MUSIQUE À VIENNE

We absolutely love Manon Galy, a young woman from Toulouse who was named ‘Revelation’ at the 2022 Victoires de la Musique. And this isn’t just local pride or even ‘Toulouse-centred’ sentiment on our part. A good rapport can’t be forced. It either comes naturally, or it doesn’t come at all. With Manon, for us, everything is effortless and radiant. And she plays the violin magnificently well. So we didn’t hesitate to offer her the most demanding programme there is: Haydn and Beethoven, the giants of the Classical era.

In our line of work, we often say that Mozart is easy for children and difficult for adults. That’s an oversimplification, of course. But it’s a handy way of reminding ourselves that, when it comes to the Classical period, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. And that applies to Haydn and Beethoven too. There’s no need to make a fuss over the interpretation, no need to put on airs. You simply need to approach their music with the innocent enthusiasm of a child, and play what is written, without trying to impose the performers’ personal emotions upon it.

From Haydn to Schubert, with a detour via a Beethoven whose style is not yet fully Romantic, we’ll take you on a journey through the transition in musical composition at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.