"In the history of art, the night has greatly inspired musicians, from the Renaissance until today, each composer, in his own way, has explored all these aspects: you have the peaceful night, the tormented night , the serene night, the disturbing night.

René Martin, the founder and artistic director of La Folle Journée de Nantes, is convinced: "Ode to the night", the new theme chosen for the 2023 edition of the famous music festival, should surprise.

The event, which has gained its popularity by offering short and eclectic concerts, will take place from February 1 to 5, 2023, with nearly 300 concerts and 140,000 tickets on sale from December 10, for a maximum price of 35 euros.

Some 2,000 artists are invited.

concerts at sunrise

“Obviously several lullabies will be performed, that of Brahms, the most famous (…) I believe that it is the most famous work in the world and the most played in the world, because in each room of a small child , you have this music box playing this Brahms lullaby for you”, enthused René Martin.

The theme of the night will also be an opportunity to offer serenades, musical pieces played in the evening in the 18th century, or even "lessons of darkness", works dating from the Baroque period which will be played from 07:30 in the morning. at the Sunrise.

Each evening, a jazz concert entitled “Around Midnight” will be played “in reference to Thelonious Monk’s famous ballad

Round Midnight

, created in the 1940s,” said René Martin.

The festival will also present Indian music with “night ragas”, or even fado, a popular Portuguese song.

A continuous piece in sixty stations

An innovative project will also consist of playing a piece continuously, for a whole day, in around sixty SNCF stations in France, for 15 minutes per station.

This is the piano piece

Vexations

, by Erik Satie, composed in 1893 and constructed from a single motif, which is repeated 840 times without stopping.

This work "has been qualified by Guinness World Records as the longest piano piece in the history of music", underlined René Martin.


In 2021 and 2022, the organization of the festival had been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In January 2020, the 26th edition dedicated to Beethoven brought together some 150,000 spectators.

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  • Culture

  • Nantes

  • Pays de la Loire

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  • Night