Berten D'Hollander
Impressum
deutsch | english
design by didali

Recordings

Claude Ledoux (b. 1960)

"d'orients"

Berten D'Hollander (flute)
Nao Momitani (piano)
Jean-Paul Dessy (cello)
Quatuor a Cordes de l'Ensemble Musiques Nouvellesc; Ensemble Musiques Nouvellesabd/Jean Thorelab; Patrick Davind
rec. Auditorium Abel Dubois, Mons, Belgium, 5-6 January 2007 (Sanaalijal)

CD Review

Sanaalijal is a Mongolian word meaning "memory". It is the title of the most recent work in this release. The work was composed as a personal reaction to a not-all-together glorious event that happened in Belgium. Belgian authorities expelled a Mongolian journalist (and her young child) who was persona non grata in her own country because of her denunciation of corruption and violation of human rights. The actual music bears very little relation to this event, but again contains allusions to eastern musical traditions such as a traditional pentatonic song. These are once again filtered and transcended by the composer?s own sensitivity. The demanding solo part was tailored to the multi-faceted talents of Bert D'Hollander who plays superbly and demonstrates remarkable technique and musicality throughout. This often beautiful and deeply-felt work is one of the finest examples of that new expressive warmth I mentioned earlier in this review. Intelligently enough it is placed first in this release. One could not dream of a better "teaser".
Claude Ledoux's music is certainly not easy. It is quite exacting and demanding both for the player and the listener. As such, it needs repeated hearings to yield all its riches, which discs fortunately allow us. This sincere and committed music-making is ultimately generously rewarding.
Hubert Culot
[...] The present recording features ensemble music by Claude Ledoux. It vividly reflects the strong cohesion within the ?Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles? presenting the audience with a convincing and engaging performance. All featured compositions, whether for flute, piano, cello, quartet or the entire ensemble, convey a fascination with non-European music [?] The music invites the listener to reflect on the ?sound? as a focal point disclosing different perspectives on the world: the inner world of spirituality and the external world of thought and body movement. Claude Ledoux is currently composer-in-residence at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels and has been commissioned with the composition of the obligatory work of the semi-final of the International Queen Elizabeth competition for violin in 2009.

CD review fragment from "Le Monde"

Partition tres representative de son esthetique, Sanaalijal ( "me-moire" en mongol) est porteuse d'une energie generee par les flux et reflux de la flute qui s"elevent par paliers vers un chant diphonique. En arriere-plan, les cordes tissent une texture alternant sons purs et contorsions variees, ser­vant de point d'appui a l'essor du soliste, ici Berten D'Hollander, qui parcourt ce camaieu sonore avec prestance. Les reminiscences exo-tiques sont plus presentes dans le concerto de chambre Bell(e)...s, mais c'est surtout le travail sur les resonances de timbres qui sur-prendront l'auditeur.