Berlioz’s monumental ‘Requiem’ with the Orchestre de Paris; debut and opening of the Berlioz year

Feb 14, 2019

Commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the death of Hector Berlioz, Pablo Heras-Casado leads the Orchestre de Paris in Berlioz’s colossal Requiem on February 20 & 21. Heras-Casado has previously conducted the OdeP in Bizet’s Carmen at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, where the Financial Times commended his work with the ensemble:

“Pablo Heras-Casado whips the Orchestre de Paris, which is in the first of its three years as resident orchestra in Aix, into a frenzy; his attention to detail, and the thrilling level of excellence, mirror what we see on the stage.”

Composed in remembrance of the soldiers who died in the Second French Revolution, Berlioz’s Requiem requires a tremendous number of musicians to be involved. Pablo conducts the Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris, Choeur de l’Orchestre de Paris, Orfeón Donostiarra, and tenor Frédéric Antoun. This notable occasion also marks Pablo’s first performance leading the OdeP at their home theatre: the Philharmonie de Paris.

Starting off the program is Polish composer Witold Lutosławski’s Musique funèbre, a one-movement work made up of four linked sections: the ‘Prologue’, ‘Metamorphosis’, ‘Apogeum’ and ‘Epilogue’. The work, commissioned by Jan Krenz in 1958 to honor Béla Bartók, was led by Heras-Casado in concert with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall in 2017.

The performance on Wednesday, February 20, will be deferred broadcasted by ARTE TV, beginning at 14:30. For more information and tickets, visit orchestradeparis.com.