Under the baton of the celebrated Brazilian-Israeli conductor Debora Waldman, the Orchestre Victor Hugo Franche-Comté performs the magnificent world premiere of Charlotte Sohy’s “Grande Guerre” (Great War) Symphony.
Written between 1914 and 1917, the “Grande Guerre” Symphony is an orchestral masterpiece, brimming with intensity and blending audacious harmonies with subtle, impressionist timbres. It is the only piece by the French composer that has never previously been performed, finding itself in the limelight over a century after its composition. A talented musician, Charlotte Sohy attended the Schola Cantorum and wrote a vibrant variety of compositions, including masses, string quartets, and trios. The “Grande Guerre” Symphony is thought to be a tribute to both her close friend, Albéric Magnard, and her husband, who was mobilized during the war. Melancholic, grand, yet ethereal in character, the composition is a lyrical testament to the hardship and devastation of war.