Toulouse le Orgues – Edition 2022
Toulouse les Orgues launches into exploration!
Created in 1996 by Michel Bouvard and Jan-Willem Jansen, in homage to Xavier Darasse, the Toulouse les Orgues international festival is soon opening its 27th edition which will last from October 5 to 16. Its artistic director, Yves Rechsteiner pleads for a program oriented both towards the fundamentals of classical music and towards the future with a broad panorama of creation with the organ today.
The richness of the organic heritage of Toulouse and its region is considerable. It should be remembered that, among the 30 organs in Toulouse, 9 are classified as historical monuments, while the region still has 370. programming.
The Explorer
This 2022 edition is exceptional with the arrival, on the initiative of Yves Rechsteiner, of a transportable pipe organ at the Gesu church, theExplorer. A nomadic and innovative instrument, a new tool for the development of specific artistic projects, the Explorer makes it possible to carry out projects with the organ in places that do not have one and to offer creators an instrument with extended possibilities.
The inauguration of this mobile organ will take place during the concert on Friday October 7 at 8 p.m. at the Gesu church, a concert presented at 6 p.m. with a meeting with Yves Rechsteiner and three organ builders around the construction of the ‘instrument.
The Explorer will also take part in two other concerts: October 9 at 5 p.m. at the Auditorium Saint-Pierre des Cuisines (with the Ensemble Les Surprises) and October 12 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Gesu church.
The opening and closing concerts
These two events, which frame the heart of the festival, take the form of duets. On October 5 at the Saint-Sernin basilica, Jean-Baptiste Robin at the organ will be associated with the trumpeter Romain Leleu in a very large program. On October 16 at the Notre-Dame la Daurade basilica, percussionist Joan Castello joins organist Daniel Oyarzabal in a program of transcriptions that includes the most performed orchestral work in the world, the Bolero by Ravel. In addition, another great popular symphonic work will be offered in a version for organ, on October 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the Temple du Salin. It’s about ballet Cassette-nut by Tchaikovsky.
2022 creations
This edition will see the world premiere of a work for organ and electronic device by composer Jacques Lenot, as well as a carte blanche to pianist Etienne Manchon (in partnership with Jazz sur son 31) for the concert on October 12 using all the possibilities of the Explorer organ. For young audiences, Toulouse les Orgues welcomes, on Sunday October 6 at 3 p.m. at the Gesu church, Hansel and Gretelan order placed with Baptiste Genniaux and Vincent Dubus.
The traditional electro night of the Gesu on October 13 will also play on creation, with works by the Swedish Ellen Arkbro, the duo of Giulio Tosti and Romain Baudoin with an acoustic hurdy-gurdy and of course the cine-concert with improvisations by the Italian organist Gabriele Agrimonti.
The great guests
Among the great names of the organ present during this edition, we must mention in particular the arrivals of Maude Gratton, Bernard Foccroulle, Jean-Christophe Revel, Nathan Laube, Emmeran Rolin, Emmanuel Pélaprat, Quentin du Verdier (accompanied by Grégoire Blanc at the theremin), and of course by Michel Bouvard who played, on October 11 on the Cavaillé-Coll of the Saint-Sernin basilica, the three chorales of César Franck whose bicentenary of birth is celebrated. In addition, the “voice” will be given to young organists, thus offering them the possibility of meeting the public.
Prelude to the festival
From Saturday 1st to Tuesday 4th October, Toulouse les Orgues organizes a few musical events mainly in the region around the Pink City. The churches of Saint-Lys, Pibrac and Tournefeuille, as well as the Carmelite temple of Montauban, have enhanced young musicians and diverse artists in innovative programs. On Tuesday, October 4 at 8 p.m., the Gesu church will host the traditional Student Concert which will combine the great organ with the organetto and the electric hurdy-gurdy. To discover !
Toulouse the organs
2022 edition
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