POULENC

Filarmonica ‘900

 

1 – 8  Les Animaux modèles

9 –11 Concert champêtre

12 – 13 (elaborated Bollani) Improvistaions 13 & 15

 

Total Time: 74:03

 

Stefano Bollani, piano

Jan Latham-Koenig, conductor

           

Turin’s hidden musical diamond must be the superb Filarmonica ‘900 del Teatro Regio di Torino, a new orchestral force in the Italian orchestral scene. For their first CD they have chosen two remarkably talented musicians to partner them. Jan Latham-Koenig needs little introduction and is a renowned French music specialist. In addition to his award-winning DVD of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites (Arthaus), his recording of Ibert’s short opera Persée et Andromede on AVIE has been one of the label’s most significant early successes.

 

Jan now returns to Poulenc with a recording of the complete ballet Les Animaux modèles, a rarity on record and deserving to be much better known.  In the Concert champêtre he is joined by a young Italian pianist who is taking concert halls throughout Europe by storm. Best known as a jazz pianist, especially on the renowned ECM label, Stefano Bollani returns here to his classical roots playing the piano version of the ‘Concert’ which is better known as a work for harpsichord and orchestra. Poulenc himself, however, performed the work himself as piano soloist.  Bollani goes on to resurrect an almost lost tradition by elaborating on the two Improvisations written for the purpose by Poulenc. Jazz is never very far away!

 

Critical acclaim for Stefan Bollani

“From best new talent in 1998 to best musician and best album of 2006 in Italy’s Jazz Musica magazine polls, it is safe to say that Stefano Bollani’s star is in the ascendancy…” - Ian Patterson

 

Critical acclaim for Jan Latham-Koenig

“Refined, dynamic, sensitive – everything one could ask for in a conductor” - Fanfare

 

Avie AV2135