Bizet: Carmen Suite Numéro 1 et Symphonie Numéro 1 Gounod Petite Symphonie

Description

For his first recording dedicated to Bizet and Gounod with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, oboist François Leleux honors his dual role as conductor and soloist. Through several fruitful collaborations, including a season as featured artist, Leleux has established strong ties with the SCO. Bizet's Symphony in C major, written in two months when the French composer was only 18 years old, is full of life, brilliance, charm, wit, and magnificent melodies. The Scotsman described Leleux and the SCO's interpretation as "lively, urgent, piquant, and delightfully playful." Leleux is particularly well-suited to perform Gounod's Petite Symphonie, written for nine of the best wind players in Paris, which he conducts from the oboe. The conductor and the section leaders of the SCO showcase the strength of their chamber music instincts in a performance of great personality. To complete the program, Leleux takes listeners to the opera with a suite from Bizet's Carmen, overflowing with drama, passion, and the enchanting melodies that make this iconic opera so powerful.