Carnival Season

Alain Altinoglu

‘I am currently writing a brilliant overture’, observed Hector Berlioz in a letter about his Carnaval romain. Drawing on themes from Benvenuto Cellini, this piece, imbued with a jubilant sense of energy, became one of the composer’s most popular. The same verve can be found in the sparkling orchestration that Berlioz reserved for the ballets in his opera Les Troyens, steeped in exoticism.

Not far from Rome, Troy and Carthage, Swedish composer Christian Lindberg takes us to the shores of the Bosphorus – and even as far as Japan. His jazzy trumpet concerto, Akbank Bunka, inspired by his stay in Istanbul, will allow our soloist Rudy Moercant to bring out sounds from the East, blending modernity and tradition. 

Peer Gynt, the hero of the famous Norwegian tale set to music by Edvard Grieg, travels from north to south. The surreal nature of his adventures inspired the composer to write some of the most iconic pieces in the repertoire, such as ‘Morning Mood’ and ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’. And since, when winter comes, we all dream of light, why not go on a musical journey tinged with carnivalesque accents? Under the baton of Alain Altinoglu, the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra will bring you warmth, colour and a change of scenery.