Pradel Association - Bach Suites II - 09/28/25

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011 

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012 

David Louwerse: Cello 

On the second day of fearless cellist David Louwerse’s absolutely magnificent journey through Bach’s six treacherous suites for solo cello hosted by Pradel Association, the sun was not as bright and the audience was not as large as on the first day, but the mood was just about as festive in Comps’ little hilltop église de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul. And why wouldn’t it be? 

Witnessing the continuation of such an extraordinary adventure, during which we all got to share unadulterated happiness, intense drama and profound contemplation, moments of deep spirituality and outbursts of dazzling virtuosity, felt like such a privilege that my mom and I and other hand-core music lovers would not have missed it for anything in the world, especially since the last two suites are widely considered the most exciting ones of the entire set. 

Ever the consummate professional, Louwerse played all suites sans sheet music, except for the starkly beautiful Cello Suite No. 5, which is an awfully tricky work not just because of its particularly dark, slightly ominous overtones, but also because it had been written for a differently tuned instrument. The fingering requiring constant acrobatics, the paper score acted as a wise safety measure for the player and, by extension, for us too. 

 Since I listen to a lot of music with my eyes closed, I cannot tell if Louwerse used the sheet music or not, but I can confirm that the performance was as confident and rewarding as the others. The exquisite Sarabande, which Yo-Yo Ma famously played at the site of the World Trade Center on the first anniversary of remembrance of the victims of the September 11 attacks, was particularly moving in its stripped-down form. 

And then came the Cello Suite No. 6, which kind of brought the whole set full circle with its unabashedly sunny disposition that was reminiscent of the Cello Suite No. 1. It presented a new challenge though: The score had been written for a small five-string instrument when Louwerse plays a standard four-string one. But since the word “impossible” does not seem to belong to his vocabulary, he readily got on with it, but not before charitably warning us that he occasionally might sound more like Boulez than Bach. 

And in fact, the wildly ambitious Cello Suite No. 6, which resolutely filled the gorgeous space with endless boldness, radiance and vivaciousness, was a terrific way to end the memorable program and weekend. After the countless ups and downs and twists and turns of the previous five suites, this grand finale reached pure bliss and kept on flying high. And so did we. 

The concert having been shorter, but certainly not less thrilling, than the one of the previous day, and the smaller audience being just as enthusiastic, Louwerse treated us to a bonus performance of a lovely sonata by 18th-century French composer and cellist Jean-Pierre Duport, which concluded this blazing journey on a welcome introspective note. 

Last, but not least, to celebrate our reaching the finish line, we were all offered a seemingly bottomless supply of delicious home-made rosemary tea during the little outdoor post-concert get-together, bringing a wonderful end to a wonderful weekend.

Pradel Association - Bach Suites I - 09/27/25

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008 

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009 

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010 

David Louwerse: Cello 

After a very satisfying musical weekend hosted by Pradel Association for the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) in a very cool artist’s studio last week, my last weekend in Dieulefit promised a possibly even more memorable musical experience with eminent teacher and cellist David Louwerse playing no less than Johann Sebastian Bach’s six Cello Suites in nearby Comps’ gorgeously restored hilltop Romanesque église de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul over the course of those two afternoons. 

Although it was hard to tell if it was due to Louwerse’s rock star status in Dieulefit and beyond, Bach’s genius composer status all over the world, or the little church’s unassuming inner and outer beauty, or a combination of the three, the concert was sold-out, and the most anxious ticket-holders had started showing up even earlier than usual, which currently is about 30 minutes before the concert's starting time, and had to wait patiently outside, never mind the low temperature and cold wind. Anything for Bach by Louwerse.

As we were eventually making our way in, my mom and I couldn’t help but notice how appropriate the venue was, intimate enough in size for a solo performer, sober enough in look for the diverse audience, and grand enough in atmosphere for the masterpieces that were going to come alive in it. And let’s not forget its flawless acoustics that even Louwerse, who has played there regularly for years now, commented on. In short, all stars were aligned for the perfect Saturday afternoon. 

After a short introduction by Pradel Association’s president Pascaline Dallemagne and valuable insights about the pieces by Louwerse, the latter kicked off the mighty journey with the powerfully compelling Prelude of the joyful Cello Suite No. 1, the one movement that everybody knows, even if they don’t know that they know it, thanks to its frequent cameos in pop culture. Unsurprisingly, we all immediately fell under the music’s irresistible spell, and not a single peep was heard from the audience for the entire performance, which is remarkable enough to be mentioned. 

In Louwerse’s expert hands, the still-fresh-after-all-these-years first suite brilliantly expressed childhood’s unspoiled sense of wonder at the world, even though, let’s face it, there’s not much to marvel at these days. And then, sure enough, the occasionally painful sense of awareness that inevitably emerges in later years came in the form of dark currents and an introspective mood in the Cello Suite No. 2. But not to worry, the sun shone again in all its invincible splendor in the optimistic Cello Suite No. 3, and all was well in the world again. Or so it felt. 

After a much-needed intermission during which we got some really fresh air and caught up with friends outside, we were back in our little pew in a slightly less crowded church. The concert did indeed stretch out a bit, but those who did not stick around truly missed out as things became even more interesting with the daunting Cello Suite No. 4, but not daunting enough to unnerve Louwerse, who serenely navigated the work’s myriad technical demands, sounding in fact almost invigorated by the various challenges that relentlessly came his way. And that was our first afternoon of Bach by Louwerse. 

Four down. Two more to go.

Pradel Association - Musics and Patrimoine II - 09/21/25

André Jolivet: Chant de Linos 

Heitor Villa-Lobos: Song of the Black Swan 

Camille Saint-Saëns: The Swan 

André Jolivet: Suite Rhapsodic for violin solo 

Claude Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp 

Raphaël Chrétien: Cello 

Christophe Giovaninetti: Violin 

Eugénie Ikonomou: Flute 

Fabrice Pierre: Harp 

Pierre-Henri Xuereb: Viola 

As my mom and I were still basking in the wonderful sounds we had hear the previous day, on the afternoon of the second day of the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) weekend, the gorgeous weather had morphed into an on-going downpour that could have only one explanation: Mother Nature wanted to make sure we got the message that summer was over. 

And that’s of course when we and our neighbor Anne-Marie had to leave if we wanted to make it on time for the pre-concert talk about the French composer André Jolivet, which promised to be an exciting prelude led by his daughter inside, once again, the stunning textile-mill-turned-into-art-studio of Dieulefitois painter Jean Soubeyran. 

The dreadful weather having clearly scared most of the potential audience and slightly postponed the start of the talk, we punctual music lovers got a chance to visit the studio, check out some cool works in progress, and get valuable insights from the artist himself. So we could hardly complain about the revisited schedule and happily made the most of it. And seriously, what better way to spend a stubbornly rainy Sunday afternoon? 

After the informal engaging talk, we got right onto the real thing as the five musicians of the day opened the musical part of our afternoon with a dynamite version of Jolivet’s Chant de Linos, a complex composition featuring an impossibly challenging and absolutely thrilling part for the flute, which ridiculously young and talented Eugénie Ikonomou readily handled without any fuss. The four gentlemen surrounding her played their part impeccably as well. We were off to a good start. 

The following piece on the program was Camille Saint-Saëns’ ethereally beautiful Swan, from his Carnival of the Animals, and just as we were getting mentally prepared for it, we got treated to a totally unexpected and generous bonus when cellist Raphaël Chrétien and harpist Fabrice Pierre performed Heitor Villa-Lobos’ lesser known and much punchier Song of the Black Swan, a brilliant idea that provided the audience a very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable study in contrast. 

Since it was Jolivet’s party after all, he was next with his Suite Rhapsodic for violin solo, which was fearlessly tackled and completely mastered by violinist Christophe Giovaninetti. Fact is, the journey is an occasionally tough ride, but it is melodic one too, and if one hangs in there long enough, the reward will come. On Sunday afternoon, it definitely did. 

In the end, the weekend was all about celebrating French heritage, so why not end this superb little concert with… the ultimate French composer, Claude Debussy? I had never heard his Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp before, but immediately got transported into the composer’s famously ambiguous world in which everything seems possible and, sure enough, that’s when the rain stopped and the sun made a timid appearance. 

After we had shaken off the delicately impressionistic atmosphere and delivered a hearty round of applause, we happily reconnected with real life through the fun little post-concert party where I shamelessly pigged out on the best brownies I had ever eaten this side of the pond while mourning the sale of my favorite painting. But at least it had ended up in worthy hands (harpist and companion) for a good cause (new empty home).

Pradel Association - Musiques et Patrimoine I - 09/20/25

Bohuslav Martinu: Duo No. 2 for Violin and Viola, H. 331 

André Jolivet: Three Eclogues for viola solo 

Gaspar Cassado: Préludio-Fantasia 

Gaspar Cassado: Suite (Sardana, Intermezzo et Danza Finale) 

Ludwig van Beethoven: Serenade in D Major for Violin, Viola and Cello (String Trio No. 2), Op. 8 

Raphaël Chrétien: Cello 

Christophe Giovaninetti: Violin 

Pierre-Henri Xuereb: Viola 

After a couple of very busy weeks mostly dedicated to nursing my mom’s ailing cat back to health—a challenging trial as none of us is used to being stuck at home for long periods of time, especially not our increasingly frustrated freedom-loving furry roommate—the annual Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) and their endless array of free cultural events were upon us even before we even got a chance to catch our breath, but then again, who were we to complain? 

Our attention naturally turned to the Pradel Association’s offer of two concerts featuring works by French composer André Jolivet in a 19th-century former textile mill that is now Dieulefitois painter Jean Soubeyran’s light-filled and music-friendly studio. Additional bonus: It is also easily accessible by foot for us. So we figured that a healthy mix of ground-breaking music in a local landmark would be the perfect way to celebrate French cultural heritage on that beautiful Saturday evening, at the totally civilized time of 6:00 PM. 

The abundance of cultural richness available all over the region and beyond may have unfortunately prevented the large space from filling up, but I gotta admit that it was very nice seeing all the familiar faces we encountered and enjoying a salon-like gathering. The festive mood was quickly heightened by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu’s rustic Duo No. 2 for Violin and Viola, which was cheerfully carried out by violinist Christophe Giovaninetti and violist Pierre-Henri Xuereb. Things were off to a good start, even if a toddler occasionally expressed her displeasure by contributing unwanted add-ons to the score before being thankfully escorted out. 

André Jolivet may be better known and appreciated abroad than in his native country, but the two concerts planned for the weekend would hopefully help change that regrettable state of affairs. Although his music is not the most accessible for musicians or audiences, it can be quite enjoyable when done right, which is exactly what happened on Saturday evening with Pierre-Henri Xuereb, who fearlessly worked his way through Three Eglogues pour viola solo, namely Cantante I, Rusticamente, and Cantante II. 

This bravura solo performance was followed by an equally impressive tour de force by cellist Raphaël Chrétien with his totally fired-up interpretation of Spanish composer and cellist Gaspar Cassado’s spirited Préludio-Fantasia and Suite. As Chrétien pointed out, Cassado was unfortunately overshadowed by Pablo Casals pretty much all his life, and it was really a shame for everybody since he was clearly just about as talented. 

Since the program created for the French Heritage Days weekend included pieces by Czech and Spanish composers, why not add a German one like, say, Beethoven? And sure enough, there he was with his Serenade in D Major for Violin, Viola and Cello, AKA String Trio No. 2, which provided the perfect opportunity to hear all three musicians together. Giovaninetti had succinctly but adequately described the work as “fresh”, and it turned out to be quite a fun little piece indeed—except for a couple of fleeting moments of melancholy—that began and ended with a lively march and offered plenty of reasons to be remembered fondly. And it will be.