All you need is love ...
They were four like the musketeers: John Lennon, Paul Mc Cartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr revolutionized pop music at the beginning of the 60s. Because their music is still vibrating, the Philharmonie de Paris is going their devote a whole weekend, September 19-20.
Their tunes, their songs will be revisited by Keren Ann, Rover, Brad Mehldau and the Debussy Quartet.
In other words, two figures of pop, an adventurous jazzman and classical musicians also without borders.
Proof that the Liverpool quartet is "
food that remains eternal
" for any musician, added singer Rover.
Read also: Will the Beatles' Penny Lane be renamed because of an 18th century slaver?
"
They started 60 years ago, stopped 50 years ago, and their music has survived the decades without any problem,"
Christophe Collette, first violin of the Debussy Quartet
,
told AFP
.
In 50 years, they will still be relevant, it confirms that they are geniuses
”.
"
We are a string quartet and we pay homage to the most famous English quartet
", he laughs.
At Keren Ann, the "
Fab Four
" are "
part of the furniture
".
"As a
teenager, I was obsessed with John, then I realized the importance of Paul and George
."
But until now, she had been careful not to dissect their harmonic progressions.
"
It was a crazy pleasure, I had confirmation of the intelligence of their compositions, of all these chord reversals,
" she underlines.
In a very short time, they created a musical bible
”.
“
We had the impression of a new group for each of their album
”, still boasts Rover.
Keren Ann, on vocals and guitar, accompanied by a pianist and trumpeter, will tell “
Beatles stories between songs
”.
Rover, who had previously tackled
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
at Maison de la Radio, will be playing the
Revolver
album this time
.
"
I'm going to play it alone, to stay on the bone of the music," he
confides
.
Anyway it was useless to compete with the Beatles (laughs).
You have to go naked and humble
”.
The Beatles like Handel or Vivaldi
Same observation for Christophe Collette: “
We are not going to do the Beatles as they did, it would be a waste of time.
The Debussy Quartet will play alone or with a chamber orchestra, literally transcribing the Beatles or following in the footsteps of Peter Breiner.
This conductor composer had reached the heights of sales with
Beatles Go Baroque
, album where John, Paul, George and Ringo sounded like Handel or Vivaldi.
The Beatles weekend falls “
at a lunar time
”, as Keren Ann puts it, because of the health context.
For the Philharmonie, in the middle of the red zone, the constraints are established: one in two seats except for couples or groups, compulsory masks for the public, hydroalcoholic gel at the entrances, no cloakroom.
The artists give two performances instead of one to satisfy as many spectators as possible.
"
This period exacerbates the feeling of lightness which emanates from the music of The Beatles
", continues Rover.
A nod to history, Keren Ann and the Debussy Quartet were together on stage - the strings of the seconds accompanying the songwriter for their last pre-confinement concert.
It was March 12.
"
It's important to bring culture to life
", breathes the musician, contemplating the six months without a concert that have passed.
"
It is a difficult and hopeful period, we all need to find the stage, the artists and the public,
" remarked full of hope Christophe Collette.
“
I experienced a military conflict in Lebanon, we played in basements, we improvised, we adapted,
finally remembers Rover.
This is what makes the show really come alive.
But we remain fragile and hypersensitive to the situation
”.
All You Need Is Love
by The Beatles
Keren Ann and the Debussy quartet perform
In Your Back