Conductor, composer, pedagogue… Eugène Bozza was a prominent figure in the French musical landscape for much of the twentieth century. He served as director of the Opéra-Comique in Paris during the 1940s and later became Director of the Valenciennes Conservatoire, a position he held for more than two decades. He composed a significant number of operas, ballets, symphonies, and concertos for soloist and orchestra. It was, however, chamber music that brought him the greatest international recognition.
Bozza was frequently commissioned by educational institutions to compose short pieces intended for examinations and competitions, often for solo instrument with piano accompaniment. Although he began his professional career as a violinist—having even won a prize at the Paris Conservatoire in 1924—his works for wind instruments assumed particular importance. Indeed, the French musical tradition has always invested heavily in these instruments. This repertoire is highly appealing both for students in training and for professional performers. It combines virtuosity with lyrical expression and brings together multiple stylistic influences, ranging from classical idioms to Impressionism and even jazz.
In this recital, the Metropolitana Soloists place the oboe, bassoon, and trumpet at the forefront, accompanied by the piano.
Eugène Bozza
Metropolitana Soloists
E. Bozza Rustiques, for trumpet and piano
E. Bozza Fantaisie pastorale, for oboe and piano
E. Bozza Fantaisie, for bassoon and piano
E. Bozza Caprice, for trumpet and piano
E. Bozza Sonata, for oboe and piano
E. Bozza Nocturne-Danse, for bassoon and piano
Carla Pereira oboe
Rafaela Oliveira bassoon
João Moreira trumpet
Savka Konjikusic piano
