Laurène Helstroffer Durantel - Flash-back (2024) [Hi-Res]

Laurène Helstroffer Durantel, who trained at the Conservatoire national Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, takes an unusual soloist path with her double bass. She left her position at the podium of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse and successfully developed a new chamber music role between baroque, classical, contemporary music and folklore. Her regular partners include the Belcea String Quartet, the Quatuor Modigliani as well as Matthias Goerne, Céline Frisch, Frank Braley and Jean-Guihen Queyras. Her instrument dates back to the 17th century from a workshop in Brescia.

Why Flash-back? “Because almost twenty years ago I left orchestral playing. A big decision. I started to look for another role for the double bass in the world of classical music, with my only compass being instinct, with no preconceived ideas, and the only safeguard being knowing when to stop if necessary, to look and learn.

This album is like a photo album, or rather a kind of image viewer such as you used to find next to historic monuments. It has been said that the double bass is limited; we often hear of this or that double bassist “pushing the limits”. I wanted to be exactly ON the edge, at the edge of sound, the edge of volume, the edge of technique...” (Laurène Helstroffer Durantel)

Laurene Helstroffer Durantel, double bass
Roustem Saitkoulov, piano
Bruno Helstroffer, theorbo
Krystof Maratka, folk piano
Pauline Chabert, organ
David Lombardi, fiddle