PIERRE THILLOY

The list of works by Pierre Thilloy, today’s French composer, amounts to more than 200 works in which he primarily expresses openness to the world and the fight against injustice. The composer is particularly interested in aesthetic, political and social ideas. Thilloy’s acquaintance with the pianist Mūza Rubackytė, performer of many of his works, aroused his interest in Lithuanian culture. He was fascinated by the works of M. K. Čiurlionis, especially the symphonic poem The Sea, the Lithuanian folk songs, sutartinės and the theogonic myth of Eglė, the Queen of Grass-Snakes, the most famous Lithuanian fairy tale. “Eglė, the Queen of Grass-Snakes is a Lithuanian metaphor, such as Ouroboros, a symbol of the eternal circle of nature, hope and rebirth. It is the gate to another world of legends, traditions and fairy tales, harbouring the very core of culture – arising from lode of imagination and folk tales, little known but enchanting, which are nothing but a poetic reflection of the world”, said the composer.

In 2012, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic hosted the premiere of Thilloy’s oratorio Eglė, the Queen of Grass-Snakes for choir and orchestra. This recording presents his Legend for the orchestra Le Songe d’Eglė (Eglė’s Dream). The composer dedicated this opus to M. Rubackytė, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and Lithuania.

Le Songe d’Eglė (Eglė’s Dream) features the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra conducted by maestro Robertas Šervenikas.