Aprés un Rêve

The violin is arguably the musical instrument that is most able to imitate the human voice and express feelings and emotions such as joy, sadness, peace and passion. Niccòlo Paganini harnessed the technical capacity of the violin for his violinistic pyrotechnics, but he also performed a balancing act by applying the Bel Canto to the violin, composing the purest melodies worthy of the best sopranos, as his Cantabiles and second movements of concerts for violin demonstrate. Delicacy and purity can also be transmitted through the voice of this instrument; countless composers have dedicated songs and dances to the violin that convey peace and tranquility. Austrian composer Maria Theresia Paradis, blind since childhood and to whom W. A. ??Mozart dedicated his concerto K. 456, expresses her deep sensitivity through her Sicilienne. Claude Debussy offers us the delicacy of the fine flaxen like hair of a young girl. The title “La fille aux cheveux de lin” was inspired by the poem by Leconte de Lisle with the same name. Maurice Ravel dedicated a lullaby (Berceuse) to the great composer Gabriel Fauré using only six notes, each corresponding to one of the letters in Faurè’s name. E. Toselli, composer from Florence and famous for his romance with Archduchess Luisa of Austria-Tuscany, expresses his passion through a serenade titled “Serenade of Repentance”. P. I. Tchaikovsky inspires his waltz with feelings of loving sadness. E. Elgar says hello to the joy of love, while D. Shostakovich and A. Simonetti both allude to the novel in their own way. Virtuosity and pyrotechnics, used with the elegance of Wieniawsky, Sarasate, Kreisler and Brahms, make us dream of happiness. Henryk Wieniawsky (1835 - 1880), who was born in Lublin, Poland, and considered one of the greatest violinists and composers of the 19th century, has been compared to the Italian Niccòlo Paganini. Pablo de Sarasate (1844 - 1908), virtuoso violinist and composer from Pamplona, Spain, was admired for his pure, sweet sonority, and for his extraordinary technique; everything Sarasate played seemed easy. Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962), born in Vienna, Austria, was one of the most notable violinists of his time. Kreisler was famous for his sweet sound and expressive phrasing; his style and his sonority had a personal stamp that was immediately recognisable as his own. Although derived in many respects from the Franco-Belgian school, his style resembles the cosi lifestyle of pre-war Vienna.The dream commands life, making it better; without a dream there is no life. Ravel, with his Berceuse, embodies us in a dream that ends “After a Dream” by Gabriel Fauré. This set of pieces communicates dreams, love, joy and passion. The hope of creating an auspicious future.

Translation: Sebastian Adamberry
(original text by Pierre Lacroix)