Ludmila Berlinskaya / Arthur Ancelle BELLE ÉPOQUE

Melodiya presents Belle Époque, a new album recorded by the piano duet of Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle. The album is named after the period of time between the late 19th and early 20th centuries in France when science, arts and economy were flourishing in Paris. The Exposition Universelle held in 1900 with previously unseen splendour and scope attracted millions of visitors. However, the Paris salons were the major points of attraction - the most serious issues of life and arts, literary and artistic novelties were discussed there with ease of small talk. And indeed, music played a central part in that special environment. Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle, who have successfully performed together for many years, offer a fascinating musical tour of Paris. The piano duet presents music of the 'Beautiful Era' written by French composers - Cécile Chaminade, Charles Koechlin, Louis Aubert and Reynaldo Hahn. Claude Debussy's En blanc et noir concludes the album. Its music reflects the tragic reality of the war that buried the Beautiful Era forever.