Lila Hajosi, conductor
Eulalia Fantova & Clémence Faber, mezzos
Julie Azoulay & Lauriane le Prev, contraltos
Matthieu Chapuis & Olivier Merlin, tenors
Guglielmo Buonsanti & Sébastien Brohier, basses
In 3 acts, the a cappella octet Ensemble Irini recounts a journey of initiation, between collapse and rebirth, along the Ariadne's thread of resilience. Born in the crucible of the upheavals and uncertainties of our time, between health and climate crises, wars and identitarian retreats, Printemps Sacré is an ode to life, enjoyment and hope.
This allegorical tale follows two fractured destinies.
The first is that of an exceptional composer: Isaac, the all-too-often forgotten genius of the Franco-Flemish school, Josquin's rival, the last heir of Dufay and Binchois, who experiences the throes of war and the collapse of his world at Savonarola's stake, and the long exile before the longed-for return to his Florence at the end of his life.
The second, a mirror image, is that of a country continually shaken by war and invasion, whose musical heritage, recently consecrated by UNESCO, constitutes by its very existence an act of resistance.
With ‘Sacred Spring’, the Ensemble Irini, in octet, recounts these paths of mourning and return to Life, through works for 3, 4 and 6 voices of unequalled refinement and subtlety.
(…) La richesse, la profusion de couleurs vocales touchent d’abord l’auditeur, du fait de ces ensembles de voix basses, sombres, superposées les unes aux autres, relevées par les lumières des voix claires des mezzos. Mais ce qui frappe le plus, au fur et à mesure de l’écoute, c’est la rigueur, la précision avec laquelle est menée l’interprétation – un travail de dessin, de tracé du contour de la musique par les voix, comme pour une figure géométrique. Mention spéciale à la petite incursion dans la liturgie grecque avec le Christos Anesti, où là aussi, le travail de la netteté des voix semble sculpter la musique. Une réussite, pour l’Ensemble Irini, dans ce travail à la fois de recherche et de restitution vocale. Full article
There's a flurry of record releases at the start of the season!
This October 4th sees the release of the…
There's a flurry of record releases at the start of the season!
This October 4th sees the release of the Irini Ensemble's 3rd CD for the Psalmus label: Printemps sacré!
Click here for an interview with Lila Hajosi, Artistic Director of Ensemble Irini.
The launch concert is scheduled for 22 November at the Eglise des Blancs-Manteaux in Paris!
