Les Siècles

Les Siècles is a French symphony orchestra founded in 2003 by François-Xavier Roth, with ambition to put works from the 17th to 21st centuries into today's perspective. The musicians of the orchestra play each repertoire on the historical instruments appropriate to the time of its creation.

History

Les Siècles perform regularly in Paris (Opéra Comique, Salle Pleyel, Théâtre du Châtelet, Philharmonie de Paris), in La Côte-Saint-André (Aisne department),[1] in Aix-en-Provence, Metz, Caen, Nîmes, Royaumont and international stages, Amsterdam (Royal Concertgebouw), London (BBC Proms), Bremen, Brussels (Klara Festival), Wiesbaden, Luxembourg, Cologne, Tokyo, Essen.

In 2013, the orchestra received exclusive permission from the publisher Boosey & Hawkes to replay The Rite of Spring as it was heard at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913. They have given this version several times in concert in France and abroad. This concert series was also recorded with the 1911 version of Petrushka, for a record published by Éditions Musicales Actes Sud.

Their Stravinsky and Debussy records were voted Classical Record of the Year in The Sunday Times and Editor’s choice[2] in the BBC Music Magazine & Gramophone. Their Stravinsky record won the prestigious Edison Klassiek Award 2012 in the Netherlands, as well as the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik[3] in Germany. Their recording Bizet-Chabrier was awarded a Diapason d'Or by the magazine of the same name and received five stars in the German magazine Fono Forum [de]. Nine opuses have already been released on their label "Les Siècles Live" in co-publication with Musicales Actes Sud: Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Matalon, The Firebird, The Rite of Spring and Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky, Liszt, Debussy, Dukas. Their recording of Ravel's ballet Daphnis et Chloé was issued by Harmonia Mundi in March 2017.

Eager to transmit to the greatest number a passion for classical music, the musicians of the ensemble regularly offer educational activities in schools, hospitals, and prisons. The orchestra is also a partner of the Atelier symphonique départemental de l'Aisne[4] du Jeune Orchestre européen Hector Berlioz[5] and DEMOS[6] (Dispositif d’Éducation musicale et orchestrale à vocation sociale) in Picardy.

Discography

References

  1. ^ Cité de la Musique de Soissons, Laon
  2. ^ Daniel Jaffé (September 2014). "A recreation of Rite's premiere". BBC Music Magazine. No. September 2014.
  3. ^ "Preis der Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik". www.schallplattenkritik.de (in German). Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  4. ^ "ADAMA". aisne.com (in French). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Jeune Orchestre Européen Hector Berlioz". Festival berlioz (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  6. ^ "DEMOS". DEMOS (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2018.