Better than a Grammy, and not just because it’s French: L’Origine du Monde, an album of the music of Hugues Dufourt performed by my lovely wife Marilyn Nonken, has been awarded the 2025 “Coup de cœur” from the Académie Charles Cros Contemporary Music Committee (les Coups de coeur 2025 musique contemporaine de l’Académie Charles-Cros). As this press release from Métier has it:
Founded in the aftermath of World War II in 1947, the Charles Cros Academy defends musical diversity, ensures the preservation of sound memory, supports the creation, career development of artists, the entrepreneurial spirit and courage of graphic and phonographic publishers. …
“Métier is excited to celebrate this award with pianist Marilyn Nonken. L’Origine du Monde marked her third album exploring the spectral music movement, of which she is a leading interpreter. An award from this distinguished French Academy is all the more appropriate for this album of music by Hugues Dufourt, a foundational figure of the French spectral school. Métier and First Inversion thank the Académie for this recognition.” — David Weuste, First Inversion Executive Director
L’Origine du Monde has also received excellent reviews from the likes of Gramophone magazine, which called it “an exceptionally assured and spellbinding demonstration of Dufourt’s uncompromising creative ambitions.” You can purchase a CD or stream the entire album at Presto Music. It’s available on Apple Classical too.
