Le Mirifique Orchestra

Putting a new spin on the oeuvre of Giuseppi Verdi (1813-1901) is daunting, especially, if as French saxophonist Alban Darche has done, the transformation involves Le Mirifique Orchestra, which is only a nonet. Yet by inserting his own compositions among the familiar tunes and using different harmonies, polyrhythms and internal cycles to reorchestrate others, he’s created a standalone work. Transcending history these 14 melodies comfortably fit an ensemble of four brass, two reeds, plus flute, guitar and drums.

Without being reductive, the Verdi themes often move with a bouncy oomph, propelled by Matthias Quilbault’s tuba burps and are given a swing and marching band foundation by Meivelyan Jacquot’s measured drum beats. With many tracks expressed tutti or with emphasis such as Darche’s tremolo alto sax bites following Hervé Michelet’s trumpet fanfare and preceding a swelling reed/brass crossover on “Variations sur la marche triomphale d’Aïda”, the distance between village square brass band and chamber orchestra is minimized. So is the gap between opera and traditional songs.

Within a piece like La Forza del Destino/Destino variations may include blasting crescendos contrasted with guitarist Alexis Thérain’s lyrical finger picking and Thomas Saulet’s flute flutters, but the changes don’t suppress these initial theme. Other tracks include faint circus music or film score inferences.

Deepening not destroying the composer’s canon is the aim here so that Verdi Remix honors both the composer and the interpreters.

— Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Messa da Requiem : Dies irae 2. La valse 3. Di quella pira 4. Pietà, rispetto, amore (PART 1) 5. Ante Requiem —
6. Condotta ell’era in ceppi 7. Variations sur la marche triomphale d’Aïda 8. Il mistero 9. La Forza del Destino / Destino variations
10. Verdi à Plovdiv 11. Va, pensiero 12. Libiamo, ne’ lieti calici 13. Les Menestrels 14. Pietà, rispetto, amore (PART 2)

Personnel: Hervé Michelet (trumpet); Emmanuel Bénèche and Pierre-Yves Le Masne (French horns); Matthias Quilbault (tuba); Alban Darche (alto saxophone); Nicolas Fargeix (clarinet); Thomas Saulet (flute); Alexis Thérain (guitar); Meivelyan Jacquot (drums)

–for The Whole Note February & March 2025