- florian verweij, pianist -

Sonorités de Paris

Piano Works by Franck, Fauré, Boulanger, Roger-Ducasse

Mesmerizing piano music from Paris

Sonorités de Paris is a sonic window into Paris around 1900. Sonorités de Paris The album presents four composers who charted their musical paths during this exciting time. From the expansive Romanticism of César Franck to the sweet melodies of Gabriel Fauré, and on to the richly nuanced palette of his two pupils: the tragically short-lived Lili Boulanger and the nearly forgotten Jean Roger-Ducasse, both of whom wrote piano music that is truly mesmerizing.

Florian: 'During the belle époque, Paris was brimming with musical ideas. Composers were pioneering efforts in every direction. It was a pleasure to explore their music for my debut album, and hopefully to listen to it too!'

Sonorités de Paris (album trailer)

In the press

★★★★★ De Gelderlander (NL): 'The sounds of the bustling French capital come across beautifully. The academic and the decadent, the romantic and the turbulent, the perfumed and the scruffy: it’s all there. The pianist interprets it with a solid technique, great emotional sensitivity and an ever-emerging musical instinct that pops up everywhere when it comes to a sense of urgency.'

★★★★★ Dagblad van het Noorden (NL): ‘Impeccably polished piano playing, yet completely free. It is symptomatic of his debut album, which contains even more hidden gems, for which Verweij makes a passionate and refined musical case.'

★★★★ Trouw (NL): 'Florian Verweij makes a magnificent case for the piano music of Jean Roger-Ducasse' 'Sonorités de Paris is an exceptionally well-recorded and finely crafted album, paired with strong liner notes.'

★★★★ de Volkskrant (NL): 'Florian Verweij convincingly demonstrates that Jean Roger-Ducasse was too modest of a composer.'

OpusKlassiek (NL): 'Verweijs affinity for this repertoire is as overwhelming as the proof of technical mastery he displays in these pieces. As fascinating as this piano playing is, so too is the chosen repertoire ...'

Tracklist

Jean Roger-Ducasse (1873-1954)
Barcarolle No. 1
Chant de l'aube
Sonorités....
Rythmes

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 17

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
Thème et variations

Jean Roger-Ducasse (1873-1954)
Prélude d'un ballet
6 Préludes

César Franck (1822-1890)
Prélude, aria et final, M23