Urs Joseph Flury (1941-) Rousseau-Suite for violin and viola (1999) смотреть онлайн

Duo Renard - Mark Miller, violin and Ute Miller, viola
recorded at Mount Vernon Music Hall July 2020 for MVM's Inbox Concert Series during the pandemic.
1. Vieille chanson (Old song) - Andante
2. Menuet - Allegretto (2:17)
3. Le tombeau de Guillaume IV (The tomb of William IV) - Larghetto (5:13)
4. Danse du diable et des sorcières (Devil's and witches' dance) - Allegro (9:19)
5. Rêverie (Daydreams) - Andante (14:13)
6. Aquarium (Perpetuum mobile) - Allegro agitato (18:28)
7. Chanson d'adieu (Farewell song) - Andantino (21:18)

Swiss Neo-Romantic composer Urs Joseph Flury (1941 - ) studied violin, philosophy, art history and musicology. His compositions include chamber music, orchestral works, concerti and vocal music. The Rousseau-Suite for violin and viola was inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s exile in the late summer of 1765 on the tiny Island of St. Peter in Lake Biel, in the Canton of Bern. Rousseau wrote: “Of all the places I have lived (and I have lived in some charming ones), none has made me so truly happy nor left me such tender regrets as St. Peter’s Island in the middle of Lake Biel.”

1. "Vielle chanson" recalls the old songs Rousseau would sing in the pavilion on warm evenings.
2. "Menuet" imitates the Baroque dances held at winegrower’s festivals.
3. "Le tombeau de Guillaume IV" refers to the gravestone of Duke William IV, who was buried on the island in the 12th century.
4. "Danse du diable et des sorcières" — According to a 15th century legend, the devil played a fiendish dance on his violin at midnight for witches and sorceresses.
5. "Rêverie" is inspired by Rousseau’s daydreams, as described in his autobiographical Confessions.
6. "Aquarium" recalls Rousseau’s daily ritual of feeding the fish in a fountain basin.
7. "Chanson d’adieu" imagines the musical farewell that Rousseau sang to residents of the island before his departure.

Notes by Mark Miller, copyright Mount Vernon Music 2020