After my topic on the “Quo Vadis” recording, I would like to celebrate an outstanding event : The concert conducted in FRANCE by Miklos Rozsa at the third Angers Film Festival.
Before, I wish to thank Alan Hamer of the MRS for his
very kind support.
In March, 1980, Alain Lacombe and the town of Angers
(FRANCE) invited Dr Miklos Rozsa, as guest of honor, to give a concert on the
occasion of their annual film Festival. The legendary composer was 73 and it
was his only concerts in FRANCE since the ones he gave with Arthur Honneger in the
thirties. For the opening of the Festival, a master class with the composer was
organized after a showing of “Spellbound” directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1945).
During all the time he spent in Angers, the very nice gentleman composer answered
to all questions from journalists or single fans. All friends who were there
confirmed that Dr Rozsa was an elegant man and spoke a good French with a very charming
accent.
The French Historian Film Music and Journalist, Alain
Lacombe was the special artistic adviser of this festival. Some months before
the concerts, Mr Lacombe had organized several programs on one of the most
important radio channel with Dr Rozsa (“25 Notes par Seconde” (September and
November 1976) and “La Dernière Image” (June 1978)) and a TV interview (1980) with
Dr Rozsa to promote his score : “Time after Time” (1979). Also, Mr. Lacombe wrote
several books devoted to the film music and composers (“La Musique du Film”
(1979), “Des Compositeurs pour l’Image”(1982), “Hollywood Rapsody” (1983) and “Les
Musiques du Cinéma Français” (1995)).
For the Angers concerts, Dr Rozsa got the assistance of
the talented piano player, Eric Parkin and of conductor’s, Marc Soustrot. Alike
Jascha Heifetz, Parkin had already recorded several Rozsa’s concertos, and among
them, the score of Alain Resnais’s movie “Providence” (1977) of which LA VALSE
CRÉPUSCULAIRE was the peak.
Furthermore, a little documentary was shot by the
local French TV but could never be shown because of an unfortunate strike from the
French TV technicians. I do hope that one day, we could have the opportunity to
watch Dr Rozsa and the “Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de Loire”.
For those who couldn’t attend, here are the details of
the of the two concerts (March the 1st and the 2nd, 1980)
:
Conductors : Dr Mikos Rozsa and Marc Soustrot
Solist : Eric Parkin
Orchestra
: Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de Loire
ANGERS
CONCERT
Overture to a Symphony Concert, Opus 26
Notturno Ungherese, Opus 28
Concerto for Piano, Opus 31
Ben-Hur
(Prelude, The Galley Slaves, Love Theme and Parade of
the Charioteers)
Double Indemnity (Overture)
The Naked City (Pursuit and Epilogue)
Providence (Valse Crépusculaire)
Spellbound (Concerto)
Time after Time (Finale)
For reference, please find hereunder some
documentation about the Angers Festival Program :
I hope that some of you will spare a few minutes to comment
this new topic in a positive way, of course ! I can understand French and English
languages. Don’t be shy / Ne soyez pas timide…
