First there was Syrinx shortly before the First World War, then Density 21.5 revised shortly after the Second: France’s reputation, the land of Debussy and Varese but also of Jean-Pierre Rampal, as "the" land of the flute was well and firmly established.

Reaching the top is one thing, but staying there is another. More than a century after the death of Debussy, we can rest assured that France still remains a great country for the flute. Proof? The Hollywood composer whose name is on everyone's lips, the soloist of the Berliner Philharmoniker who thrills audiences on stage and on screen, not to mention the conductor who is called upon by the greatest ensembles from London to Berlin but also Cleveland and Boston: Alexandre Desplat, Emmanuel Pahud and François-Xavier Roth are all French, and flautists.
 

It is this remarkable convergence that Emmanuel Pahud invites us to explore today. With great generosity and enthusiasm, he was kind enough from Berlin to explain to us how Airlines came to be dedicated to him, one of the most distinctive works in Alexandre Desplat’s catalogue of works, alongside Sinfonia Concertante Pelléas et Mélisande  which, since its premiere ten years ago, has established itself as a flagship work of the concert repertoire.

Photos :
Alexandre Desplat © Brigitte Lacombe 
Alexandre Desplat © Edouard Brane
Emmanuel Pahud © Fabien Monthuber
Emmanuel Pahud © Josef Fischnaller EMI Classics
François-Xavier Roth  © Antoine Saito
Pochette disque Airlines © Solrey / 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company