Martine Altenburger will interpret Pressure by Helmut Lachenman and Petals Kaija Saariaho for cello alone.

For many years, cellist Martine Altenburger has put these two works for cello alone in her repertoire. She returns regularly as others return to Bach's inexhaustible Suites.

Despite his age (1969) Pressure by Helmut Lachenmann (born in 1935) remains one of the most radical pieces for the instrument which, far from the cannons of romantic expression or the spectacular subjects of contemporary music, offers a universe of frictions and rebounds all in subtlety.

And it's a tribute to Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, born in 1952 and died last month that Martine will play Petals, one of his iconic single cello pieces originally written in 1988 for one of his faithful performers, Anssi Karttunen. Martine will this time play the play without the electronic support that usually accompanies it. Petals offers a panorama of different techniques at the service of two atmospheres: one, quiet and full of harmonics and the other, more energetic and rhythmic.