Camille Thomas recently caused a sensation on her zinc roof in the heart of Paris. Filmed by her husband, her little improvised concerts with a view of the capital enchanted social networks. It is true that Camille Thomas is a great cellist who is not afraid of challenges. His new album Voice of Hope (Deutsche Grammophon) is a reflection of this voluntary temperament.
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Rather than umpteenth versions of sonatas or impromptu composers of past centuries, she wanted a record more in tune with the times. Designed in two parts, the album includes a concerto specially commissioned from pianist and composer Fazil Say, which she entitled Never Give Up. Should we see in it an unconscious reference to the famous Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel? Fazil Say had never written for the cello, but he let himself be convinced by this young instrumentalist who came to approach him after one of his concerts in Paris.
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Camille Thomas, who does not hide his admiration for the political and musical commitment of the Turkish musician, would have told him of his ardent desire to collaborate with him. As the concerto was composed, Fazil Say sent him litters via WhatsApp, and, after a few round trips to Istanbul, the result was there: modern, airy, bewitching. On the other tracks of this disc, we discover transcriptions for the cello of great tunes from the opera repertoire: from Casta Diva taken from Norma, by Bellini, to Pourquoi me awake from Werther , by Massenet. They could appear daring but subjugate by their naturalness so much the sound of the cello and the human voice are close. Camille Thomas loves these tunes which, by her own admission, have marked her life. And that's the meaning of this record: this mixture of nostalgia and " never give up ", " this famous Sehnsucht , this untranslatable German word ", explains the artist. In short, an album that reaches us deep inside, with a nice note of final hope.