Lionel Bringuier came to the Easter Festival a few years ago with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and he is back this year with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège where he recently took over as Conductor. Emmanuel Pahud, one of the world’s greatest flautists, joins as soloist.
It is time to look East as tonight’s programme is exclusively Russian and Soviet. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 has the feel of a requiem and was created only days before the composer’s death. It has a tormented, at times violent feel and ends on a poignant Adagio lamentoso. Emmanuel Pahud then joins Lionel Bringuier for Khachaturian’s Flute Concerto in D minor, a piece that both musicians really love. Originally written for the violin in 1940, this abundant composition is a veritable challenge for any soloist. It blends Armenian folk-tinged melodies with a particularly attractive rhythmic vitality, marked by the spirit of the dance.
