From Bach to Michel Legrand

From Bach to Michel Legrand invites you on a sonic journey that begins with Claude Debussy’s “Sacré danse” and “Profane danse” – brilliantly reimagined by harp virtuoso Alexandra Bidi and soaring organist Mélodie Michel – and winds through the playful realms of Maurice Ravel’s “Mother Goose,” five children’s tales that echo the gentle guidance of Ma Mère l’Oye. With the Dutch master’s mastery, Rossini’s “William Tell” overture, traded to the harp in an astonishing solo arrangement, the program then erupts into a triumph of Bach’s legendary “Toccata & Fugue in D minor” for solo organ. The finale delivers an unprecedented cinematic moment: an unreleased sequel to the film “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” arranged by Léo Laloge and world‑premiered in this concert’s finale. At less than fifty years old, Mélodie Michel, who balances an aeronautics career with her performance art, and Alexandra Bidi, the principal harpist of the Orchestre de Paris and a university student of applied mathematics, combine youthful vigor and deep musical heritage to bring both the stars – literally and figuratively – into focus. Don’t miss this unforgettable film where classical masterpieces meet cinematic innovation.