Description

Following Bataclan’s first ATMA CD devoted to Piazzolla and his tango nuevo, the group returns with a new project that immerses the listener into the fin d’époque atmosphere in cities such as Paris, London, and Berlin at the dawn of the 20th century.• The idea for the Bataclan ensemble was sparked by the shared curiosity and creativity of two old friends, bassoonist Mathieu Lussier and bandoneonist Denis Plante. They were soon joined in their project by harpsichordist Catherine Perrin. Bataclan has assembled and arranged music that is both completely original and particularly well-adapted to their unique combination of instruments.

Bandeonist and composer Denis Plante steeped himself in the oeuvre of one of the best-known “dandies”, Oscar Wilde, to make musical settings of five of the writer’s most imaginative short stories. Also drawing inspiration from the past, bassoonist Mathieu Lussier was interested in a musical setting of the tragic and terribly romantic story of Edward VII who abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.

This CD also draws on Canadian salon music (for example, the gavotte Happy Hours, which was composed by an ancestor of harpsichordist Catherine Perrin). The selections Tico-Tico and Jalousie showcase the magnificently frenzied imagination of Anthony Rozankovic, arranger, composer, and one-man orchestra.