Alberic Magnard(1865-1914)

[KevinP]

My newly-purchased Naxos disc of symphonies 3 and 4 is my first exposure to Magnard, but I'm highly impressed so far.

[Symphonic Addict]

Truly remarkable symphonies indeed. Magnard's 4th is one of the very greatest French symphonies, along with Roussel's 2nd, Dukas's, Bizet's and Saint-Saëns's 3rd in my view.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Truly remarkable symphonies indeed. Magnard's 4th is one of the very greatest French symphonies, along with Roussel's 2nd, Dukas's, Bizet's and Saint-Saëns's 3rd in my view.

FWIW, I actually like Saint-Saëns' Symphony in F major, "Urbs Roma" more than the more popular 3rd. What do you think about this particular symphony, Cesar?

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

As for the Magnard symphonies, they're fantastic! I plan on revisiting them at some juncture as I seem to be some kind of symphony listening crusade at the moment.

[Symphonic Addict]

FWIW, I actually like Saint-Saëns' Symphony in F major, "Urbs Roma" more than the more popular 3rd. What do you think about this particular symphony, Cesar?

A formidable piece despite being an early composition. The slow movement is very special to me, particularly, with its air of an intriguing march. It could easily be used like the music for a detective series.

[GoranTch]

Magnard... After having known (mostly) his symphonic music for a decade now, he has slowly become one of the (in that imposing, Brucknerian sense) most enigmatic composers to me.

Several members have already mentioned the (at least on these pages :-) famous opening chorale of the 3rd Symphony as one of the most memorable moments of their Magnard experience. Which leads me directly to the "enigmatic" impression his music left on me when I first heard it... At first that chorale struck me as oddly primitive and bland, kind of lacking any substance and color to it... But over time, I began perceiving it in the context of the starkly contrasting passage that immediately follows it and this slowly began "redefining" my perception of it, imbuing that chorale with a sense of, again, "enigmatic", archaic, mystery.

It is one of several examples of a quite rare quality which I began to admire in Magnard's music, this dignified gesture of going "all or nothing", of daring to open a symphony with bare, washed-out granite, and then wagering the perception of that whole opening on its relation to the overarching whole of which it is a part... and then, delivering on that wager with his almost arrogant kind of confidence.

Wondering if this is just me or if anybody else can relate to this when listening to Magnard...

[Roasted Swan]

Magnard... After having known (mostly) his symphonic music for a decade now, he has slowly become one of the (in that imposing, Brucknerian sense) most enigmatic composers to me.

Several members have already mentioned the (at least on these pages :-) famous opening chorale of the 3rd Symphony as one of the most memorable moments of their Magnard experience. Which leads me directly to the "enigmatic" impression his music left on me when I first heard it... At first that chorale struck me as oddly primitive and bland, kind of lacking any substance and color to it... But over time, I began perceiving it in the context of the starkly contrasting passage that immediately follows it and this slowly began "redefining" my perception of it, imbuing that chorale with a sense of, again, "enigmatic", archaic, mystery.

It is one of several examples of a quite rare quality which I began to admire in Magnard's music, this dignified gesture of going "all or nothing", of daring to open a symphony with bare, washed-out granite, and then wagering the perception of that whole opening on its relation to the overarching whole of which it is a part... and then, delivering on that wager with his almost arrogant kind of confidence.

Wondering if this is just me or if anybody else can relate to this when listening to Magnard...

Great description of your listening experience!  I can't say I know the Magnard symphonies well enough to relate to what you write or not - but you have prompted me to revisit them so thankyou!

[GoranTch]

Great description of your listening experience!  I can't say I know the Magnard symphonies well enough to relate to what you write or not - but you have prompted me to revisit them so thankyou!

Very happy to hear my description of how I perceive Magnard prompted you to revisit his music. It most certainly deserves it. I am still hoping to hear a live performance of a Magnard symphony in Berlin, but I don't remember having seen his name on a concert poster for the almost 20 years I have lived in the city.

[kyjo]

Magnard... After having known (mostly) his symphonic music for a decade now, he has slowly become one of the (in that imposing, Brucknerian sense) most enigmatic composers to me.

Several members have already mentioned the (at least on these pages :-) famous opening chorale of the 3rd Symphony as one of the most memorable moments of their Magnard experience. Which leads me directly to the "enigmatic" impression his music left on me when I first heard it... At first that chorale struck me as oddly primitive and bland, kind of lacking any substance and color to it... But over time, I began perceiving it in the context of the starkly contrasting passage that immediately follows it and this slowly began "redefining" my perception of it, imbuing that chorale with a sense of, again, "enigmatic", archaic, mystery.

It is one of several examples of a quite rare quality which I began to admire in Magnard's music, this dignified gesture of going "all or nothing", of daring to open a symphony with bare, washed-out granite, and then wagering the perception of that whole opening on its relation to the overarching whole of which it is a part... and then, delivering on that wager with his almost arrogant kind of confidence.

Wondering if this is just me or if anybody else can relate to this when listening to Magnard...

What a poetic and accurate description of the opening of Magnard's 3rd Symphony! I think Magnard achieves a great balance in his music between a certain "elusiveness" and accessibility, and this is what keeps me returning to his music with continued interest. He's likely my fourth favorite French composer after Poulenc, Saint-Saëns, and Ravel (with Roussel contesting that position).