In February, Esa-Pekka Salonen will present a mini-festival in Los Angeles called “City of Light: A Century of Music from Paris.” It will feature works by five of our French composers: Poulenc’s organ concerto, Debussy’s influential opera Pelléas et Mélisande and Ravel’s delicate and enchanting piece Ma Mère l’Oye, which will be performed as an installation with additional 3D imagery. Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct contemporary French orchestra music by Dutilleux and Eric Tanguy. Find out more about Eric Tanguy’s Affettuoso in a video interview.

Eric Tanguy’s Affettuoso – in memoriam Henri Dutilleux – was commissioned by the Orchestre de Paris and written upon request of Paavo Järvi and Didier de Cottignies. The Italian title of the work refers to Tanguy’s deep affection for Henri Dutilleux, to whom the work is dedicated.

Francis Poulenc’s Concerto pour orgue opens with a thunderously Gothic, Bach-like andante flourish, followed by an allegro giocoso recalling the impish Poulenc of younger days, which ultimately leads to a lyrical slow section.

Also part of the festival, the LA Phil will perform Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye with live 3D graphic renderings created by Ars Electronica FutureLab, an Austrian institute focusing on the intersection of art, technology and society. The installation, utilizing the sounds and shadows created by the orchestra to create abstract imagery and will create an immersive multi-media experience throughout the program.