World Premiere of Izcaray’s ‘Exultate’ in Paris
On the 21st May, the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France (ONDIF) will give the world premiere of Carlos Izcaray’s ‘Exultate’ in the Grande Salle of the Philharmonie de Paris, conducted by Music Director, Case Scaglione. Commissioned by ONDIF to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Orchestra, Izcaray composed the work between the autumn of 2023 and February 2024. ‘Exultate’ will be performed as the opening work ahead of Mozart’s Mass in C minor in concerts in Paris, Antony, Vélizy-Villacoublay and Versailles between the 21 – 26 May.
Composer, Carlos Izcaray comments:
‘It is a deep honor for a composer to receive a commission that highlights an important milestone in the history of the well-established and prestigious ONDIF, a cultural entity with a deep artistic purpose and highest musical standards. The presence of good friends among the ranks of this excellent ensemble, plus the awareness that this overture would be followed by the monumental Mass in C Minor by Mozart, inspired me to write a work that would highlight the idiomatic sonority of the orchestral forces contained within the Mass. The work thus serves the dual purpose of celebrating the performers within the ensemble itself, as well as providing the red carpet for the masterwork that follows it.
The “exultation” within this Exultate is one more in the solemn and cautious style of Pascal than that in Mozart’s famous and exuberant aria. A tender chorale with three trombones begins a solemn procession of intertwining voices, which gently expands in and out in a mostly pentametric pattern. A harmonic sequence is loosely established, creating a slow brewing momentum within the orchestral palate. The expressive sonorities of the different sections are explored in a game of timbres and rubato, and as the orchestration becomes richer and brighter, a sparkling rhythmic motion brings the orchestra into a swirling dance. A singing trumpet soars above a sonorous climax, after which a last gesture brings the harmony to a restful resolution.
With deep gratitude, I celebrate all the artists and personnel that make up the Orchestre national d’Île -de-France, and I pray and cheer for many more anniversaries ahead!’