The Orchestre national de Lille,under the direction of Joshua Weilerstein,presented a compelling program December 6th,exploring connections between the musical worlds of three composers from the North of France and Belgium. The concert, featuring cellist Victor Julien-Laferrière, juxtaposed the work of contemporary composer Camille Pépin with those of 20th-century master Henri Dutilleux and Romantic-era figure César Franck – a pairing that revealed surprising thematic and stylistic resonances. The performance, photographed by Ugo Ponte, was held to a captivated audience and offered a distinctive musical experience.
A captivating concert featuring cellist Victor Julien-Laferrière, the Orchestre national de Lille, and its musical director Joshua Weilerstein, brought together the musical worlds of Camille Pépin, Henri Dutilleux, and César Franck in a stunning performance.
What unseen connections link the musical universes of Camille Pépin (born in 1990), Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013), and César Franck (1822-1890)? Beyond the fact that all three composers hail from the “north” – Amiens for Camille Pépin, Douai for Dutilleux, and Liège for César Franck – these three composers are all architects of deeply personal sound worlds. Pépin’s work evokes a cosmic universe, Dutilleux explores the inner landscape, and Franck conjures a grand, mystical realm. This concert, titled “Between Three Worlds,” offered a unique exploration of these connections.
The concert opened with Camille Pépin’s Laniakea (2019), a piece that embodies the cosmos itself. Laniakea is, in fact, the name of the “supercluster” containing our galaxy, a tiny element within a vast expanse. To convey this “immeasurable grandeur” of infinity, Pépin composed a hypnotic and majestic work. Known for her orchestral mastery and willingness to engage with elemental forces, Pépin’s music is both powerful and poetic, immediately accessible yet drawing inspiration from the hypnotic rhythms of Steve Reich, the impressionistic touches of Debussy, and a distinctly cinematic lyricism. The result is effective, captivating, and provided the Orchestre national de Lille with a chance to showcase the full range of its sonic palette – from sweeping strings and a powerful percussion section to soaring woodwinds and brass.
The transition to Henri Dutilleux’s 1970 cello concerto, Tout un monde lointain, felt remarkably natural. The piece, written for Mstislav Rostropovitch, was brought to life by the young Victor Julien-Laferrière, guiding listeners on a dreamlike journey inspired by the sensual poetry of Charles Baudelaire (“Tout un monde lointain, absent, presque défunt, Vit dans tes profondeurs, forêt aromatique !” from La chevelure). Emerging from silence and returning to it, the concerto is a demanding work for both soloist and orchestra, requiring intricate precision from every section. Victor Julien-Laferrière’s focused performance, coupled with the attentive direction of Joshua Weilerstein, delivered a truly intense and hypnotic experience.
A brief intermission allowed the audience to prepare for the very different world of César Franck’s celebrated Symphony in D minor (1888). This work represents the most confident expression of late Romanticism, a beautiful synthesis of French and German musical traditions that was initially met with criticism. Like the dense first movement, Franck’s music is a relentless wave, oscillating between intimacy and grandeur, reminiscent of the symphonies of Anton Bruckner. As an organist himself (like Bruckner), Franck knew how to blend powerful timbres with ethereal flourishes. Joshua Weilerstein’s expansive direction skillfully balanced the effects without veering into bombast. The exquisite Allegretto, a delicate march accompanied by the gentle melody of the English horn, led into the romantic gesture of the finale, which recapitulates all the themes of the work. The concert concluded with a majestic finale, unifying three worlds and a shared love of music.
Crédits photographiques : @Ugo Ponte onl
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