Fiona Monbet and her ensemble Miroirs Étendus pay tribute to the great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho with a programme based around one of her key works: Graal théâtre, inspired by a retelling of the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the founding of their two communities, one celestial by the biblical figure Joseph of Arimathea, the other terrestrial by the enchanter Merlin. In response to this major work in the contemporary repertoire, Miroirs Étendus asked composer Arthur Lavandier to adapt the two symphonic suites written by Edvard Grieg for Ibsen’s Peer Gynt. In this piece inspired by folk tales, which tells the story of an adventurous and dreamy young man, from his downfall to his redemption, we find the tension between an idealistic aspiration and the triviality of life, hard and unfair.

Conception : Romain Louveau and Fiona Monbet
Conductor : Fiona Monbet
With Floriane Hasler (mezzosoprano), Paul Serri (solo violin), Romain Louveau (piano)
Ensemble Miroirs Étendus