Unser neuer Gesamtkatalog

Gabriel Fauré:
Klaviertrio d-Moll op. 120
Maurice Ravel:
Klaviertrio a-Moll (1914)
Philippe Hersant:
Trio Variations sur la Sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève-du- Mont (1998)
Trio Cérès:
Julien Dieudegard, Violine
Noémi Boutin, Violoncello
Jonas Vitaud, Klavier

The young French Trio Cérès won third prize at the 2007 ARD Music Competition in Munich. In their highly acclaimed interpretation of Ravel’s Piano Trio, the performers displayed a unique approach to the timbre spectrum and the peculiar emotionality of Ravel’s music, coupled with all virtues of a mature chamber music performance, just as the solistic authority of all ensemble performers is embraced in the piano trio.
This altogether convincing and completely independent competition entry as well as the impression that these musicians “have something to tell” gave reason enough to invite the Trio Cérès for a CD portraitaas part of the OehmsClassics Debut series. Aside from the Ravel trio, the CD also includes Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Trio plus a work by 1948 born composer Philippe Hersant that is related to a theme by Baroque composer Marin Marais.

On the Trail of the New
The Cérès Trio and their CD debut with OehmsClassics

“I love melody”, and with this Philippe Hersant says everything. At least when talking about his creativity. The French composer, born in 1948, is always searching for a musical language that can be both sung and played, and which reflects musical heritage in a variety of ways. To some extent, Hersant creates a new virtuosity from cantability and the search for musical evidence, and this is also the case here with the recorded Trio – Variations sur la « Sonnerie à Ste Geneviève du Mont » de Marin Marais from 1998. The trio is based on a work by Marais which was published in 1723 and was originally written for violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord. This work was itself based on a short and simple carillon theme (glockenspiel, bell motif ) from the church of Saint Geneviève.

“I was quite struck by this charming work when I discovered it about twenty years ago,” Hersant commetns on work. “Using an arrangement similar to that of Marin Marais, but with modern instruments (violin, cello, piano) my Trio appears as a continuation, an amplifying variation on the baroque composer’s piece. The theme of the three notes is nearly omnipresent in my piece, but it jumps from one instrument to another in different tonalities and registers and it is subjected to several variations in tempi and dynamics. Occasionally references, more or less hidden, to other famous carillon (Mussorgsky’s The big gate of Kiev or Bizet’s The Carillon of the Women from Arles) are mixed into my piece.”

The Cérès Trio see Hersant’s modernity in the tension between cantability and musical heritage. “Nowadays it is generally difficult to define modernity,” the three musicians from France explain. “Hersant’s music is exceptionally personal, in his work he combines different styles, soundscapes and art movements. This is his modernity, in this sense he is modern.” The relationship between the Cérès Trio and Hersant is quite close. “I have known him for ten years,” says pianist Jonas Vitaud; he has already worked together with György Kurtág, too.

“The first time I met Hersant was at the Académie Maurice Ravel in Saint-Jean-de- Luz,” continues Vitaud. “At that time I had already played Hersant’s Trio. My colleagues in the trio only met him for the first time recently – we spoke to him for our current CD.” Hersant doesn’t have any dogmatic opinions, says violinist Julien Dieudegard. “He is always very interested. If you suggest changes, he tries them out and is prepared to change things if necessary. He is very open and friendly.”

Though the Cérès Trio formed in October 2006, the first collaboration took place already ten years ago. “At about the same time I met Hersant at the Académie Maurice Ravel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where I also met my current colleagues,” reports Vitaud. “At first we played together as a quintet,” clarifies Dieudegard, “after that we played chamber music in various constellations.” Why do they play music together? “Because we admire each other,” answers cellist Noémi Boutin. “We have known each other for ten years, have matured together and want to make music together and continue learning.”

When one talks to them, one experiences three young, friendly, inquisitive individualists who obviously complement each other admirably, because “Jonas is very precise and pays close attention to detail – and also pays close attention to what the composer wanted,” says Boutin. “And then there are naturally discussions. We are three individuals with ideas who come together, talk things over and work together on something.” For Dieudegard, precisely this is the secret of their success with chamber music. “That’s why we work in a trio, because we are not the same, we are different – even when we are going in basically the same direction. That’s why we complement each other.”

Are they friends? “No, we can’t stand each other,” answers Dieudegard, “and this is the first time that anyone has seen us eating together.” At which point he cracks up. “Joking aside,” interrupts Boutin, “I couldn’t play in a trio with people I don’t like. It’s really important for me.” For Vitaud it’s clear, “We play so well together because we listen to each other perfectly.” Of course there are also arguments, “all of us have our own ideas,” says Vitaud. “It comes down to finding a common vision. You can’t always be flexible and diplomatic, so sometimes we clash.”

And when the sparks fly Boutin is usually happy because “it’s almost always the two boys who fight, which is great for me. I can choose my position and make the decisions.” The truth beneath this joking is of elementary importance to playing chamber music together. “Differences of opinion are very important for the interpretation,” says Vitaud, “that’s what sets chamber music apart.” And the French threesome see themselves very much as chamber musicians. “We play in a trio because that suits our needs,” emphasises Boutin. They successfully took part in the 2007 ARD music competition in Munich which yielded this CD. A French trio recording trios by Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel and Philippe Hersant, whereby the latter also harks back to Marin Marais and Georges Bizet: their debut CD could not be more French. Does a French vision and harmony show on this recording? “There’s nothing intrinsically French,” comes the unanimous answer, “French is and means a lot –”

This CD however stands for a basic programmatic attitude, the three musicians would like to cultivate and develop a classical repertoire on the one hand and on the other find new ways to contemporary music. They are already talking about works by the composers To-ru Takemitsu and Mauricio Kagel. “We are in the process of maturing and are enjoying it,” they say, which also touches on their understanding of CD recordings. “One has to be clear that a recording is, in terms of interpretation, just a snapshot,” explains Vitaud.

“Later, possibly, one will regard certain details differently.” Because, “we live, we have our love affairs, we change like life changes,” adds Dieudegard. “All this influences an interpretation and enriches it. Music is alive, it is part of life.” Unanimous nodding, then Boutin qualifies, “Our personalities remain fundamentally the same, naturally. Life and experience may change, but the basic features of our character remain the same – and that is also true of the interpretation.”