Orchestre National de France

The concert opens with the hugely famous Piano Concerto No.21 by Mozart, which gives David Fray the opportunity to reconnect with the musicians of the Orchestre National de France. This is a classical piece in three movements, but has its own style and inventive harmonies. This makes it one of the most difficult works for the performer as distinctive virtuoso passages for the soloist dominate the entire piece. Its majestic, quasi-Olympian character and its melodies have weathered the centuries, making it one of the best-known works in the Mozart concert repertoire. This will be followed by Bruckner’s romantic Symphony No. 4. He was a skilled organist, painstaking teacher and paradoxical character, riddled with social and personal frustrations. However, he was driven by a deep ambition to become the new Beethoven. The Fourth Symphony occupies a special place in Bruckner's symphonic cycle. It announces the cycle of "mature" symphonies and with it, the composer spoke directly to his audience and wanted to be understood by them. He succeeded. Today, the "Romantic" is one of Bruckner's most popular symphonies. Yet he revised it over and over again. He completed it in 1874, composed a new finale in 1880 but still dissatisfied, reworked his work several years later. A composer who is unsure of himself and prey to criticism which pushes him to constantly review his work.

Coproduction Radio France | Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
France Musique recorded this concert.
Concert filmed and available from November 21 on ARTE.TV then available for several months