Revisiting Dutilleux and Queyras

Conductor Gustavo Gimeno and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras on the cover of their new Dutilleux album (courtesy of PIAS)

This past Friday, harmonia mundi released a new album showcasing the music of the twentieth-century French composer Henri Dutilleux. This composer displayed a rich command of instrumental sonorities, reflected in this album by his first symphony, composed in 1951, and “Métaboles,” composed in 1964. On the album these works serve to frame a cello concerto, completed in 1970 and given the title “Tout un monde lointain….” (a whole distant world). This is decidedly an “other worldly” composition, with movement titles that evoke enigmas, mirrors, and cosmic swells. Gustavo Gimeno conducts the Luxembourg Philharmonic in all three of these selections, and the concerto soloist is Jean-Guihen Queyras.

That cellist is probably no stranger to those that have followed this site for some time. They are likely to recall him as a member of a piano trio, performing with pianist Alexander Melnikov and Isabelle Faust on violin (all three of whom have a distinctive presence on the harmonia mundi label). According to my records, however, I have not had an opportunity to write about Dutilleux’ music since March of 2017. Nevertheless, with this “return visit,” I easily settled back into the imaginative sonorities that this composer could evoke, while having another rich opportunity to appreciate Queyras enjoying the advantages of a solo turn.

Nevertheless, I must confess that I tend to be more content with “occasional visits” to the Dutilleux repertoire, rather than taking “deep dives.” It is easy to delight in the composer’s prodigiously extensive imaginative qualities in seeking out innovative sonorities. However, when I listen to an album in its entirety, I find myself reflecting on Archy’s cautious warning to Mehitabel about being “too toujours gai!” In other words, over the course of this writing career, I have acquired more than a few Dutilleux albums, all of which amounted to “first contact” experiences. However, after becoming familiar with the content, I almost never returned to it in later periods!

That said, anyone interested in an engagingly imaginative approach to instrumental coloration deserves at least one encounter with Dutilleux’ compositions; and this new album provides an excellent opportunity to get to know at least a few samples from this repertoire.