NEWS
Review of Lueurs by Drifting, Almost Falling.
03.29.2020
"Pieces like “La Tendresse” and “Vignette (Piano)” are those that best remind me of Charpentier’s work, but it is always good to hear someone that is not resting of where they have been on previous releases and are continuing to explore the musical landscapes and push themselves forward."
​
Drifting, Almost Falling.
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Review of Lueurs by Independent Clauses.
11.08.2019
"Lueurs is a strong release that spans genres without getting too caught up in its genre-blurring; none of the tracks here feel like attempts to pull off something that’s over the composer’s head. Instead, there’s a wide array of skills and ideas on display here. It seems self-evident to say “it’s a great record to listen to,” but not all records reward just sitting and listening. Charpentier has done just that here: created something that’s fun and interesting to listen to, even repeatedly.."
​
Independent Clauses.
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
Review of Lueurs by Gezeitenstrom Musikmagazin.
11.11.2019
"Like the flapping of a butterfly's wings in the warm summer wind, the new album is sung by the Frenchman Dominique Charpentier, a composer who not only conquers the hearts with his music, but also leaves lasting impressions. As far as the upcoming album "Lueurs" is concerned, the virtuoso has outdone himself. Recommendation."
​
Gezeitenstrom.
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Review of Lou Vènt by Benzinemag (FR).
06.29.2019
"Dominique Charpentier – Lou Vènt ou un certain éloge du souffle de la terre [...]
Le pianiste de Nîmes Dominique Charpentier dessine à travers des miniatures aériennes une image minimaliste des vents de Provence. Une promesse de fraîcheur et d’apesanteur tenue."
​
Benzinemag
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
Review of Lou Vènt by Drifting, Almost Falling.
06.03.2019
"Charpentier easily captures a personal quality with his playing which makes it come across as a direct communication from composer to listener. He likes to mix up the pace and intricacy of the pieces with a track like “Mistral” showing both his fluidity and passion. "
Dfriting, Alsmot Falling.
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Review of Chrysalide by composer Doug Thomas.
04.11.2019
"Chrysalide is a release that has been carefully crafted in order to reveal Charpentier’s new musical intentions; step by step—fading from acoustic to electronic driven material, from nostalgia to enthusiasm and excitement. There is some earthy material and a burning desire to evolve. A new space for the composer to breathe, and fluidity in his metamorphosis. It is a wonderful surprise and has nurtured my curiosity towards the new musical direction. There is so much personality and character in this release, and if it is a turning point in Charpentier’s musical evolution, then well done."
​
Doug Thomas
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
Review of Chrysalide by Drifting, Almost Falling.
03.29.2019
"Chrysalide” is a four track Ep with a total length at just under eleven minutes. Within these Eleven minutes Charpentier mixes his fluid and emotive playing with an extra dose of ambience woven into the fabric of the pieces as well as on others the introduction of more electronic elements. [...] Five releases have now been covered in these humble pages and I can’t wait to see what Charpentier brings us next. Totally Recommended.."
Dfriting, Alsmot Falling.
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Review of Chrysalide by Gezeitenstrom Musikmagazin.
03.26.2019
"Neue Wege beschreitet nun der Franzose mit „Chrysalide“, auch wenn es kein Unikat ist, dass sich Komponisten neue Stilmittel erschließen, um noch tiefer die Schichten der Akustik zu erforschen. Auch wenn vom Komponisten persönlich eine Warnung ausgesprochen wurde „Careful! It is very different from what I usually do.“ - so bleibt bis auf eine einzige Ausnahme der Kern und die Philosophie vom Franzosen ist dieselbe. Klavier basierende Kompositionen für Herz und die Seele, warm und elegant, mit neuer Perspektiven im Bezug zu elektronischer Untermalung. Nicht fragil und romantisch, eher nimmt der aggressive Ton eine neue Form an, der niemals eine gewisse Schwelle überschreitet. Energisch ist der Rahmen, natürlich ummantelt von dem zeitlosen Klavierspiel. Klassik und moderne Anleihen sind auf der kommenden EP ein sehr homogenes Gefüge geworden."
​
Gezeitenstrom Musikmagazin
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
About my new album Carnet de Voyage, by Doug Thomas
02.09.2019
"Carnet de voyage is another delightful release from Charpentier; it is full of charming melodies and enchanting piano pieces. The French composer is a true story teller and makes us travel through each one of his projects—and his latest is no exception." Doug Thomas.
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Review of Carnet de Voyage by Spell Binding Music.
01.28.2019
"This spontaneity is immediately apparent on the nine tracks of Carnet de Voyage, “all of them composed in a very short time, one hour or less”, and including two improvised pieces. Performed on an upright piano and softened by felt, the compositions are short, intimate, very melodic and devoid of any superfluous ornamentation or effects."
Spell Binding Music
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
https://spellbindingmusic.com/dominique-charpentier-carnet-de-voyage/
Interview with Behind the piano (Sweden).
01.24.2019
Carnet de Voyage, made its way to the top 2018 of modern classical albums of Pheno'menon magazine (Hungary).
01.08.2019
"A Carnet de Voyage darabjai ennek ellenére egyáltalán nem hatnak elsietettnek, sÅ‘t, alapvetÅ‘en lassan beérÅ‘, melankolikus és magukkal sodró dalok egyvelege ezek. Charpentier bebizonyítja, hogy egyetlen hangszerrel képes utazásokhoz is tökéletes filmzenét alkotni."
Phenom'enon
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
https://phenomenon.hu/phenom-top-2018-a-modern-klasszikusok/#3
About my new album Carnet de Voyage, by Drifting, Almost Falling.
10.24.2018
"As mentioned before, Charpentier has a habit of either including improvised tracks or working within a short time frame to compose and record works. For a lesser composer/ musician this would potentially be a disaster, but for Charpentier, as evident by his steady glowing reviews through this humble site, actually acts as a catalyst to coalesce his ideas into consistent works of art." Drifting, Almost Falling.
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
https://driftingalmostfalling.wordpress.com/2018/10/25/dominique-charpentier-carnet-de-voyage/
About my new album Carnet de Voyage, by Critique de Salon.
10.24.2018
"Disons-le franchement : s’il n’avait pas été annoncé que chaque piste avait été écrite en un temps record, jamais on ne l’aurait deviné tellement l’ensemble est loin de sonner comme une mauvaise improvisation, chose qui risque forcément d’arriver quand on ne prend pas le temps de bien faire les choses. On a donc clairement affaire ici à un musicien sérieux et plein de talent qui mériterait d’être davantage découvert de ce côté de l’Atlantique."
Critique de Salon.
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
https://critiquedesalon.wordpress.com/2018/10/24/carnet-de-voyage-dominique-charpentier/
About my new album Carnet de Voyage, by Gezeitenstrom Magazine.
10.04.2018
"Neue Blickwinkel an der modernen Klassik
Auch wie im Vorgänger sind die Klavierstücke in einer sehr kurzen Zeit entstanden. Dieser kreative Prozess zwang den Pianisten dazu, sehr spontan zu sein und Musikstücke zu komponieren, als wären sie Improvisationen. Die Feder geführt hat dabei neben einem breiten Musikverständnis auch das Herz und die Seele vom Franzosen. Die zweifelsohne mit melancholischen Facetten behaftet ist. Hier lebt der Pianist seine Gefühle auf dem Klavier aus, was man sehr deutlich an einzelnen Stücken heraushören kann. Das Tempo reicht von ruhig und langsam, die musikalische Agogik ist sehr dynamisch ausgeprägt. Gefühlvoll und anmutig klingen die Sonaten und nehmen einen auch sofort gefangen mit ihrem bezaubernden Charme. Ja man muss sagen, der Franzose entdeckt auch auf dem dritten Album neue Blickwinkel an der modernen Klassik, die sehr unter die Haut gehen." Gezeitenstrom​
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
About "The Cakemaker" score, by Zickma.
06.02.2018
"Il y a aussi la musique de Dominique Charpentier essentiellement composée de piano, ô combien magnifique et emportant chacune des scènes où cette dernière retentit."
Zickma
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
About "The Cakemaker" score, by Le Nouvel Obs.
06.05.2018
"Même la musique de piano de Dominique Charpentier est dans une tonalité parfaite. C'est doux, émouvant, bref, une jolie réussite." Le Nouvel Obs
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Interview with Kevin Press, founder of Badd Press Blog and author of "The Moderns".
05.17.2018
You also describe yourself as minimalist.
​
"When I say “minimalism” I mean minimalism in music, not in life in general. And what I actually call minimalism are the works of Yann Tiersen and Ludovico Einaudi. I discovered their music when I was a teenager (13) and this had a huge impact on my musical taste and on the future composer I would become. What fascinated me was their ability to create such interesting and beautiful pieces with very simple tools. They create simple but true, deep, emotional melodies that move the listener immediately. And of course, being a piano lover and player since an early age, the impact was even greater. Music is not about thinking, but feeling. I listened to a lot of music during my life (and I still do) and the music I always preferred was the one that moved me immediately, that causes a direct emotional response. I always try to compose music that can achieve that."
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
https://baddpress.blog/2018/05/16/dominique-charpentier-reminiscence/
Review of "Réminiscence" by french composer Doug Thomas.
05.10.2018
"A self-released project—Charpentier has worked on every aspects of the album, from composing to producing—Reminiscence has been one of my favourite album to review this year. It is a blend of French elegance, well-measured simplicity, musical surprises and collaborations—such as the presence of Klangriket—and evocative images. Some reviews, such as this one, are written naturally, in a continuous flow of words. Well done Dominique!"
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
Interview with the great blog created by composer Michael Price, "Contemplative Classical".
05.07.2018
What do you find about your work that has meaning?
​
"Sharing my music with other people is the most meaningful aspect of my work. Of course I would still be creating music if nobody was listening to it, but I don’t compose only for myself. Music is all about sharing. Sharing emotions, ideas, beauty, and trying to inspire and sometimes help people through Art. I can’t remember how many pieces of music helped me feel better when I was a teenager for example, or inspired me to do great things. So, if I can do the same, my work has a deep meaning and direct utility."
​
... (Extract)
​
Full article here:
http://www.contemplativeclassical.com/in-conversation-with-dominique-charpentier/
Review of "Réminiscence" in german, by magazine Gezeitenstrom.
05.05.2018
"Mit seinen Kompositionen offenbart daher auch der Franzose sein wahres Potenzial. Musik zu erschaffen, die in die Welt der Gefühle eingreift, um diese so richtig aufzuwühlen. Réminiscence ist ein gefühlsbetonter Tanz zwischen herabfallenden Kirschblüten im Frühling oder ein romantischer Spaziergang beim Sonnenuntergang. Die fragilen und intimen Klaviersonaten stehen sehr oft im Vordergrund, bei einigen Stücken mit elektronischen Nuancen zu einem atmosphärischen Klangteppich verwebt. Tempo und Charakter sind moderat aufgebaut und dynamisch veranlagt. Auf seinem Album spielt Dominique Charpentier eindeutig den Klang seines Herzens, mit sehr hohem Anteil an Empathie."
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
https://gezeitenstrom.weebly.com/reviews/dominique-charpentier-reminiscence-2018
First review of my album "Réminiscence" by the great blog "Drifting, Almost Falling".
04.25.2018
"With “Réminiscence” Dominique has once more excelled in creating a beautiful release that would be a crime if ignored. If you are looking to hear a great piano album, you would be hard pressed to find a consistently enjoyable one such as this. Recommended." Drifting, Almost Falling.
​
Full article here:
Interview with "Muziktology" about my creative process.
04.12.2018
What are the steps that an idea takes before becoming a fully fledge song? And how does that idea affects the way you build an album from the ground up?
​
"I usually start composing a new piece by improvising on the piano. When I find an interesting harmony progression I decide to stay with it and begin to look for a melody that fits. Then I conceptualize the form of the composition and I repeat the same process for the different parts. When I feel that “it works” I decide that is it, and the piece is finished."
​
... (Extract)
Full article here:
https://muziktology.com/2018/04/09/the-creative-process-11-dominique-charpentier/
My "Soft Piano Music to Fall Asleep" playlist reaches 1000 suscribers on Spotify!
02.20.2018
I am very glad to see that my most popular Spotify playlist grew so much in just a few months. I started it a year ago in order to put together the soft modern classical piano tracks I love the most and then it became a way of promoting the artists. Thanks to all the people who supported it and continue to share it once in a while, it helps the artists to reach a bigger audience everyday. I will keep updating it every two weeks, trying my best to find a balance between my editorial policy and the will to truely help other modern classical composers like me.
Here is the link to the playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/user/1131320387/playlist/4zMaYNXz2pP1OPGz9SIJhX?si=hfc4EDHgSmqltqGkMNZVlg
My piano EP Esquisses included in the 2017 best of by "Drifting, Almost Falling."
01.01.2018
“It would be easy to see this ep as something more than it is. It could easily be part of a soundtrack to a feature film. The length of the tracks are perfect and make great little vignettes. For an artist that is used to being self released, he could easily slot into the roster of say 1631 Recordings. Totally Recommended."
Drifting, Almost Falling.
Full article here:
https://driftingalmostfalling.wordpress.com/2018/01/01/2017-twenty-of-the-best-list/
Interview with "Fine Pop & The Piano" about The Cakemaker Score
12.23.2017
Can you talk about the challenges of writing a soundtrack for a feature film? Did you have much time to become familiar with the film before you started composing? How different is it to writing music without a visual or narrative reference?
I guess the main challenge was not knowing whether I would succeed in creating a beautiful score to highlight the story! The previous soundtracks I’ve composed have been for video games and short films, and that’s quite different. Luckily I didn’t start with a big Hollywood movie, and Ofir told me from the beginning that he wanted a piano-based soundtrack, something intimate. That was comforting because this is my musical specialty :)
​
... (Extract)
​
Full interview here: https://www.finepopandthepiano.com/single-post/2017/12/23/DOMINIQUE-CHARPENTIER
The Cakemaker Score in "Variety"
07.04.2017
"The piercing piano motifs of French multi-instrumentalist Dominique Charpentier’s lovely score, meanwhile, never stray into saccharine territory. It’s but one typical element (or, if you will, ingredient) of the restrained classicism at work throughout “The Cakemaker” — reliant, like all the best traditional baking, on an intuitive human touch." Variety
The Cakemaker Score in "The Playlist"
07.04.2017
"Grazier equally owes a huge debt of gratitude to the absolutely gorgeous score by Dominique Charpentier and impressive work by cinematographer Omri Aloni.​" The Playlist
Esquisses in "Piano & Coffee Co."
07.30.2017
"The minimalist aspect of Charpentier’s music does not take away from its effect, but simply leaves it more open to interpretation. Experimental, yet evocative, it’s an extraordinary body of work.​" Piano & Coffee Co.
Esquisses in "Drifting, Almost Falling."
06.23.2017
"It would be easy to see this ep as something more than it is. It could easily be part of a soundtrack to a feature film. The length of the tracks are perfect and make great little vignettes. For an artist that is used to being self released, he could easily slot into the roster of say 1631 Recordings.
Totally Recommended.​" Drifting, Almost Falling.
Esquisses in "Merchants of Air"
07.20.2017
"How wonderful it must be to be able to touch a piano and create wonderful music. That's exactly what Dominique Charpentier can and does.I've been amazed by his previous work and I'm amazed again. His new ep 'Esquisses' contains five new piano pieces, here and there enhanced with strings. The songs are uplifting but also melancholic or just downright sad, like my favorite, 'Esquisse IV'. I can imagine the pianist, on the streets of Paris, gently pouring out these blissful melodies. I don't think it can get more romantic than that. This comes highly recommended, no doubt about that."
Merchants of Air
L'attente in "Merchants of Air"
03.31.2017
"The email that contained this ep, also contained the words "It's a piano solo album", which is probably the truest thing I have ever read. On this ep, there is a piano and ten massively experienced fingers who gently help the instrument reveal its dreams. The five short pieces on this ep are soothing and minimal classical pieces that can lighten up every day. I don't care what genre you usually listen to, dear reader, but I strongly urge you to purchase this album. Music like this should be in everybody's collection. Everybody needs moments like these, moments to meditate and look into their own soul. This album can help you with that..."
Merchants of Air
L'attente in "Piano & Coffee Co."
03.30.2017
"Influenced by other minimalist composers like Yann Tiersen and Ludovico Einaudi, French musician Dominique Charpentier releases Le Matin, a piano solo piece composed for this year's Piano Day, taken from his recently published EP L'attente.
As I listen to Le Matin, I can't help but picture myself waking up in my very own Parisian apartment in a cold winter morning. I get dressed, prepare a hot cup of coffee and drink it while looking at the sky and other rooftops from my window. Then, I go outside and walk down the streets of one the most romantic European cities, thinking about life as Jean-Jacques Rousseau would do in Les Rêveries du promeneur solitaire, and daydreaming in an Amélie Poulain kind of way, to finally reach my destination, which can only be determined by listening to the rest of the EP, letting this story follow, like the Seine, its natural course."
Piano & Coffee Co.
Passages in "Merchants of Air"
09.29.2016
"Dominique Charpentier is a multi-instrumentalist from France. He chose the piano for his first full-length album, his instrument of predilection. and you can immediately hear that this is one very talented fellow. He has also made soundtracks for films and video games in his home studio, and you can hear impressive orchestral compositions on his soundcloud page. The piano songs on Passages are breathtaking gems that remind of the works of Yann Tiersen and Ludovico Einaudi, two other self-made musicians and Carpentier's main influences. I'd say: go check this album out now!" Merchants of Air
Passages in "Le Journal des Yerrois"
30.01.2016
