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Orchestre National de Lyon Perform at Royal Albert Hall

As part of the BBC Proms 2009, the acclaimed Orchestra National de Lyon conducted by Jun Märkl present the UK première of Toshio Hosokawa’s Cloud and Light, Takemitsu’s Ceremonial: An Autumn Ode and Green, Sarasate’s ‘Carmen’ Fantasy, Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole and Tzigane, Debussy’s La mer and André Caplet’s orchestration of Debussy’s ‘Pagodes’ from Estampes. The concert (Friday 24 July 2009, 7:30pm) features soloists Akiko Suwanai, violin and Mayumi Miyata, shō.

A three-part Prom tracing musical cross-fertilisations between East and West, and between France and Spain. Takemitsu’s Ceremonial showcases the Japanese shō (mouth organ) but the key influence on his Green was Debussy—who had himself used oriental scales and sonorities in ‘Pagodes’ and La mer. The shō reappears in Hosokawa’s recent Cloud and Light. Works by Bizet and Ravel complete the programme.

DEBUSSY La Mer, Nocturnes HOSOKAWA Circulating Ocean 8.570775 (available only in Japan)

DEBUSSY Orchestral Works Vol 1 – La mer, Prélude a l’après-midi d’un faune, Jeux 8.570759 Orchestral Disc of the Month …this is bewitching music-making that should on no account be missed…One of the finest discs Naxos has ever released. (Classic FM Magazine)

DEBUSSY Orchestral Works Vol 2 – Nocturnes, Clair de lune, Pelléas et Mélisande-symphonie 8.570993 ‘I have no reservations about this disk. It’s well worth having and the Pelléas et Mélisande Symphonie should be heard by all lovers of this endlessly fascinating composer.’ (MusicWeb International)

RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé Shéhérazade Ouverture de féerie 8.570992 ‘This is one of the most spectacular of showpieces among ballet scores, and the Lyon orchestra gives a powerful and subtle performance, with the wind and brass soloists outstanding.’ (Gramophone)

Orchestre National de Lyon Biography & Discography