ATMA Classique presents an album of works by Canadian composer Airat Ichmouratov (born 1973), performed by Les Violons du Roy and soloists Elvira Misbakhova and Stéphane Tétreault.

The tone poem for strings The Ninth Wave is inspired by a painting by Aivazovsky, depicting men clinging to a shipwreck and struggling against a raging sea. The composition evokes the immensity and power of the sea through impressionistic techniques, unresolved harmonies and exotic scales. A recurring motif, the "fate motif" - dear to Ichmouratov - is also integrated into the piece.

Viola Concerto no.2, "Rennsteig", on the other hand, combines neo-baroque and neoromantic styles, creating an imaginary painting of Bach in his youth, wandering freely through the forests of Eisenach. The work highlights the contrast between lyrical intimacy and dramatic tension.


Les Violons du Roy takes its name from the famous string orchestra of the court of the kings of France. Brought together in 1984 by founding conductor Bernard Labadie and now under the musical direction of Jonathan Cohen, the ensemble comprises some fifteen musicians dedicated to the chamber orchestra repertoire.