Opening Concert

To open the second edition of the Haut-Var Chamber Music Festival, the musicians are delighted to present a concert rich in colour and emotion. Bringing together all the Festival’s artists, the programme features a variety of chamber music ensembles, ranging from trios to quintets and blending the timbres of wind instruments, strings and the piano.

First of all, Max Bruch’s late work, the 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, will take you on a journey through unique soundscapes. This combination of instruments, previously explored by Mozart in his *Trio des Quilles*, allows for a bold blend of timbres thanks to Max Bruch’s lyrical and refined writing in a profound and passionate post-Romantic style.

Next, Francis Poulenc’s trio for oboe, bassoon and piano, regarded as a major work in the chamber music repertoire, will delight listeners with its perfect balance between the instruments. Composed of three movements, this trio offers a landscape of contrasts, ranging from sparkling energy to melancholy and joy.

The Festival is proud to showcase a little-known yet magnificent work from the repertoire: *Soir ! Matin ! by Mel Bonis, a French composer, the first female professor at the Paris Conservatoire and a respected figure of the early 20th century. Finally, Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E flat major will bring this first evening to a close, bringing together the string quartet and the piano. A major work of the Romantic repertoire, it combines virtuosity with freshness and is the first to be dedicated to this ensemble.