I looked for this thread, but was surprised to find it didn't exist considering the relative exposure the composer has on the forum.
Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937) was a French composer bridging the Franckian-Romantic and impressionist styles. His predisposition towards orchestral/choral works and his impressive piano quintet and violin sonata demonstrate where he viewed his roots layed, but his music often includes some of the intriguing harmonies of the later generations, without being quite so formally daring. I was introduced to his music through this disc:
[asin]B000NJM56U[/asin]
Which I would still consider an ideal starting point. It's grand, rich and atmospheric orchestral music with chorus, and as dated as the aesthetic is nowadays there is a beauty and worthiness to everything included here.
His ballet Cydalise et le chèvre-pied has been well-advocated by forum member Brian, and he is right - despite the fierce period of competition the piece was written during, even if we look at France alone, I still feel that the work is a minor masterpiece.
In addition to Pierné's core orchestral and choral writings, he also wrote well for chamber ensembles and solo piano. His quintet is very strongly within a Franck-originated French tradition of grand statements in the medium. The violin sonata is less ambitious but still very good.
Thanks for starting this thread. I know Pierné's name, but I still have to hear the first note of his music. O, ars longa, vita brevis!
Expect Mirror Image here... ;D
Quote from: J. Z. Herrenberg on September 15, 2011, 03:44:11 AM
Thanks for starting this thread. I know Pierné's name, but I still have to hear the first note of his music. O, ars longa, vita brevis!
Expect Mirror Image here... ;D
You'd better buy some Pierne discs before he has cornered the market.
Quote from: The new erato on September 15, 2011, 03:57:55 AM
You'd better buy some Pierne discs befor he has cornered the market.
:D
Quote from: The new erato on September 15, 2011, 03:57:55 AM
You'd better buy some Pierne discs before he has cornered the market.
If I bought all the Timpani CDs I want, that purchase alone would set me back something like $300. :(
Quote from: Brian on September 15, 2011, 06:14:32 AM
If I bought all the Timpani CDs I want, that purchase alone would set me back something like $300. :(
So? It's not like dollars are worth anything.
Quote from: Lethe Dmitriyevich Pettersson on September 15, 2011, 03:40:30 AM
I looked for this thread, but was surprised to find it didn't exist considering the relative exposure the composer has on the forum.
Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937) was a French composer bridging the Franckian-Romantic and impressionist styles. His predisposition towards orchestral/choral works and his impressive piano quintet and violin sonata demonstrate where he viewed his roots layed, but his music often includes some of the intriguing harmonies of the later generations, without being quite so formally daring. I was introduced to his music through this disc:
[asin]B000NJM56U[/asin]
Which I would still consider an ideal starting point. It's grand, rich and atmospheric orchestral music with chorus, and as dated as the aesthetic is nowadays there is a beauty and worthiness to everything included here.
His ballet Cydalise et le chèvre-pied has been well-advocated by forum member Brian, and he is right - despite the fierce period of competition the piece was written during, even if we look at France alone, I still feel that the work is a minor masterpiece.
In addition to Pierné's core orchestral and choral writings, he also wrote well for chamber ensembles and solo piano. His quintet is very strongly within a Franck-originated French tradition of grand statements in the medium. The violin sonata is less ambitious but still very good.
Argh!, I can't believe you couped this!! Awesome!
I know Pierne mainly through his
Piano Quintet, which I find to be extremely finely crafted. It is certainly much more substantial than D'Indy's, which Composer Pierne perhaps most resembles? He doesn't seem to be as 'Oriental' as Schmitt, but, perhaps his Orchestral Works are wilder?
I think I also have one of those old 'French' EMI discs of his music. I'll check.
Quote from: The new erato on September 15, 2011, 06:18:33 AM
So? It's not like dollars are worth anything.
I'm unemployed. :(
I haven't actually heard
L'an mil - just its discmate, the atmospheric
Paysages franciscains. Will give the whole disc a spin on NML today.
Quote from: snyprrr on September 15, 2011, 06:48:36 AM
It is certainly much more substantial than D'Indy's, which Composer Pierne perhaps most resembles? He doesn't seem to be as 'Oriental' as Schmitt, but, perhaps his Orchestral Works are wilder?
I think I also have one of those old 'French' EMI discs of his music. I'll check.
On the disc I embedded there is definitely a mildly "exotic" twist to some of the harmonies, but it's not on a Schmitt level of sultriness. D'Indy I find to be more German and subjective in his style, Pierné has a cooly Gallic quality which at times sails close to academic waters, but I never find any of it to be boring, nor simply craft exercises.
I hope that you find that disc you mention - is it per chance the Dervaux/Pays de Loire recordings? I have the 3 disc reissue of that coupled with some D'Indy and Rabaud - it's great repertoire.
Yes, I was going to start a Pierne thread, but Sara beat me to it. :D Anyway, Pierne is a new discovery for me, although I've heard his name and read about him for many years. I think his music is as Sara has said Franck-inspired but with some Impressionistic aesthetic added for good measure. I listened to the last movement of L'An Mil at least four times in a row. It was really something. I love the way he blended the chorus and orchestra in this work. I've liked all the music I've heard from him so far, which has been very little, but it's been enjoyable. Kudos for starting this thread. I'm pressed for time right now, but I'll be making frequent visits tonight.
Quote from: Lethe Dmitriyevich Pettersson on September 15, 2011, 07:02:04 AM
I hope that you find that disc you mention - is it per chance the Dervaux/Pays de Loire recordings? I have the 3 disc reissue of that coupled with some D'Indy and Rabaud - it's great repertoire.
I think I have all three of those... actually... hold...on...
Quote from: on September 15, 2011, 07:51:41 AM
[asin]B0000CE0YV[/asin]
This is perhaps the best music that Pierné ever composed. The works for piano and orchestra are a varied bunch, and are quite similar to the set of works by Saint-Saëns for the same medium, but they can certainly hold their own against the more famous composer's works, and are in some cases of even higher quality. The piano concerto has seen other recordings, but this one is the best, in my opinion. Stephen Coombs plays everything here excellently. Go out and get this one.
Woah, I found his piano concerto to be a bit Massenet-ish, which my brain interpreted as "not so good" - I really should relisten to the piece now I have the Chandos recording as well, given your enthusiasm for it. My first listens can be so lazy at times.
@toucan, that Hubeau disc is great!
I have that Chandos recording, too, but I think the Hyperion gets a better reading. Bavouzet does some weird things that just don't agree with my conception of the piece, but you might think differently.
The piano concerto is not my favorite work of the lot, but I certainly enjoy the work. My favorite is probably the Poëme Symphonique, which is much more introspective and mature, with some great ear-catching harmonies. It reeks a bit more of Franck than the other works, also, which I think is a good thing.
Wow. L'an mil is a stunning concoction, a life-giving brew of zesty harmonies, lively dances, soft poetry, brash cymbal-crashing exuberance, and that one rather oddly medieval baritone solo. It's lush and has an enormous heart and I think I'm in love. The Timpani orchestra (from Lorraine) sounds top-class, too.
All this Pierné talk is making me curious.
Quote from: lescamil on September 15, 2011, 02:04:46 PM
[asin]B0000CE0YV[/asin]
This is perhaps the best music that Pierné ever composed.
I don't know I'm finding
D'An Mil a pretty strong brew right now, but I liked all the works from the Timpani disc. I'll have to checkout the Hyperion disc, but truth be told, I'm finding Hyperion, with the exception of a few recordings, to be one of the weakest labels in terms of orchestral music. Some might disagree and that's fine, but there are only a few discs from this label that I've thoroughly enjoyed and wanted to listen to again.
Quote from: lescamil on September 15, 2011, 02:36:38 PMThe piano concerto is not my favorite work
I agree that I don't find much enjoyment in as the other works I've heard. I think the concerto's major flaw is there's no slow movement where some of that Pierne lyricism could have really helped the work out, but as it is I think the last movement is the work's saving grace.
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 15, 2011, 06:20:28 PM
I agree that I don't find much enjoyment in as the other works I've heard. I think the concerto's major flaw is there's no slow movement where some of that Pierne lyricism could have really helped the work out, but as it is I think the last movement is the work's saving grace.
Well, the structure of the work is largely taken from Saint-Saëns's second piano concerto, which also has a scherzo-like movement in place of the would-be slow movement. I don't think that is a major flaw, for there is plenty of lyricism in the first movement.
By the way, I am one of those people that disagrees with you on your assessment of the Hyperion label. They are no Chandos, but they aren't half bad, either.
Quote from: lescamil on September 15, 2011, 09:12:39 PMWell, the structure of the work is largely taken from Saint-Saëns's second piano concerto, which also has a scherzo-like movement in place of the would-be slow movement. I don't think that is a major flaw, for there is plenty of lyricism in the first movement.
I guess that's probably why I never bothered to listen to Saint-Saens's
Piano Concerto No. 2 again. Heck, I don't even listen to Saint-Saens much anyway. I will say that the Pierne PC wasn't bad, it just wasn't as strong as the other works I've heard, especially on the Timpani disc that contains
L'An Mil and
Les Cathedrales and
Paysages franciscains.
After our good friend John Rich, introduced me to Pierne through the 3rd movement of the L'An Mil, I found myself intreged to hear more from this composer. So please give me some suggestions for some pieces and recordings!
Thank you,
Best Wishes
Daniel
I have to say - I listened to
L'an mil a second time and was a good deal less impressed with the first movement. Perhaps that's my typical aversion to crashing cymbals coming through? The second movement still strikes me as absolutely wonderful, but the baritone solo just left me more confused than ever. Final movement terrific. Perhaps not a piece to listen to twice in two days, is all...
Quote from: madaboutmahler on September 19, 2011, 09:56:08 AM
After our good friend John Rich, introduced me to Pierne through the 3rd movement of the L'An Mil, I found myself intreged to hear more from this composer. So please give me some suggestions for some pieces and recordings!
You've got to hear the Luxembourg Philharmonic recording of
Cydalise!
Heard Pierné's Ramuntcho Suite no. 1 on the radio today and found it really delightful. Must investigate more by this composer.
If you heard it on the radio, that means it's not in your collection, then? Here's the perfect remedy, adding one of Pierné's best scores, the piano concerto:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41z7deMKPvL.jpg)
There are other performances of the concerto, on Chandos among others. And of course do get the complete Cydalise !
I agree with André about the Piano Concerto, one of his best compositions. The Ramuntcho Suites are unknown to me, so I'll listen to them in due course.
Thanks, guys! Looking forward to hearing more of Pierné's music.
Listening to some wonderful works of this composer, I was thinking he didn't write any symphony, neither did he write a string quartet. I'd love to hear such works by him. However, I feel happy by his very substantial Piano Quintet and Piano Trio.
I've really liked everything I've heard so far by Pierné. His Piano Concerto, in particularly, is an absolutely delightful work (with a dramatic, attention-grabbing opening) which is not a note too long. I'd say it's on par with the Saint-Saëns PCs.
I only very recently got the Piano trio and quintet on jpc's Atma sale. Both works are worthwhile. Not quite in Fauré's class, a bit more romantic and picturesque (both use some basque or other local dance rhythm in one movement). I probably have the piano concerto as well in some box but I don't remember.
He conducted the premiere of Stravinsky's "Firebird".
Yes, he had quite a career as a conductor (Colonne Orchestra from 1910-1934). He created Enesco's 3rd symphony. Some of his recordings are available on the Saint-Laurent label.
His ballet Cydalise et le chèvre-pied is one of his finest creations. He was not a musical Rembrandt, more of a Seurat if that helps.
I love when BIS founder/CEO Robert von Bahr gets cantankerous in his reminiscences about albums he has recorded. Today (Sept. 8 ) this album is the eClassical daily deal, and von Bahr is not generous:
"This record almost didn't get done. All of a sudden France idiotically decided that, while they welcomed IRA, ETA, Baader Meinhof etc as members of the EU, all other citizens would have to apply for a visa to get into France, since, as everyone knows, Sweden was the proverbial home of terrorists. I refused out of principle, and so the recording was delayed, until the French Embassy came to me, picked up my passport, took it to the Embassy and gave me a visa without me applying for it and without costs, and then delivered the passport back to me. Then, and only then, did I enter France to do the recording, and, so, guys, the question would be: was it worth it? Dag Achatz valiantly goes through the Piano Concerto in a hall that would be better suited for Medieval polychoral music, the orchestra fought to get the notes of the very inoffensive music in place, and I was bored to tears. So, while it was fun to put France in place, the answer must be - for me personally - nah. But, since the record sold decently, I must be wrong... RvB"
(click link to purchase, US $4.17 if you see this in the next few hours)
(https://eclassical.textalk.se/shop/17115/art15/h2420/4442420-origpic-7b218b.jpg) (https://www.eclassical.com/performers/achatz-dag/pierne-piano-concerto.html)
In case you're curious about his visa rant: Sweden joined the EU in 1995; this album was recorded in October 1987. France had begun requiring everyone from outside the Common Market to get visas before entering the country a year before, following a wave of terrorist attacks. So RvB should have known and was being a stubborn old mule ;D