dukas, and more in various ways. He was a true avatar of French tradition. The works here are early; the latest of them is the ballet Le Loup, from 1953. This charming work, with a story in which Jean Anouilh had a hand, is little known outside France, and it is to be hoped that this energetic, colorful performance by conductor John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London fires the imagination ...
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Henri Dutilleux was active almost until his death in 2013 at age 97, and over his long career, he combined influences from Debussy, Ravel, Dukas, and more in various ways. He was a true avatar of French tradition. The works here are early; the latest of them is the ballet Le Loup, from 1953. This charming work, with a story in which Jean Anouilh had a hand, is little known outside France, and it is to be hoped that this energetic, colorful performance by conductor John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London fires the imagination of choreographers. The tale involves a gypsy girl who falls in love with a wolf, an oblique take, perhaps on the story of Beauty and the Beast . The program is rounded out by sonatas written for Conservatoire de Paris students in the 1940s, arranged for orchestra by Kenneth Hesketh. This may not sound thrilling, but the solo parts are brilliantly virtuosic in the best French way, and the orchestrations are very skillful. All of this music reflects Dutilleux's influences...
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