Fête de la musique

The voice of a countertenor never leaves the listener indifferent: it increases our sensibility, whether it shocks us or moves us. The singer achieves this high pitch by use of a straightforward vocal technique. In the documentary ‘Philippe Jaroussky – A high pitched portrait’ (2012), filmmaker Jeremy Rozen creates a personal portrait of French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky. It follows Jaroussky as he does his vocal exercises, performs concerts, and experiences moments of self-doubt. We witness his patient and obstinate work, his successes and failures, and above all, his commitment in this captivating documentary about one of today's greatest countertenors.

For this exceptional recital, recorded in 2019 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Camille (cello) and Julie Berthollet (violin) are accompanied by pianist Guillaume Vincent and the Ensemble Appassionato under the direction of Mathieu Herzog. The two musical sisters have chosen a repertoire which crosses genres and eras to explore the expressive palette of the violin and cello, from the baroque of Vivaldi to the jazzy notes of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli. Among the works on the program are Brahms Hungarian Dances No. 5 and No. 6, Karl Jenkins' Palladio, 'Theme from Forrest Gump' by Alan Silvestri, Schumann's Piano Quintet, Op. 44, The Red Violin by Corigliano, Hungarian Rhapsody, op. 68 by Popper, Minor Swing by Reinhardt/Grappeli and Csárdás by Monti.

Toulouse-based Ballet du Capitole performs Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker in a choreography by Kader Belarbi. The Nutcracker, an 1892 ballet in two acts which was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, is based on E. T. A. Hoffmann's story 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King'. This performance was recorded at Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, France on December 28, 2018.