Alexis Descharmes plays Roger Reynolds

Program:
Process and Passion (2002) for violin, cello & computer processed sound
imagE / imAge for cello (2007)
Focus a beam, emptied of thinking, outward… (1989) for cello
Thoughts, Places, Dreams (2003) for cello and chamber orchestra
A Crimson Path (2000-2002) for cello & piano
Colombi Daydream (2010) for cello

Alexis Descharmes, cello
Sébastien Vichard, piano
Nicolas Miribel, violin
Ensemble Court-circuit, Jean Deroyer

Roger Reynolds (1934-) is an American composer. Let’s first quote him: “Reynolds sees composition as “a process of illumination”, a path in a turbulent and chaotic time toward (occasional) clarity, the satisfaction of proposing and experiencing unexpected connections, of bringing the elevating capacity of music into public spaces, engaging with other arts and artists to discover new amalgamations of sensation and insight that can “improve the human experience” and “ennoble individual life”.”

What is the most striking listening to this 2 CDs boxset, is that one feels familiar with this music, though this is a very personal one (Alexis Descharmes: “What does it resemble to?” “Reynolds!”) and it sounds almost  familar (but that could be said of whatever Descharmes plays…)..

Amazing all the talentuous French cellists these days: Gauthier Capuçon who created some days ago Manoury’s cello concerto [fr], Emmanuelle Bertrand [fr], Séverine Ballon [fr], Marc Coppey, Xavier Phillips, Jean-Guihem Queyras to name a few.

Superb music, elegant, lyrical, poetic, here the world premiere of Thoughts, Places, Dreams: