Antoine, Françoise, Gilles & Grimaître

Short, repeating rhythmic patterns, dissonant chords hammering out a pulse that evokes the ritual dance of a pagan ceremony linked to the emergence of spring: at the time of its premiere in 1913, The Rite of Spring caused quite a stir on the musical landscape. Stravinsky used the orchestral score to create a breathtaking arrangement for two pianos that was in no way inferior to the original version. Based on this monument, Swiss pianists Antoine Françoise and Gilles Grimaître take us on a journey across the American soundscape of the 20th century. From Conlon Nancarrow’s mechanical pianos to the repetitive patterns of John Adams’s Hallelujah Junction, via reminiscences of The Rite of Spring in Meredith Monk’s Folkdance and an escapade to Debussy’s En blanc et noir, composed two years after the Rite, in 1915, when the tumult and ecstasy of the Parisian stages gave way to a dark conflict on a global scale, this promises to be an evening of powerful vibrations and pulsations.

Chairs will be available for this concert. Please note that quantities are limited!