EL-KHOURY: Orchestral Works

Dervaux, Pierre;
Orchestre Colonne

8.557691

The CD of orchestral works opens with a catchy and brightly scored Danse des aigles, followed by the darker symphonic poem, Les Dieux de la terre, and the suite, La Nuit el le fou, both highly atmospheric and imaginatively scored. The other two symphonic poemes, Le Lian en flames (inspired by the same events as the Requiem) and the shorter and much more dramatic Regard du Christ, are full of incident. El-Khoury’s orchestral sound-world is very much his own: he uses a remarkable range of orchestral effects. Undoubtedly the finest of these orchestral works is the Requiem of 1980 with its subtitle (‘For the Lebanese Martyrs of the War’). Opening like a traditional funeral march, it even quotes briefly the rhythm of Siegfried’s funeral music and develops into an agonized lament, interrupted by warlike reminiscences; but it remains affirmative, ending with a dramatic final gesture of regret. Pierre Dervaux is a highly sympathetic exponent of this repertoire and these are all fine, dedicated performances. • Penguin Guide, January 2009

CD

Muzyka klasyczna

Naxos

11-04-2006

747313269129