MGV (musique grand vitesse) was conceived as a set of interconnected journeys performed without pause but listed as nine separate tracks on Michael Nyman’s 23rd album. Since then Christopher Wheeldon has choreographed a danceto the work so there is now a DGV (dance grand vitesse) to add to the layers.When the French city of Lille produced a festival in 1993 to celebrate the inauguration of TGV (train grand vitesse fast train) service fromParis they could not have chosen a more apt composer for their event. Nyman's work The Piano Concerto was also premiered at the concert but it is the dynamic locomotion of MGV which aurally suggests the feeling and sound oftravel by train. Though as the composer writes ‘the topography of MGV should be experienced without reference to planning description or timetables.’
