Hersant's Wuthering Heights. Suite for Orchestra

A world premiere is taken place today 10 February at the Opéra Berlioz-Le Corum in Montpellier (France). The Orchestre National de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon directed by Daniel Hawka will perform a concert with 21th Century music (Concert XXIè siècle) that includes a piece by Philippe Hersant with the title "Wuthering Heights".

In the BMG Editions International Newsletter (January-April 2006 - 2e année - n° 4, in French) we have found more information about this new musical piece.

Philippe Hersant wrote in 2002 a ballet inspired by Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, an assignment from the Opéra de Paris. Focusing on Heathcliff, the main character of the play, Hersant has created a Suite for Orchestra, whose world premiere will take place on the 10 February at the Opéra Berlioz-Le Corum in Montpellier.

"I have composed the music of this great narrative ballet (placed in the style of the romantic ballets) as if it was an opera without lyrics or a vast symphonic poem", comments Hersant. (...)
The Suite is formed by six movements. The first one is inspired by the Volume I ending (the death of Catherine, Heathcliff's despair). The other five movements belong to Volume 2. They remind of Heathcliff's melancholy (No 2), the deathly revenge that nourishes him (No 3). Edgar's death (No 4), Young Linton's death (No 5) and the ending where Heathcliff summons Catherine's ghost, and he realises his wish for an eternal union (No 6.)

Translation by BrontëBlog (be nice... we're better than Babelfish :P).

Categories: Music, Wuthering_Heights, Emily_Brontë