Massenet was not only the composer of Manon and Werther. In the shadow of his stage works slumber many mélodies decked out in subtle and delicate orchestrations, which we are delighted to revive here. These previously unrecorded works have been entrusted to a team of first-rate artists, most of them fervent champions of French poetry and its musical settings.

The early death of award-winning pianist and conductor Lars Vogt on September 5, 2022 shocked profoundly the international music world. Some 16 months earlier, already aware of his diagnosis and in the middle of his treatment sessions, the artist had an urgent desire to record a Mozart piano concerto album together with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. He believed that performing these fantastic works that he so much admired would also be the best medicine for his condition.

“‘When the world stoops around us, when the structures of a civilization are shattered, it is a good thing to revert to what in history does not stoop but, on the contrary, summons up courage, gathers the parted ones, makes peace without hurting.’ Thus speaks Camus on February 2nd, 1956, paying tribute to Mozart on the bicentennial of his birth. ‘When one has really listened to this song, one has traveled all over the world and had a look at all the beings.’ In 2023 more than ever, this song is vital, ‘Such as into Himself at last eternity’ will not change him.” - Anne Queffélec

Well-known lean-back repertoire from popular film melodies to French chansons to classical pieces – including “La Foule” by Édith Piaf, the main theme from Summer of '42 by Michel Legrand, “Beau soir” by Debussy, Sicilienne by Fauré, and “Chi Mai” by Ennio Morricon. Recorded with pianist Jérôme Ducros, the Maîtrise de Radio France, and the Orchestre de chambre de Paris under conductor Lionel Bringuier.Jean Jacques Goldman, one of France’s most popular songwriters and composers, wrote a new song for this album, “Pense à nous”, for cello, children's choir and orchestra and made a special arrangement of his “Envole-moi”.

The early death of award-winning pianist and conductor Lars Vogt on September 5, 2022 shocked profoundly the international music world. Some 16 months earlier, already aware of his diagnosis and in the middle of his treatment sessions, the artist had an urgent desire to record a Mozart piano concerto album together with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. He believed that performing these fantastic works that he so much admired would also be the best medicine for his condition. For this Mozart album Lars Vogt coupled two concertos: the early, exuberant Piano Concerto No. 9, ‘Jeunehomme’, written by Mozart in his early 20s, together with the melancholic and nostalgic Piano Concerto No. 24, which is considered by many as Mozart’s greatest piano concerto – a perfect closure to Lars Vogt’s final concerto album.

This new release is pianist-conductor Lars Vogt’s debut album together with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. Lars Vogt started his tenure as the new Music Director of the orchestra on 1 July 2020. This album release continues Lars Vogt’s discography of recordings of cornerstone works within the classic piano concerto literature conducting from the keyboard. Previous album releases include the complete piano concertos of Beethoven and Brahms with the Royal Northern Sinfonia. In 2021, Lars Vogt won the OPUS Klassik award for the best solo piano album release of year from his recent Janácek solo album release (ODE 1382-2).