Impressions de Loire
In the introduction of the piece,
The music evokes the majestic character of the river.
Imagine an ashy heron flying high over the Loire and its elegant curves, Watching over the splendor of the royal river.
Then comes the idyllic aspect of the river. In the peaceful current,
A light breeze caresses the transparent wave, Forming small waves on its surface.
The sun delicately shines on the waves,
Creating a silvery mist.
From the water’s edge rises a soft music that invites to reverie…
Afterwards we switch to anger. The concern and the anguish rise,
It is the flood, with the elements running wild…
The once peaceful current becomes a devastating torrent that sweeps away everything in its path. From these whirlpools, the Lady in fury spits out trunks which clash in a noisy tumult.
Then it is the appeasement, and again we celebrate the splendor, the mystery and the poetry of the wild river…
For this piece, I translated into music the impressions that evoke me the Loire, whose banks I walk since my childhood, and where I like to go regularly to inspire me.
Created in 2006, Impressions de Loire is my first orchestral piece (wind band) and it has a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to have it performed by different bands (Châteauneuf-sur- Loire, Vitry-aux-Loges, Olivet, Conservatoire d’Orléans, Harmonie Saint-Marc-Sait-Vincent, Luzy, Forbach…). The Brass Band Val de Loire also honored me by recording him in its CD Couleurs de Loire.
To be able to play one’s compositions always represents a particular emotion and it is all the more powerful when the music deals with a subject like the Loire. I have always been marked by the many “Loire lovers” that I have met while playing this piece. Those who live near our river know the wild landscapes, the dynamics and the colors that change with the seasons… the soothing vibrations, the elegance and its majestic appearance.