Hector Berlioz et Louise Bertin, l’amitié en musique

Wed 15 Oct
Classical Music
Gigs

Around the figures of Hector Berlioz and Louise Bertin unfolds a fascinating web of connections and resonances. In 1841, at nearly 40 years old, the composer of Harold in Italy published Les Nuits d’été, a series of six songs based on poems by Théophile Gautier. This cycle was dedicated to Louise Bertin (1805–1877), a French poet and composer two years younger than Berlioz, whose 220th anniversary we are celebrating. While conducting rehearsals for one of Bertin’s operas, Berlioz described her music in his correspondence as “strong and original.”

 

Mezzo-soprano Brenda Poupard and pianist Anne-Louise Bourion pay tribute to this remarkable friendship and musical kinship through a programme combining works by Louise Bertin and Hector Berlioz.

This concert is also an opportunity to shed light on the often-overlooked contributions of female composers, bringing their voices to the forefront. Louise Bertin’s compositions, marked by their depth and innovation, are gradually receiving the recognition they deserve. By presenting her work alongside that of Berlioz, this recital not only honours her legacy but also celebrates a rich and intertwined chapter of 19th-century music history.

 

Booking opening soon

Performers

Brenda Poupard mezzo-soprano
Anne-Louise Bourion piano

 

Programme

  • Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
    Nuits d’été (dédiées à Louise Bertin) :
    1. Villanelle
    2. Le spectre de la rose
    3. Sur les lagunes
    4. Absence
    5. Au cimetière
    6. L’île inconnue

  • Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
    La captive op12
  • Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
    Chanson du pêcheur

  • Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
    Tout n’est qu’images fugitives – L’attente – La tombe dit à la rose
  • Pauline Viardot (1821-1910)
    Les ombres de minuit – Solitude – Lamento
  • Hector Berlioz
    Transcription of Franz Liszt of the second mouvement of the Symphonie Fantastique [piano solo]
  • Louise Bertin
    Opéra Il Fausto, acte 1 : Il vago sol del mondo
 
Edinburgh