In the landscape of 20th-century orchestral composition, French music achieved a distinct authority through its mastery of timbre, color, and poetic structure. On Sunday, September 13, 2026, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo will present a symphonic program dedicated to two landmark achievements of that tradition at the Auditorium Rainier III on Boulevard Louis II.
Conducted by Bertrand de Billy, the performance opens with Henri Dutilleux’s 1970 cello concerto, Tout un monde lointain..., featuring cellist Truls Mørk as soloist. Commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich and inspired by the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, the five-movement work stands as a cornerstone of the modern string repertoire, celebrated for its subtle atmospheric shifts and intricate balance between solo instrument and full orchestra.
The second half of the concert turns to Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé (Suites No. 1 and No. 2). Originally composed between 1909 and 1912 for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, Ravel’s score - often characterized as a “choreographic symphony” - remains one of the most vividly orchestrated works in the orchestral canon.
The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with an approximate running time of one hour and 40 minutes, including an intermission. In keeping with the orchestra's educational outreach, musicologist André Peyrègne will deliver an introductory pre-concert talk at 5:00 p.m., providing historical context for both works.
Photo credits: Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. Truls Mørk