Saint-Saëns: La Muse et le Poète Renaud Capuçon & Gautier Capuçon

• 1 I. Allegro non troppo 09:04
• 2 II. Andantino quasi allegretto 08:43
• 3 III. Molto moderato e maestoso 11:07
• 4 La Muse et le Poète, Op. 132 16:37
• 5 I. Allegro non troppo 05:45
• 6 II. Allegretto con moto 05:15
• 7 III. Tempo primo 09:16
• Total Runtime 01:05:47

Info zu Saint-Saëns: La Muse et le Poète

Violinist Renaud Capuçon and his cellist brother Gautier are joined by the young French conductor Lionel Bringuier and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France for a programme of works by Camille Saint-Saëns. It includes the lyrical, intimate and rarely heard ‘Duet for Violin, Cello and Orchestra’, La Muse et le Poète.

For this recording of three concertante works by Saint-Saëns they are joined by another leading French musician of the younger generation, the conductor Lionel Bringuier, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Though only 27, Bringuier will become Chief Conductor and Music Director of Zurich’s much-respected Tonhalle Orchestra in 2014. He recently completed six seasons as Resident Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he worked with music directors Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel. It was as a 14-year-old student that he first got to know Renaud Capuçon and this Saint-Saëns album first began to take shape three or so years ago.

Recorded in Paris at the Salle Pleyel and the Théâtre du Châtelet, it comprises Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No 3, Cello Concerto No 1 and ‘Duet for Violin, Cello and Orchestra’, La Muse et le Poète – a work that the Capuçon brothers had never played before and which is only rarely heard.

“These two concertos might be among his more familiar works, but these sensitively imagined performances make for essential listening.” (The Daily Telegraph)

Renaud Capuçon, violin
Gautier Capuçon, cello
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Lionel Bringuier, conductor

Recorded at Salle Pleyel, Paris. Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris (Violin Concerto), 11-15.01.2013
Producer & editor Arnaud Moral
Executive producer Alain Lanceron

Renaud Capuçon
Born in Chambéry in 1976, Renaud Capuçon studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with Gérard Poulet and Veda Reynolds. He was awarded first prize for chamber music in 1992 and first prize for violin with a special distinction from the jury in 1993. In 1995 he won the Prize of the Berlin Academy of Arts. Then he studied with Thomas Brandis in Berlin, and later with Isaac Stern. Invited by Claudio Abbado in 1997, he continued his musical experiences as konzertmeister of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester during three summers with Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Barenboim, Franz Welser-Moest and of course Claudio Abbado. In 2000 he was nominated “Rising Star” and “New talent of the Year” (French Victoires de la Musique), in 2005 “Soliste instrumental de l’année”, also by the French Victoires de la Musique, and in 2006 “Prix Georges Enesco” (Sacem).

He is playing with: Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Bayerische Rundfunk, DSO Berlin, Bamberger Symphoniker, Hessischer Rundfunk, NDR Hamburg and WDR Köln orchestras, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Phiharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Washington National Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, Lyon, Monte-Carlo, and Toulouse Orchestras, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Moskow Radio Tchaikovsky Orchestra, Danish Royal Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, London Symphony, Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, City of Birmingham Symphony, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Firenze Maggio Musicale Orchestra, Milano Scala Philharmonic, Rome Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Lausanne and Zurich Chamber Orchestras, under Marc Albrecht, Christian Arming, Lionel Bringuier, Semyon Bychkov, Myung-Whun Chung, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Thomas Dausgaard, Christoph von Dohnanyi Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Ivan Fischer, Bernard Haitink, Daniel Harding, Gunther Herbig, Kristjan, Paavo and Neeme Järvi, Philippe Jordan, Emmanuel Krivine, Kurt Masur, Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, David Robertson, Dennis Russel-Davis, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Leonard Slatkin, Tugan Sokhiev, Robert Ticciati… In 2011 he toured USA with the China Philharmonic and Long Yu, played in China with the Guangzhou and Shanghai Symphonies and Claus Peter Flor and gave integrals of Beethoven Sonatas with F. Braley in Europe, Singapore and Hong-Kong.

Renaud Capuçon plays chamber music with Martha Argerich, Hélène Grimaud, Nicholas Angelich, Frank Braley, Yefim Bronfman, Myung-Whun Chung, Yuri Bashmet, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Mischa Maisky, Truls Mork, Maria Joao Pires, Mikhail Pletnev, Antoine Tamestit, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Maxim Vengerov. He is invited by prestigious festivals: London Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, Berlin, Ludwigsburg, Rheingau, Lucerne, Montreux, Lockenhaus, Verbier, Gstaad, Salzburg, Schwarzenberg, Jerusalem, Stavanger, Canarias, San Sebastian, Aix-en-Provence, Roque d’Anthéron, Menton, Saint-Denis, Strasbourg, Hollywood Bowl, Tanglewood…

Discography for EMI Classics: Mendelssohn and Haydn trios and the Triple Concerto by Beethoven with Martha Argerich, Schubert recital, Berlioz/Saint-Saëns/Milhaud/Ravel with Daniel Harding and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Ravel chamber music with Gautier Capuçon and Frank Braley, duos with his brother; Dutilleux Concerto with the Radio France Philharmonic under Myung-Whun Chung (« Grand Prix Académie Charles Cros », « Choc de la Musique », « Diapason d’Or », « Fonoforum/Sterne des Monates »), Saint-Saëns chamber music, Brahms Trios with Gautier Capuçon and Nicholas Angelich (Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik), Schubert Trout, Mendelssohn/Schumann concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding, Brahms Sonatas with Nicholas Angelich (Gramophone/Editor’s Choice-Scherzo/Excepcional-Diapason d’Or-Choc/Monde de la Musique), Brahms Double Concerto with Gautier Capuçon and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester (Gramophone/Editor’s Choice) and Brahms Quartets with Gautier, Gérard Caussé and Nicholas Angelich, Mozart Concertos and Sinfonia Concertante with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Louis Langrée and Antoine Tamestit, Beethoven/Korngold concertos with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Beethoven Sonatas for violin/piano with Frank Braley, Fauré chamber music with N. Angelich, G. Capuçon, M. Dalberto, G. Caussé and Ebène Quartet.

Renaud Capuçon plays the Guarneri del Gesù “Panette” (1737) that belonged to Isaac Stern, bought for him by the Banca Svizzera Italiana (BSI). In June 2011 he is appointed “Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite” by the French Government.

Gautier Capuçon
is widely recognised as one of the foremost cellists of his generation and has received consistently high critical praise for his recordings and performances. Born in Chambéry in 1981, Capuçon began playing the cello at the age of five. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris with Philippe Muller and Annie Cochet-Zakine, and later with Heinrich Schiff in Vienna. The winner of various first prizes in many leading international competitions, including the International André Navarra Prize, Capuçon was named ‘New Talent of the Year’ by Victoires de la Musique (the French equivalent of a Grammy) in 2001; in 2004 he received a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award since which time he has received several Echo Klassik awards, most recently for his recording of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev with Gergiev and for his recording of Fauré’s complete chamber music.

Capuçon performs regularly as a soloist with the major orchestras worldwide, and is a favourite of conductors at the highest level including Gergiev, Dudamel, Bychkov, Haitink, Chung, Dutoit, Eschenbach, Nelsons and Nézet-Séguin. In recent seasons, concerto highlights have included orchestras such as LA Philharmonic, Seattle, Boston, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Vienna Symphony and the Deutsche Symphony Orchestra with whom he toured Europe. A regular recital and chamber musician, Capuçon appears in the major halls and festivals across Europe, and every year at the Verbier Festival and at Project Martha Argerich, Lugano, performing with many of the world’s leading artists such as Barenboim, Bashmet, Caussé, Kavakos, Kirchschlager, Pletnev, Pressler, Thibaudet, Znaider, his brother Renaud and many others including those with whom he has recorded (see below).

In the 13/14 season, debuts include the Concertgebouw Orchestra/Bychkov, New York Philharmonic/ Boreyko and the Staatskapelle Dresden/Eschenbach in Dresden and the Salzburg Easter Festival. Other highlights include the Munich Philharmonic/Bychkov – both in Munich and at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest – with Sydney Symphony/Bringuier, Boston Symphony/Dutoit, Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Haitink in Amsterdam, Paris and the Lucerne Festival, with Mariinsky Orchestra/Gergiev at Salle Pleyel (Paris), NHK Symphony Orchestra/Dutoit, and in China with China Philharmonic and Guangzhou Symphony. In recital, Capuçon will perform with Frank Braley in the major venues in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna and Seoul, and with Yuja Wang in a recital tour of Japan.

Capuçon records exclusively for Virgin Classics. His recordings include the Dvořák Concerto with Frankfurt Radio Symphony/Paavo Järvi, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations and Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante with Mariinsky Theatre/Gergiev, the Brahms Double Concerto with his brother Renaud and Mahler Youth Orchestra/Chung, and the Haydn Cello Concertos with Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Harding. He has recorded several discs of chamber music with Martha Argerich, Frank Braley, Nicholas Angelich, Renaud and others, and the Rachmaninov and Prokofiev Cello Sonatas with Gabriela Montero. His next releases include a recital disc of music by Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, Britten and Carter with Frank Braley, and Saint-Saëns First Cello Concerto and Muse et le poète with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France/Bringuier, and earlier this year Deutsche Gramophone released a DVD featuring Capuçon as soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic/Dudamel in a live performance of Haydn’s first Cello Concerto.

As a partner of Gautier Capuçon, Colas co-produced, along with Virgin Classics, his latest recording with Gergiev and participated in the purchase of a Dominique Peccatte Bow. Since 2007 Gautier Capuçon has been an Ambassador for Zegna & Music project which was founded in 1997 as a philanthropic activity to promote music and its values.

Lionel Bringuier
has a deep understanding and passion of music that has marked him as an outstandingly talented conductor, described in Standpoint Magazine as being at the forefront of a “podium revolution”, leading a “perceptual change of what musicians and audiences may expect of a music director”.

Bringuier is the Chief Conductor designate and Music Director of the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich, beginning in the season 2014/15. In the 2013/14 season, he will make a number of notable debut and return appearances with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with whom he developed a strong affinity during a six year tenure as Resident Conductor under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel.

The 2013/14 season will see Bringuier conducting the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, alongside his anticipated return to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Bringuier will also make debut performances with orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

With an enthusiasm for 20th and 21st century repertoire, Bringuier regularly conducts the works of living composers, and this season will include a notable performance of Marc-André Dalbavie’s Flute Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He will also conduct Lutosławski’s Chantefleurs et chantefables with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, celebrating the composer’s centenary.

Bringuier made his BBC Proms debut at the age of 23 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, performing Roussel’s Symphony No. 3. A DVD of this performance was produced by Bel Air Classiques and was released in March 2013 to great acclaim. Bringuier will also release a CD later this year with L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France for Virgin Classics. The recording features Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 with Renaud Capuçon, along with La Muse et la Poète, performed by his brother and cellist, Gautier Capuçon. Lionel’s first CD release featured a performance of Vincent d’Indy’s Symphony No. 1 in A minor “Italienne” & Concert pour piano, flute, violoncelle et cords op. 89, with the Orchestre Bretagne, and soloists Brigitte Engerer, Magali Mosnier and Marc Coppey.

Having dedicated his early musical life to the cello studying at the Paris Conservatoire with Philippe Muller, Bringuier began his conducting studies with Zsolt Nagy in 2000. It was the conductor’s complex awareness and comprehension of music that struck Nagy so particularly, and is an attribute that continues to mark Bringuier as a distinctive and remarkable artist. In addition to his studies with Nagy, Bringuier has participated in master classes with Peter Eötvös and Janos Fürst.

In 2004, he obtained his diploma in cello and conducting with “Mention Très Bien à l’unanimité”, and was the winner of the 49th Besançon Young Conductors Competition in 2005 (the unanimous choice of the jury). Other distinctions include the “Médaille d’or à l’unanimité avec les felicitations du jury à l’Académie Prince Rainier III de Monaco”, the “médaille d’or” from the Lord Mayor of Nice, as well as first prize in a competition organized by the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in Ostrava. Bringuier has also received prizes from the Swiss Foundation Langart and the Cziffra Foundation.

Booklet für Saint-Saëns: La Muse et le Poète