Belle Epoque

A musical journey through a golden age On her Pentatone debut album Belle Époque, Belgian clarinetist Annelien Van Wauwe and the Orchestre National de Lille under the direction of Alexandre Bloch revive the splendor and grandeur of a bygone era. The program compiled here is based on musical gems from French music of the fin de siècle: Debussy's Première Rhapsodie, Pierné's Canzonetta and Widor's Introduction et Rondo (the latter two in arrangements by Jelle Tassyns). Belle Époque also contains works with a spiritual affinity to that period, such as Brahms' Clarinet Sonata in F minor, op. 120, arranged by Luciano Berio, and the world premiere recording of the Rhapsodie pour clarinette et orchestre by contemporary German composer Manfred Trojahn, who lives in Paris (and Düsseldorf).