In this spontaneous, deeply emotional tribute, written in the immediate aftermath of Michel Portal's death, we sense the grave and profound shadow of Bach (Prelude from the 2nd Suite BWV 1008 for solo cello), the luminous and ethereal presence of Mozart (Allegro from the Quintet for clarinet and strings KV 581), the dramatic and tart interlude of Poulenc (beginning of the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano), and, above all, the haunting memory of the sounds of Michel Portal's bandoneon playing Piazzolla.

Michel Portal, an authentic, demanding, passionate musician, whose only language, sincere and necessary, was that of a bird-man freed from all style, all instruments, all discourse, but until his last breath, free, true, and inimitable.

Frédéric Cellier

Encouraged by Jean Françaix, who praised him as an “excellent musician and tireless arranger,” Frédéric Cellier is the founder and artistic director of STRADIVARIUS Editions.

He is the author of light music pieces played around the world and a considerable number of arrangements in all styles and for all instruments, acclaimed by many personalities in the music world, including Michèle Auric, Jean Françaix, Adrian Gershwin, Wynton Marsalis, Yehudi Menuhin, Madeleine Milhaud, Manuel Rosenthal, Gabriel Tacchino, and Ornella Volta.

A concert clarinetist and certified teacher at the National Conservatories of Nice, Marseille, and Avignon, Frédéric Cellier is a laureate of the Fondation de France and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation.