Anima Eterna Brugge, Jos van Immerseel - Poulenc: Concerto pour deux pianos et orchestre, Concert Champêtre & Suite Française (

After exploring the universe of Ravel, Anima Eterna continues its voyage of discovery through twentieth-century French music with Francis Poulenc.

In Jos van Immerseel’s view, Poulenc is one of the most significant personalities of the twentieth century, coupling immense erudition with surprising spontaneity. Not to mention the fact that Poulenc was also a particularly brilliant pianist.

The works presented in this recording are steeped in the French traditions of the sixteenth century (Suite Française for orchestra after Claude Gervaise) and the eighteenth (Concert champêtre for harpsichord (or piano) and orchestra). In the Concerto for two pianos, Poulenc breaks totally with the traditional concerto genre, liberating the form and the thematic development. Above all, the piece expresses the sheer pleasure of playing!

"[The Concerto for Two Pianos] is brilliant, witty music. Slightly slower speeds don’t lead to heaviness, and Poulenc’s gamelan references are more pointed than usual. The slow movement’s Mozart pastiche is suavely elegant…The orchestral playing in the Concert champêtre is again brilliant…Wit and charm are present in spades." (The Arts Desk)

"Immerseel's enthusiasm for this music is evident from the explosion of tension and excitement in the opening of the Concert for Two Pianos…His chosen keyboard collaborators share his energetic quest to reveal the sharp contrasts between the old and the new in this music, especially in the delightful twists of the Concert champêtre." (Classic FM Magazine)

"The Concerto for Two Pianos is part music hall romp, part Mozartian pastiche: Immerseel and Claire Chevallier play it for all its worth. The Suite Française for nine instruments is Poulenc’s touching tribute to 17th-century dance: a sensitive performance from Anima Eterna Brugge" (Financial Times)

"the Erard's mellow French polish does add a warm halo of colour to the central Larghetto, and by no means dampens the joie de vivre of the final. The orchestral playing is finely moulded to the pianos' spectrum of sonority so that after the initial shock of hearing something out of the ordinary, the performance yields up much in finesse, fluency and fun." (Gramophone Magazine)

Anima Eterna Brugge
Jos van Immerseel, piano, harpsichord, conductor
Claire Chevallier, piano
Katerina Chrobokova, harpsichord

TRACKLIST

1. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel;Claire Chevallier - Concerto pour 2 pianos et orchestre en Ré Mineur, FP 61: I. Allegro ma non troppo
2. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel;Claire Chevallier - Concerto pour 2 pianos et orchestre en Ré Mineur, FP 61: II. Larghetto
3. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel;Claire Chevallier - Concerto pour 2 pianos et orchestre en Ré Mineur, FP 61: III. Finale (Allegro molto)
4. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: I. Bransle de Bourgogne
5. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: II. Pavane
6. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: III. Petite marche militaire
7. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: IV. Complainte
8. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: V. Bransle de Champagne
9. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: VI. Sicilienne
10. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel - Suite française d'après Claude Gervaise, FP 80a: VII. Carillon
11. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel;Kateřina Chroboková - Concert champêtre, FP 49: I. Allegro molto
12. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel;Kateřina Chroboková - Concert champêtre, FP 49: II. Andante
13. ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE;Jos van Immerseel;Kateřina Chroboková - Concert champêtre, FP 49: III. Finale