Recording

1 CD Klarthe Records, K052, Sphères - Le Lac - Vagues
Orchestre National de France, Pascal Rophé (conductor)
Valérie Condoluci (soprano)
Orchestre Colonne, Laurent Petitgirard (conductor)
Orchestre des Lauréats du Conservatoire, Jean-Sébastien Béreau (conductor)

Ah, how far away the cello quartet called Mars (2001) and dedicated to Félix Burgan, son of the composer, seems! And yet, its "furious" accents represent the first seed of a cycle which (a nod to Gustav Holst) depicts "the Planets", Burgan style: In this one, where the first pieces are dedicated to the four sons of the composer* (Félix holds on to "his" planet Mars) and the last (Venus) to his wife, the concision dictated by the format of the program Alla Breve (France Musique), at the origin of the commission in 2003, does not limit the depth of the field where the planets evolve, of course studied from the angle of their mythological personification. The lunar mysteries (Séléné) "In an evanescent and fluid softness", envelop us with silken swathes which cover us with the sensual delirium of their upper registers, the woodwind, harp, percussion, keyboardsand strings - the result is a sort of impressionism, where melodic snippets float and overlap constantly. More subtle in its crescendo of energy than the bitter marcartissimo of the pieces for 'cello quartet, Mars doesn't unleash its implacable martellato warrior until the end of a game of rhythmic darts of a tasteful elegance. Mercury, "with a precise and bouncing vitality" owes it to itself to be capricious and to voyage through the skies, reappearing on one horizon to another. Jupiter, "hieratic", starts with a cluster of strings, divided to the maximum, and allows us to perceive the impenetrable, enigmatic aspects of its distant personality by the means of segmented reponses from the woodwind and percussion. Venus comes forward "with delicacy" on a deep solo from the bass flute before heady emanations invade space with loving waves.

Sylviane Falcinelli
Excerpt from the CD booklet

* Richard, Félix, Hector and Gustave