Philharmonic chamber music: “Rêverie française”
Flute and harp take centre stage in this concert, played here by Emmanuel Pahud, principal flute of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and principal harp Marie-Pierre Langlamet. They present a programme of French music that is elegant, sensuous and virtuosic. Bruno Delepelaire, principal cello of the Berliner Philharmoniker, contributes his own work Rêverie française. The concert also includes the richly atmospheric Septet En plein air by Composer in Residence Wolfgang Rihm.
The tradition of so many brilliant flautists and harpists coming from France has a long history. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would probably not have written his famous Double Concerto for these two instruments if he had not been commissioned to do so during his stay in Paris. Claude Debussy was also captivated by the delicate harmony of flute and harp. His works inspired numerous Modernist composers. Bruno Delepelaire, 1st principal cellist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, also chose the charming combination of these two instruments for his Rêverie française, which is premiered here.
This programme includes Debussy’s early String Quartet and his First Rhapsody for clarinet. The first captivates with its dazzling texture and its “cyclical form”, reminiscent of César Franck, in which all movements are linked by a common theme. The Rhapsody was composed as part of Debussy’s work as a member of an advisory committee at the Conservatoire de Paris – as an examination piece for students of the clarinet. It was given its first public performance in 1911.
In the same year, Lili Boulanger composed her enchanting Nocturne, originally written for violin and piano, which is dominated by long melodic arcs and a muted melancholy. It was a sensation when the highly talented composer won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1913, but she died at the age of just 24 after a serious illness.
Like Debussy, his contemporary Jean Cras loved the sea. Born in Breton, he made a career as a naval officer and devoted himself to composing without any professional musical training – with extraordinary natural talent, as his Harp Quintet shows. Composed “à bord de la Provence – Toulon” (on the ship La Provence near Toulon), as Cras noted in the score, the piece, which premiered in 1928, draws on various impressions from his sea voyages, including to North and West Africa.
In this concert, members of the Berliner Philharmoniker also present a work by the 2024/25 Composer in Residence Wolfgang Rihm. His work En plein air, premiered in 2005, was written for the Minguet Quartet and Jörg Widmann, with whom Rihm enjoyed a particularly close artistic partnership.
Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Emmanuel Pahud
Marie-Pierre Langlamet
Simon Roturier
Ignacy Miecznikowski
Bruno Delepelaire
Wenzel Fuchs
Angelo de Leo
© 2025 Berlin Phil Media GmbH
