CDs

“Her music offers a new and very original mode of writing. Her work bears witness to a spiritual affinity with those of the great French masters” — Rheinishe Post.
“A strong and colourful universe” —Marc Vignol, musicologist and critic.

The musical colours of Françoise Choveaux plunge the listener in a world of images and emotions. As composer and pianist who studied at the Juillard School in New York, she assembles her creative energy from gatherings with artists, from the places where she lives and also from literature and art. In this sense her stay at the abbey of La Prée, where she has been composer in residence from 1999 to 2000, brought her as never before in a situation in which her creative artistic calling was at the centre of her activities. She drew from it force and vitality.

For the 2002–2003 season she will write two important orchestral works at the request of prestigious ensembles: a concerto for bass trombone for the Orchestre National de Lille with Yves Bauer, and a concerto for orchestra for the Hungarian Nubia Orchestra, which stems from the Budapest Philharmonic . In September 2001 the orchestra of the Musiciens de La Prée created in the Notre–Dame in Paris La Symphonie blanche for organ, string orchestra and kettledrums (op. 100) during a mass in remembrance of Armand Marquisat. During the same year her Symphonie Indigo was played by the Orchestra of Saint Petersburg and the Symphonic Orchestra of Sao Paulo.

As a composer Françoise Choveaux wrote more than 100 opus numbers: her works have been performed by first rate soloists and ensembles (Dominique de Williencourt, Gerard Poulet, Isabelle Moretti, the String Quartet of Vilnius…) and she received commissions of reputed orchestras and festivals (e.g. Saint Petersburg, Valence…).

As a pianist she set herself up as an expert in French music: the international and specialised press hailed her complete recordings of the piano music of Darius Milhaud (a 10 for Repertoire, 5 Diaposons). Since then she incorporates in her programs (solo recitals, collaborations with orchestras, as a member of chamber music ensembles) her own works. She is also the artistic director of the European association Musiques en Eurorégion.

Symphonie Indigo for string orchestra op. 2. Dedicated to Arthur Van Hecke Created in March 1993 by the Walter Audoli Ensemble in Vincennes (France) When I returned from the United States after my study at the Juillard School in New York, I wrote this symphony in a small Flemish village where I stayed with a good friend of mine, the painter Arthur Van Hecke. For this artist, who could paint so beautifully the ever changing mass of clouds of the Flemish sky, I wrote this symphony for string orchestra. All my symphonies for string orchestra bear the names of colours, here indigo. This work has been performed by numerous orchestras in France, Brazil and Russia.

Elegy for cello and piano op. 68. Created in December 2001 by Dominique de Williencourt and David Willison in the abbey of La Prée (France) “This work was commissioned by a friend who asked me to draw on the love between Musset and George Sand. It is a passionate and poetic work”.

Harp Quintet op. 72. Created on October 20th 2000 in Saint–Venant (France)
Commissioned by the Festival des Rencontres Musicales in Artois.
Dedicated to Isabelle Moretti.
“Reading the works of the French poet Pierre de Ronsard gave me the idea to reconcile the sound of the harp with that of a string quartet. I wrote this work at the abbey of La Prée, familiar as I was with the game, the sonority and the phrasing of the harp player Isabelle Moretti. The work is dedicated to her”
1st part: “Mignonne, allons voir si la rose…” (Darling, let's look if the rose…)
A floating and enigmatic colouring.
2nd part: “En essuyant mes yeux par la mort endormis…” (In wiping away my tears with sliping Death). This siciliana is very serene. The Middle Ages appear and create an atmosphere in the colours.
3rd part: “Chanson du Printemps” (Song of spring)

Symphonie Blanche, op. 100 for string orchestra, organ and kettledrums.
In remembrance of Armand Marquisat
Commissioned by Les Petits Frères des Pauvres
Created on September 25th 2001 in the Notre Dame in Paris (France)

With the composition of this spiritual and mystical work, in remembrance of Armand Marquisat (at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of the founder of Les Petits Frères des Pauvres), Francoise Choveaux shows the deep community of inspiration that lays beneath each vocation.
In each part, the organ solo’s alternate with the orchestral pieces.

1st part: Crucifixion
Symphony for organ solo
1st part for string orchestra
“The madness of people, chaos, violence, inequality, also rebellion.”

2nd part: Forgiveness
Choral nr. 1 for organ solo
2nd part for string orchestra
Choral nr. 2 for organ solo
“Let us forgive those who have hurt us”.

3d part: Resurrection
3d part for string orchestra
Toccata for organ solo
“Hope rises again. Let us have confidence in man”
In the toccata, suddenly, three strokes of the tubular bells: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.