Ravel’s biggest orchestra work Daphnis et Chloé, preceded by Liszt’s First Piano Concerto performed by George Li.
In this concert the young American piano prodigy George Li tackles Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. Viennese music critic Eduard Hanslick ironically dubbed this work a "concerto for triangle" because of the prominent role Liszt assigned to this small percussion instrument in the piece. Others, like his compatriot Béla Bartók, were amazed by the innovative character of this concerto. This work is particularly demanding in terms of piano technique, as it presents successive challenges: ascending octaves, intricate ornamentations and lightning-fast arpeggios.
Maurice Ravel's most ambitious orchestral work is the ballet Daphnis et Chloé, commissionned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes. Choreographer Michel Fokine crafted the scenario, drawing inspiration from the pastoral romance of the same name by the Greek writer Longus. The protagonists, Daphnis and Chloé, are two foundling children raised respectively by a goatherd and a shepherd, in a pastoral setting. They fall passionately in love, but due to their lack of experience, they do not consummate their love, especially as they soon encounter ill-intentioned individuals... Ravel's score here features a rich palette of colors and timbres and particularly refined orchestration. While he draws inspiration from 18th-century French landscape painting, he also deploys the new sounds of the industrial revolution towards the end.
Created with the support of the Belgian Tax Shelter through Casa Kafka Pictures.
Enhance your experience beyond the concert with an introduction in Bozar's Henry Le Boeuf Hall! The introduction starts at 19.00 and is free upon presentation of your concert ticket.
Our harpist Annie Lavoisier tells the enchanting story of Daphnis and Chloé, a timeless love story from ancient Greece, where music, nature, and romance come together in a captivating adventure.
Come enjoy an evening filled with classical masterpieces by Lili Boulanger, Saint-Saëns, Richard Dubugnon, and Richard Strauss. The Belgian National Orchestra, together with French master pianist Bertrand Chamayou, will perform Saint-Saëns' iconic Second Piano Concerto.
Meet the four temperaments in Carl Nielsen's Second Symphony and the story of Don Quixote in Strauss' symphonic poem of the same name.
