As part of the activities commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam, the French Institute in Vietnam and the Vietnam Connection Music Festival present the piano and violin duet tour of Maxime Zecchini & Chương Vũ in Vietnam.
The concerts during the tour promise to offer the public a unique experience through works performed for the first time in the world and in Vietnam, showcasing the emotional performance and masterful technique of artists from both French and Vietnamese cultures.
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Throughout the program, the audience will enjoy classic works by Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Ravel, and other French and Vietnamese composers.
The concert will open with Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix, an excerpt from the opera Samson and Delilah (1877), the most famous of Camille Saint-Saëns' thirteen operas.
As one of the most important composers of French Romantic music and someone with a special connection to Vietnam, Camille Saint-Saëns' compositions are sure to provide audiences with a meaningful and emotional experience.
Continuing the program, the trio of classical solo piano works by the French composer Claude Debussy: Clair de lune (1905), La fille aux cheveux de lin, and La sérénade interrompue from the first Preludes (1910) will create a contrasting effect between the romantic atmosphere of Saint-Saëns and the characteristic modernity of Debussy.
When discussing the distinctive modernity of the Impressionist school of music, besides Debussy, we cannot fail to mention another prominent representative, the renowned French composer Maurice Ravel.
During this concert, Maurice Ravel's Left-Hand Concerto in D Major (1930) will be performed for the first time in Vietnam with the masterful technique of French pianist Maxime Zecchini.
The final piece in the first part of the concert was a trio of works by the legendary French singer Édith Piaf: L'Hymne à l'amour (1950), Je ne regrette rien (1956), and La vie en rose (1947), arranged for solo piano by Maxime Zecchini himself and performed for the first time in Vietnam.
The second part of the concert will begin with the Spring Prayer Fantasia (2023) by Vietnamese composer Vu Viet Anh.
To conclude the performance, Maxime Zecchini and Chuong Vu will present to the capital's audience the dramatic and poignant melodies of Pablo de Sarasate's Fantaisie sur Carmen, Op. 25 (Carmen Fantasy), written for violin and piano, inspired by Bizet's classic opera Carmen, thereby showcasing the skillful playing and subtle emotions of these two talented French-Vietnamese artists.
The program is being held as part of a tour across five Vietnamese cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Da Nang, Hue, and Hanoi, from September 14-22.
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| French pianist Maxime Zecchini. (Source: Organizing Committee) |
Sharing his feelings about the tour in Vietnam, the renowned French pianist said: "I am extremely happy and very much looking forward to this tour."
Indeed, I could have come to Vietnam in 2020, but due to the Covid pandemic, the tour was postponed. I would be delighted to come and explore Vietnamese culture, music, and cuisine. I understand it to be a very rich, diverse, and fascinating culture.
"This will be my first trip, and I also hope to take advantage of my free time outside of performances to visit the natural and architectural wonders of this beautiful S-shaped country."
The artist Maxime Zecchini , the recipient of numerous national and international awards, amazes listeners not only with his masterful technique but also with his bold choices. He has toured in over forty countries worldwide, and his album – a compilation of left-handed recordings (the first album in the history of record publishing consisting solely of left-handed recordings) – was released globally by the prestigious publishers Ad Vitam Records & Harmonia Mundi. Artist Chuong Vu holds a Ph.D. in violin performance from the University of North Texas, USA. Praised by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Yehudi Wyner as a violinist with a "refined and poetic" playing style, Chuong Vu regularly performs as a soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster/orchestra member throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, with musical repertoire ranging from pre-baroque to contemporary. |
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