CONTEMPLATIONS

ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

The sky, the earth, mankind: from this triad emanates a poetic essence that has inspired and continues to inspire composers. From Eluard's "Liberté" set to voice by Francis Poulenc in the cantata "Figure humaine" to Philippe Hersant, these contemplations are read with humour, pain, desolation and hope. Like the "Méandres sans fin" of "Poèmes chinois", Quebecois Pierre Mercure's "Cantate pour une joie" offers us a unique glimpse of modern man in his quest for joy.

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It is in the context of these fraternal legacies that we commissioned Canadian composer Robert Ingari to write a cantata for our time, one that resonates with these themes and is part of a reading of the future. In this quest for tomorrow, aware of the challenges facing society and the climate, this programme asks questions and finds answers in Art, in the creation that drives us.

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"Contemplation is attentive observation, meditation and daydreaming. From this admiration comes consideration. This field of observation, this space, leads us to reflect on our place as artists, on our involvement as human beings in the world.

Contemplation means seeking with gentle concern, as Rousseau put it, "the end of all that he sees and the cause of all that he feels". These works invite us to marvel at the majesty of nature as a whole, and to free ourselves from the insignificant objects that surround it. From this will spring a new light, synonymous with hope for illuminating the universe."

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Christopher Gibert

PROGRAM DETAILS