Palazzetto Bru Zane, Venice 24 November 2015 - 20:008 p.m.

Paul Dukas (1865-1935)

Famous all around the world mostly for his symphonic poem 'L’Apprenti sorcier', Dukas should be equally praised for his body work as a whole, which is a testament of the modernity of French music at the end of the 19th century. A specialist in colouring as much for the piano (such as in his huge Sonate lasting nearly 45 minutes) as in his orchestral writing (notably in his opera Ariane et Barbe-bleue), Dukas was highly selective in terms of the choice of works he left for posterity. Known for burning any score he judged to be weak, he nonetheless spared the music that he composed for the Prix de Rome competition, scores which have only recently been rediscovered in the archives of the Paris Conservatoire. Incredible orchestral music complete with chorus and soloists is now on its way to being recorded by the Palazzetto Bru Zane for its ‘Prix de Rome’ series. A tribute will be paid in Venice to this master – 150 years after his birth – during a concert which includes his Piano Sonata, a work worthy of being compared to Liszt’s own.