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Metier

Gwendeline Lumaret Plays Naji Hakim

$18.99

Details

Composer
Naji Hakim
Artist
Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim
Format
CD
Label
Metier
Released
Jun 20, 2025
Catalog #
MEX77130
UPC
809730713026

About

Naji Hakim: A New Voice for the Cello Gwendeline Lumaret explores the fusion of Eastern and Western traditions in Hakim's striking solo and chamber works. This album presents a striking collection of solo and chamber works for cello by Naji Hakim, performed by Gwendeline Lumaret with clarity, virtuosity, and deep expressive insight. Known for his distinctive synthesis of Western classical traditions and Middle Eastern influences, Hakim's writing is both intricate and immediate, drawing on sources as diverse as Gregorian chant, Levantine folk music, and the harmonic innovations of French modernism. The album opens with Arabesque et Variations, a vivid solo work inspired by the Egyptian song Ya Chadi el Alhhan by Sayyed Darwish. The piece moves through four contrasting variations, shifting from playful dance to contemplative lyricism before concluding with an intimate, improvisatory coda. Missa Cum Jubilo, also for solo cello, takes it's themes from the Gregorian Mass IX. Each movement transforms the chant material into distinct sound worlds, from the expressive ornamentation of the Kyrie to the perpetual motion of the Sanctus and the luminous tranquillity of the Agnus Dei. In Prelude et Habanera, Hakim pays homage to both Bach and the Spanish-inflected harmonies of Ravel and Debussy. The Prelude unfolds with the clarity of a Baroque toccata, while the Habanera evokes a sultry, shifting landscape of rhythm and color. Montmartre, written in 2023, is a deeply personal reflection on the history and spiritual resonance of the Parisian district where Hakim served as organist of the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. The album concludes with Levantine Variations for cello and piano, a work rooted in the popular song Bint El Shalabiya. The melody's modal inflections and asymmetrical rhythms are explored through five transformations, ranging from contrapuntal chorale to martial intensity and a dazzling final movement that merges symphonic variation with sonata form. With world premiere recordings of these works, this album is a significant contribution to the contemporary cello repertoire. Gwendeline Lumaret, a performer of remarkable versatility, brings out the rhythmic and expressive richness of Hakim's writing, illuminating the music's interplay of Eastern and Western traditions with precision and artistry.

Tracklist 18 tracks

  1. 1 Arabesque: Allegro con spirito 01:41
    Track
    1
    Title
    Arabesque: Allegro con spirito
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  2. 2 Variation 1: Scherzando 01:57
    Track
    2
    Title
    Variation 1: Scherzando
    Duration
    01:57
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  3. 3 Variation 2: Moderato con fantasia 03:27
    Track
    3
    Title
    Variation 2: Moderato con fantasia
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  4. 4 Variation 3: Con moto 01:46
    Track
    4
    Title
    Variation 3: Con moto
    Duration
    01:46
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  5. 5 Variation 4: Calmo quasi improvisando 05:25
    Track
    5
    Title
    Variation 4: Calmo quasi improvisando
    Duration
    05:25
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  6. 6 Kyrie 04:00
    Track
    6
    Title
    Kyrie
    Duration
    04:00
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  7. 7 Gloria 02:54
    Track
    7
    Title
    Gloria
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  8. 8 Sanctus 02:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    Sanctus
    Duration
    02:04
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  9. 9 Agnus Dei 06:12
    Track
    9
    Title
    Agnus Dei
    Duration
    06:12
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  10. 10 Prélude 02:55
    Track
    10
    Title
    Prélude
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  11. 11 Habanera 04:23
    Track
    11
    Title
    Habanera
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  12. 12 Montmartre (version for cello) 04:04
    Track
    12
    Title
    Montmartre (version for cello)
    Duration
    04:04
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret
  13. 13 Theme: Allegro energico 01:52
    Track
    13
    Title
    Theme: Allegro energico
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim
  14. 14 Variation 1: Moderato 03:24
    Track
    14
    Title
    Variation 1: Moderato
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim
  15. 15 Variation 2: Allegro moderato 02:03
    Track
    15
    Title
    Variation 2: Allegro moderato
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim
  16. 16 Variation 3: Andante grazioso 04:09
    Track
    16
    Title
    Variation 3: Andante grazioso
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim
  17. 17 Variation 4: Marziale 02:23
    Track
    17
    Title
    Variation 4: Marziale
    Duration
    02:23
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim
  18. 18 Variation 5: Vivace 04:34
    Track
    18
    Title
    Variation 5: Vivace
    Duration
    04:34
    Composer
    Naji Hakim
    Performer
    Gwendeline Lumaret, Naji Hakim