French Power for Haydn

A new recording of Haydns Flute Sonatas

Juliette Hurel and Helene Couvert are two outstanding young flutist in their own right. While Hurel, principal flutist of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, is well known for her televised appearances with her collegue Benoit Fromanger, playing pieces by Ohana, Takemitsu and the Bachs, Couvert has a thing going with Haydn. Her recording of his sonatas was already called the "Most exciting record of the year" (2003 that was) and got her praise from everyone. So be sure that the world's watching as she teams up with JHurel to perform three flute sonatas originally conceived for string quartet.

For one, the arrangements are regarded as one of the finest transcriptions ever, keeping the original's spirit and yet adding to it the flair of the new instruments. And secondly, this repertoire has already done the deal for stars such as Paul Taffanel and Jean-Pierre Rampal, so these two girls face some heavy competition. Their answer to the challenge: Have fun and stay true to the music! In their eyes, this music is there to be openly enjoyed rather than over-analysed. That's why they chose to record with a Böhm-flute and an Erard-piano not on the grounds of authenticity, but because of their fitting timbres and because they were aesthetically appropriate. Got you curious? The disc is out now on Zig Zag Territoires.

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