Programme:

• Trio in E-flat major Op. 40 for violin, horn & piano by Johannes BRAHMS (1865)
• Trio for horn, violin & piano by György LIGETI 1982)

With Agnès PYKA (violin), Laurent WAGSCHAL (piano) & Julien DESPLANQUES (horn)

An inexhaustible source of imagination, nature is one of the favorite themes of romantic artists. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was inspired by it for many of his works, such as the trio for violin, horn and piano. It plunges us into the enchanting atmosphere of the Black Forest, its different movements allowing us to imagine the nonchalant ballad of the master through the luxuriant foliage of the woods.

Entitled “Homage to Brahms”, György Ligeti’s trio for horn, violin and piano (1923-2006) is based on that of his illustrious “elder” but remains a resolutely contemporary piece. The polyrhythm that characterizes this avant-garde work of the Hungarian composer is revealed : intertwined rhythms invite us to forget our expectations, and plunge us into an almost cosmic experience, as once again the presence of the horn evokes the mysteries of the forest. The complementary two pieces and the contrast in hearing them together is edifying.