Various Composers - T'as voulu voir Jacques Brel et on a vu… (Camille Seghers; Alexis Thibaut de Maisières)

Information

1. Les Bourgeois - El paño moruno
2. Les Cœurs tendres - Une barque sur l'océan/Pavane pour une infante défunte
3. Marieke - Barcarolle
4. Mathilde - Prelude pour piano, Op. 24 No. 5
5. La Chanson des vieux amants - Le Grand Tango
6. Les Bonbons - Sonate pour piano Op. 13 "Pathétique": II. Adagio cantabile
7. Les Flamandes - 2 pièces pour quatuor à cordes: II. Polka
8. Ne me quitte pas - Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774
9. Vesoul - Valse, Op. 64 No. 2
10. Les Désespérés - Concerto pour piano en sol: II. Adagio assai
11. La Valse à mille temps - Valses
12. Amsterdam - Petite suite pour violoncelle seul
13. Bruxelles - Le Vol du bourdon

Camille Seghers, cello

Alexis Thibaut de Maisières, piano & arrangements

Date: 2026

Label: Paraty

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This second album by Camille Seghers and Alexis Thibaut de Maisières for Paraty offers an imaginative instrumental reexamination of the songs of Jacques Brel. Inspired by Brel’s collaborative compositional process, Thibaut de Maisières traces the classical influences that may have informed the songs, weaving themes and ideas from established classical works into new arrangements. What began as a series of concert encores gradually developed into a cohesive cycle, with each piece drawing on distinct musical sources. Highlights include Les Désespérés, shaped by connections to Maurice Ravel’s concerto and Brel’s longtime pianist Gérard Jouannest, and Amsterdam, reimagined as a suite for solo cello. Through the expressive partnership of cello and piano, the album presents Brel’s music in a fresh, deeply musical form that honors the spirit of the originals without resorting to vocal imitation.

Camille Seghers is a Belgian cellist from Tournai with an active international career as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe, Russia, and Turkey. She has performed with ensembles including the Brussels Philharmonic, the Orchestre de la Chapelle Musicale de Tournai, the Kurpfalzphilharmonie Heidelberg, and the Ensemble Orchestral de Bruxelles, while also maintaining a long-standing chamber music partnership with pianist Alexis Thibaut de Maisières. A sought-after pedagogue, she teaches cello, chamber music, and sight-reading at institutions such as the Royal Conservatory of Mons and has served on juries and masterclasses internationally. Seghers holds advanced degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the Cologne University of Music, and has studied with major figures including Maria Kliegel and François Salque. Her recordings include French repertoire, works by Louis Vierne, and her upcoming Paraty release reimagining songs of Jacques Brel for cello and piano, reflecting her blend of classical rigor and expressive versatility.

Alexis Thibaut de Maisières is a Belgian pianist active as a soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and arranger, with performances in major venues such as Flagey, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, the Alfred Cortot Hall, and the Brussels Conservatory. He has collaborated with ensembles including the Brussels Orchestral Ensemble and the Young Belgian Strings, and studied extensively in Saint Petersburg at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory as well as in Belgium at Arts², where he earned master’s degrees in music education and accompaniment. A dedicated chamber musician and educator, he performs regularly in duo with cellist Camille Seghers, founded the Archipel Festival, and serves as a teacher, accompanist, and international masterclass instructor. As an arranger, he creates stylistically wide-ranging transcriptions spanning composers from Johann Sebastian Bach to Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, as well as French chanson such as Jacques Brel, reflecting his interest in bridging diverse musical traditions.