“Sauvage”, a large-format creation inspired by the harpsichord pieces of Jean-Philippe Rameau, will be performed Friday, November 15, at 8:30 p.m., at La Maison, by Le Maxiphone. An original work signed Fred Pouget. Interview.
Le Maxiphone is a jazz and improvised music company, created in 2001.
This collective has built a fine musical reputation with a production without borders where jazz, traditional music, contemporary music and even quite electronic landscapes coexist.
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Ten musicians from this original group coming from various backgrounds will play, Friday, November 15, at La Maison, Sauvageas part of D’Jazz Nevers Festival.
A rewriting of pieces for harpsichord from the work of Jean-Philippe Rameau. An original creation by Fred Pouget, songwriter and musician [il est clarinettiste].
First of all, why this choice of pieces for harpsichord by Jean-Philippe Rameau which date from the end of the baroque period and the beginning of classicism?
It is a dense and rich repertoire. I’ve been wanting to delve into it for a long time in order to extract, let’s say, the “substantial marrow”. Jean-Philippe Rameau is a great melodist. Some of his melodies are still very well known [NDLR : Les Indes galantes (1735) ou Castor et Pollux, de 1737].
Would you say that this project is ambitious?
The idea was to start from these pieces by Rameau and rewrite music. It still took me two years and three versions (laughs)! At first I was very respectful. This is music for harpsichord. It is said that this instrument does not have a long resonance, unlike the piano. We are therefore obliged to play out the chords to let the harmony which is the verticality of the music be heard.
Large areas of improvisation
You said that these works had a pop side…
Yes, especially the song The Cyclops. The bass really sounds like a rock band. When we listen to the originals again, with the harmonic suites, we say to ourselves that Rameau was really the inventor of pop!
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Is there also modernity in this rewriting?
I spent a lot of time knitting around themes and sometimes only taking certain parts. I would say that I developed something else around the works.
I also called on Daniel Yvinec, bassist, double bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer who gave me good advice to refine the research.
It’s always good to have other ears and an outside perspective!
A few words about the musicians in your orchestra?
There will be ten of us on stage, some come from jazz, traditional or contemporary music. It’s a mix of languages and personalities. In short, a unique way of making music. It’s very rich. There will also be large areas of improvisation…
Practical. Concert, Friday November 15, at 8:30 p.m., in the Great Hall of La Maison, in Nevers. More information on the D’Jazz Nevers festival website.
Comments collected by Géraldine Phulpin
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