Final Concert IV: Surprise program from Gwendal Giguelay's Piano Class
Surprise program performed by students of Gwendal Giguelay's Piano Class — selections of dances and national anthems. Ventspils koncertzāle "Latvija", 14 August 2025.
Final Concert IV — Surprise program (Piano Class)
Final Concert IV — Surprise program from Gwendal Giguelay's Piano Class, presented at the 1st Franco‑Latvian Music Summer Camp. Includes a Prelude, a series of dance pieces performed by students, and the national anthems of France and Latvia.
Full recording
Short transcript
Prelude and a medley of well‑known dance pieces performed by students of the piano class, followed by the national anthems of France and Latvia.
Performers and class
- Piano Class (Professor): Gwendal Giguelay
- Featured pianist (Prelude): Théotime Berthod (blind pianist)
- Dances series performers: Shana Qian; Léa Costard; Philémon Jouglet‑Marcus; Luyi Cheng; Belle Li; Florent Li; Théotime Berthod
- Venue: Ventspils koncertzāle "Latvija", Latvia
- Date: 14 August 2025
Chapters and timestamps
- 00:00 — Prelude (Sibelius: Åse's Death / Åses død) — Théotime Berthod; performance on the largest vertical concert piano (4.70 m) by Latvian maker Dāvids Kļaviņš.
- 02:37 — Dances series (medley) — performed by Shana Qian, Léa Costard, Philémon Jouglet‑Marcus, Luyi Cheng, Belle Li, Florent Li and Théotime Berthod.
- Included dances: Ravel — Boléro; Piazzolla — Libertango; Fauré — Pavane; Brahms — Hungarian Dance No. 5; Borodin — Polovtsian Dances; Offenbach — Barcarolle; Strauss — Radetzky March; Popy — Gavotte of Kisses; Khachaturian — Sabre Dance.
- 14:39 — National anthems of France and Latvia (closing).
Short transcripts by chapter
00:00 — Prelude (Sibelius)
Intimate and lyrical piano reading; the performer uses the unique timbre of the large vertical concert piano to create a resonant, vocal-like sound.
02:37 — Dances series (medley)
Medley of iconic dance pieces arranged for multiple pianists: steady build in Boléro, tango rhythms in Libertango, lyrical Pavane, folk energy in Hungarian Dance, dramatic chorus-like passages in Polovtsian Dances, flowing Barcarolle, march-like Radetzky, playful Gavotte and virtuosic Sabre Dance.
14:39 — National anthems
Respectful renditions of the French and Latvian anthems, performed as a ceremonial close to the concert with audience standing and applause.