L'Isle Ibert

[Scion7]

Concertino da camera, for alto saxophone and 11 instruments

Strong composition.

[The new erato]

Again, I'll point out Ibert's jaunty solo String Quartet, as a better place to go than the Francaix and the Tailleferre, and almost as invigorating as the Roussel.

Very fine work, and this is a great recording of both that, the trio for violin, cello and harp, as well as several smaller pieces. All very fine!


[asin]B00ANT92J8[/asin]

[SymphonicAddict]

I've been playing some works (Divertissement, Symphonie marine, Féerique, Escales, Suite symphonique 'Paris', Bacchanale, Concertino da camera -right now-), I've enjoyed all of them. They have lots of fun, with a mysterious touch in certain slow passages. They are uncomplicated, kind of irreverent, highly entertaining. His style is very close to Honegger (which I enjoy to some extent). So far, he has given me a very good impression.

[snyprrr]

...didn't really go for 'Escales' this time around... hmm...



Ibert... minor fun

[snyprrr]

...didn't really go for 'Escales' this time around... hmm...



Ibert... minor fun

and I didn't really find the Flute Concerto the barn burner I thought I remembered- oh, that must be Jolivet!


I dunno... Ibert? mm... eh... workin on it...

[snyprrr]

I've been playing some works (Divertissement, Symphonie marine, Féerique, Escales, Suite symphonique 'Paris', Bacchanale, Concertino da camera -right now-), I've enjoyed all of them. They have lots of fun, with a mysterious touch in certain slow passages. They are uncomplicated, kind of irreverent, highly entertaining. His style is very close to Honegger (which I enjoy to some extent). So far, he has given me a very good impression.

Ibert's Piano Music got short shrift as I was looking into it. It's so simple that it really takes a lot of charm to pull it off, and great sound! There are only two main exponents, one on MarcoPolo/Naxos, which I can't imagine having great sound.

However, perusing YT, I have found his PM to be quite charming, if played that way. It all reminds one of Francaix's PM, and I think Francaix might be a little more on the virtuoso side, but, if there were a perfectly presented Ibert recital, I think many would at least enjoy his style of wallpaper.

[Papy Oli]

Cross-posted from the French Music Exploration thread:

Random maiden composer to kick off : Ibert, Jacques (1890-1962).

Had a brief sampling of those two yesterday, which sounded promising. Proper listening now.



Cappricio  -  only a 30sec sample sadly
3 pièces brèves  -  lovely pieces (flute, oboe, clarinet, cor, bassoon)
Cello Cto with wind orchestra  -  a bit too "out there" for my own taste
2 movements  -  quirky and fun. Quite like the interaction between the instruments (2 flutes, clarinet, bassoon)
2 Stèles orientées  -  voice and flute. Not my cup of tea.
5 pièces en trio  -  again, lovely little melodies (Oboe, clarinet bassoon)
Le jardinier de Samos - 3 nice preludes but struggled with the overture and the Air de danse



Bacchanale
Divertissement
Ouverture de fete
Symphonie marine
Escales

Only Divertissement and Escales are available in full on this one but on the basis of those works alone, that is indeed a very promising CD. Entertaining and varied.
Bacchanale and Ouverture de Fete are available on another Jarvi CD, I'll queue that next.

Escales
Don Quichotte: Sarabande pour Dulcinée
Ouverture de fête
Féérique
Divertissement for Chamber Orchestra
Hommage à Mozart
Suite symphonique "Paris"
Bacchanale

Quite happy to kick off with Ibert, Olivier.

This evening's listening sorted.

That Jarvi CD above is a winner. In the Favourites it goes instead of the Naxos. Really enjoyable.

More Ibert tomorrow with his ballet music and piano music 

A mixed bag from the above two LPs. One work for me is head and shoulders above the rest which I will come to.
Ibert is rhythmic and colourful but he seems to get carried away at times with music that lacks depth. Overture de Féte, Bacchanale, Louisville, and up to a point Bostoniana came into that category. I enjoyed Escales much more, a musical picture-postcard of Rome, Tunis and Valencia, Tunis is particularly evocative. Tropismes pour des Amours imaginaires a late work and the longest of this batch is interesting and not lacking depth by any means. Worth future listening I feel.
Symphonie Marine - I am completely under it's spell, love the piece! For the life of me cannot understand why Ibert refused to let this marvellous inventive piece be performed in his lifetime! Why would a composer write his best work IMO and not allow it to be performed?

Symphonie Marine:    https://youtu.be/GWS4C7qzLS0

Enjoying 'Symphonie Marine' now. I remember the LP appearing:

It reminds me of Honegger's haunting score for the animated film 'L'Idee'.

i concur on Escales, Lol, really makes your mind wander away to those places. You should check out Divertissement. Maybe a slightly lighter fare too but i found it worthy. I'll recheck Symphonie Marine again tomorrow. My listening was cut short earlier today.

Well done, Olivier. You have made a great start with this thread. I am sure that it will be a popular one as, based on your list above, there is something there for everyone.

I am no expert in this field but the one piece of advice that I would strongly offer is that whatever French composer's orchestral music you are going to listen to try to get a listen to the Monteux version of it if he did one. I find him excellent in the field of French music in particular.
I see that you have already listened to Escales twice so far. I would be interested to know what you would think of the Monteux version [assuming that you like the work, of course]. It is an old recording which does show its age [get past that] but it is tremendously atmospheric, powerful and exotic and has a great presence. I am not sure if is available or not on those streaming services.

That should be an interesting exercise Olivier. To be honest, I also find Martinon to be very good in French music. Perhaps you had better try non French conductors 

I may be pushing the boat out here a little bit in terms of your musical preferences with regard to my recommendations for Ibert. I really like French music that is smaller in scale, for some reason. This, my first offering for Ibert, is a full concerto but it feels like a smaller scale work and only lasts for about nineteen minutes.


Ibert: Flute Concerto [Galway/Dutoit]



If you get itchy with the FF button in the first movement of this one Olivier listen to the slow movement in particular.
I find this concerto to be very buoyant, energetic and full of flair and excitement. Galway gives assertive and energetic performances in the outer movements and a soulful and atmospheric performance in the contemplative, pensive, and somewhat plaintive slow movement. The soloist in this concerto certainly earns their crust; the final movement is particularly challenging. Galway's playing was always of the highest order.

I just checked the shelves and I actually have this particular work in the collection already!    Well, not technically mine, actually a Christmas present (a Galway boxset) to my partner (she used to play flute when she was younger) and Ibert's is in it. I'll queue that too. I did enjoy some of that boxset by the way, more than I expected to (again, the usual small chunks apply for this one, more to do with the instrument).

Also lined up for this morning, one last Ibert CD :

Be careful there, Olivier. Listen to the flute concertos with headphones on. You may just kindle a rejuvenation in your partner's flute playing career.   

You could also try Ibert's Concertino da camera for Alto Saxophone and 11 instruments for an intriguing and exciting sound world. I find it very colourful and energetic with its rich and varied musical language, tones and moods. I find it very engaging music.





I find this work to be a very colourful and energetic one with its rich and varied musical language, tones and moods. I find it very exciting music.

One final recommendation for Ibert, Olivier. Once again I may be pushing your boundaries a bit but, hey, that is what this is all about. 

Ibert: Trois pieces breves This is another short work that I really like. It is very inventive and beguiling music and refreshingly whimsical.



That CD is, in my opinion, indispensable for exploring French Chamber Music. I certainly recommend it to those who have not heard it yet.

Well, I'm sold on the merits of Ibert, so this thread has been worthwhile already. 

I've quite liked all the things I've tried, though the one that really caught my fancy was the opening movement of the Flute Concerto.

I'm sort of getting touches of Poulenc with a hint of Ravel, though that's partly just because I don't have that many reference points available to me. Poulenc but with a little more restraint and classicism.

EDIT: I'm finding the String Quartet very good too (chamber music is probably my favourite genre anyway).

Excellent thread idea, PO! Look forward to seeing what tasty morsels emerge from it. And in honour of its inception I just listened to the Ibert flute concerto which seems rather butterfly-like in the first and last movements, with an attractive tendresse in the middle movement, which was the one I preferred.
Also listened to 3 Pieces Breves, as recommended above, again whimsical, but I felt there was a tad more Stravinskian bite and humour to the whimsy than in the concerto, which made it more interesting to me. I suspect his smaller scale works might engage me most, but may try the Symphonie Marine too.

[vandermolen]

Currently enjoying this CD ('Louisville Concerto' at the moment):