Miklos Rozsa : Memories of The Angers Film Festival – France (1980)




After my topic on the “Quo Vadis” recording, I would like to celebrate an outstanding event : The concert conducted in FRANCE by Miklos Rozsa at the third Angers Film Festival.

Before, I wish to thank Alan Hamer of the MRS for his very kind support. 





In March, 1980, Alain Lacombe and the town of Angers (FRANCE) invited Dr Miklos Rozsa, as guest of honor, to give a concert on the occasion of their annual film Festival. The legendary composer was 73 and it was his only concerts in FRANCE since the ones he gave with Arthur Honneger in the thirties. For the opening of the Festival, a master class with the composer was organized after a showing of “Spellbound” directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1945). During all the time he spent in Angers, the very nice gentleman composer answered to all questions from journalists or single fans. All friends who were there confirmed that Dr Rozsa was an elegant man and spoke a good French with a very charming accent.




The French Historian Film Music and Journalist, Alain Lacombe was the special artistic adviser of this festival. Some months before the concerts, Mr Lacombe had organized several programs on one of the most important radio channel with Dr Rozsa (“25 Notes par Seconde” (September and November 1976) and “La Dernière Image” (June 1978)) and a TV interview (1980) with Dr Rozsa to promote his score : “Time after Time” (1979). Also, Mr. Lacombe wrote several books devoted to the film music and composers (“La Musique du Film” (1979), “Des Compositeurs pour l’Image”(1982), “Hollywood Rapsody” (1983) and “Les Musiques du Cinéma Français” (1995)). 






For the Angers concerts, Dr Rozsa got the assistance of the talented piano player, Eric Parkin and of conductor’s, Marc Soustrot. Alike Jascha Heifetz, Parkin had already recorded several Rozsa’s concertos, and among them, the score of Alain Resnais’s movie “Providence” (1977) of which LA VALSE CRÉPUSCULAIRE was the peak.






Furthermore, a little documentary was shot by the local French TV but could never be shown because of an unfortunate strike from the French TV technicians. I do hope that one day, we could have the opportunity to watch Dr Rozsa and the “Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de Loire”.


For those who couldn’t attend, here are the details of the of the two concerts (March the 1st and the 2nd, 1980) :


Conductors : Dr Mikos Rozsa and Marc Soustrot
Solist : Eric Parkin
Orchestra : Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de Loire

ANGERS CONCERT 

Overture to a Symphony Concert, Opus 26
Notturno Ungherese, Opus 28
Concerto for Piano, Opus 31
Ben-Hur
(Prelude, The Galley Slaves, Love Theme and Parade of the Charioteers)
Double Indemnity (Overture)
The Naked City (Pursuit and Epilogue)
Providence (Valse Crépusculaire)
Spellbound (Concerto)
Time after Time (Finale)


For reference, please find hereunder some documentation about the Angers Festival Program :








I hope that some of you will spare a few minutes to comment this new topic in a positive way, of course ! I can understand French and English languages. Don’t be shy / Ne soyez pas timide…



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