Symphonie gaspésienne : Champagne - Bartók - Kodály - Prévost Orchestre symphonique de Laval & Alain Trudel

• Claude Champagne (1891 - 1965): Symphonie gaspésienne:
• 1 Champagne: Symphonie gaspésienne 20:29
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): Suite de danses, Sz. 77:
• 2 Bartók: Suite de danses, Sz. 77: I. Moderato 03:34
• 3 Bartók: Suite de danses, Sz. 77: II. Allegro molto 02:17
• 4 Bartók: Suite de danses, Sz. 77: III. Allegro vivace 03:02
• 5 Bartók: Suite de danses, Sz. 77: IV. Molto tranquillo 02:50
• 6 Bartók: Suite de danses, Sz. 77: V. Comodo 00:58
• 7 Bartók: Suite de danses, Sz. 77: VI. Finale (Allegro) 04:10
• Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967): Danses de Galánta:
• 8 Kodály: Danses de Galánta 16:38
• André Prévost (1934 - 2001): Célébration:
• 9 Prévost: Célébration 08:00
• Total Runtime 01:01:58

Info for Symphonie gaspésienne : Champagne - Bartók - Kodály - Prévost

Quebec’s Gaspé landscape inspired Canadian composer Claude Champagne to write his Symphonie gaspésienne, a rare Canadian work now available with the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, conducted by Alain Trudel. This recording also includes pieces by Béla Bartók (Dance Suite, Sz. 77), Zoltán Kodály (Dances of Galánta), and André Prévost (Célébration).

Following a trip to Gaspé in 1944, Champagne composed Gaspésia, a “symphonic portrait” of the region. Revised the following year, the work was retitled as Symphonie gaspésienne. This work occupies an important place in the history of Canadian music as one of the first pieces of its kind.

The Suite of Dances, Sz. 77 (Táncszvit) was composed and premiered by Bartók in 1923 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Budapest, the result of the union of the two cities of Buda and Pest and the district of Óbuda.

In 1933, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society, Kodály composed the Galánta Dances (Galántai táncok). These dances are linked to the composer’s childhood memories of the gypsy music ensembles he had heard in Galánta.

Composed in 1966 for the Charlottetown Festival (Prince Edward Island), Célébration by André Prévost was premiered there the same year by the Halifax Symphony Orchestra. The work was part of the many festivities surrounding the centenary of Canadian Confederation, celebrated in 1967.

Orchestre symphonique de Laval
Alain Trudel, conductor

Alain Trudel
Eight time Juno nominated and Emmy nominated, Music Director of the Toledo Symphony (USA) and of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières (Quebec), Alain Trudel was knighted by the government of Quebec in 2020. He is also music director of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the Brott Music Festival, the most important orchestral festival in Canada. From 2006 to 2022 Trudel was music director of the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, taking the organization to new artistic heights and financial stability, “Every so often a perfect listening trance can befall one” (Fanfare Magazine). Trudel has conducted every major orchestra in Canada as well as orchestras in the UK, USA, Sweden, Brazil, Italy, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Latin America. He has collaborated with many renowned artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Herbie Hancock, Midori, Pinchas Zukerman, and Branford Marsalis. He has been a regular guest with the Opéra de Montréal where he conducted the premiere of the operatic version of Another Brick in the Wall as well as leading operas in Cincinnati, Québec, and Toronto. Hailed as “the Jascha Heifetz of the trombone” (Le Monde de la musique) Alain Trudel is also one of the world’s most respected and renowned trombonists. In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious International Trombone Association Award for his outstanding contribution. A Yamaha artist for the last three decades the company has internationally distributed the Alain Trudel mouthpiece designed with his specifications. Trudel is also an accomplished composer with commissions and premieres in America and Asia. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honours, among them the Choc de l’année from the Monde de la musique, Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros, the Virginia Parker Prize, and a Jubilee Medal from the Queen of England.

The Orchestre symphonique de Laval
is one of the most important artistic organizations in the Laval region. Founded in 1984, it consists of fifty-three (53) professional musicians who have graduated from conservatories and universities in Quebec. For nearly 40 years, the Orchestra’s mission has been to make symphonic music heard and shared in a spirit of conviviality and proximity. Every year, the Orchestra offers a variety of symphonic concerts and chamber music performances. During the winter season, the Laval Symphony Orchestra presents its Winter Classical Festival, a festive event that combines concerts and various activities, bringing together people of all generations. During the summer season, it’s an opportunity for the Orchestra to meet the public and offer outdoor concerts. In 2016, the Orchestra inaugurated the Bébé musique series, an activity that allows new parents to attend a dress rehearsal accompanied by their youngest children. Alongside its concerts, the Orchestra also offers several educational activities for students at the elementary, secondary, college, and university levels. In 2013, the Quebec Music Council awarded the Orchestra the Opus Prize for Best Young Audience Production of the Year. The Orchestra is also very involved in supporting young musicians, particularly through its Préludes program and its Orchestre des jeunes Laval-Laurentides, which showcase the musical talents of young people in our community.

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