André Jolivet in Detroit and Chicago - 1959 - 1960

[pjme]

Well worth discovering: André Jolivet conducts his second symphony in Detroit and the Symphonie de danses in Chicago.

http://youtube.com/v/ijlIhAfzSqs

The second symphony was commisioned by the Norddeutscher Rundfunk / Rolf Liebermann. Première: Berlin October 3rd 1959. Hans Schmidt- Isserstedt conducting.
Movements: Heurté - Fluide - Vigoureux



http://youtube.com/v/2AXRz-O-b3c

The Symphonie de danses is a (1943) reworking and orchestration of a (1940-41)"ballet symbolique": Les quatres vérités (for piano, ondes Martenot,cello,flute and percussion).
5 movements.



P.

[Mirror Image]

Cool thanks for this, pjme. Jolivet is certainly an interesting composer. I own that box set of his orchestral works on Erato which I really enjoyed and need to revisit at some juncture.

[pjme]

Thanks!

The recordings are far from flawless, but both orchestras seem to cope well with music that was propably far from their usual fair.

Reinbert De Leeuw did a very good performance of Symphonie de danses a couple of years ago. The second symphony hasn't been performed very often. There's an old ( ca 1984) Lyrinx LP with the ORTF philharmonic, but that is OOP. The 4 percussionists are at the heart of the orchestration.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks!

The recordings are far from flawless, but both orchestras seem to cope well with music that was propably far from their usual fair.

Reinbert De Leeuw did a very good performance of Symphonie de danses a couple of years ago. The second symphony hasn't been performed very often. There's an old ( ca 1984) Lyrinx LP with the ORTF philharmonic, but that is OOP. The 4 percussionists are at the heart of the orchestration.

I wish some enterprising label would revive this composer's orchestral oeuvre. There's just not many options in recordings out there.

[Cato]

Thanks!

The recordings are far from flawless, but both orchestras seem to cope well with music that was probably far from their usual fair.

Jean Martinon took over in the early 1960's after Fritz Reiner's retirement.  He was never completely accepted, and neither were his efforts to introduce more modern works.

Jolivet and these recordings I do remember, and he was much "bigger" 50 years ago than today, for whatever reason.

Martinon and his oeuvre are almost completely forgotten: there was a 1960's RCA LP with Chicago performing his Fourth Symphony, which I recall as being rather exciting.

[pjme]

I've been fascinated by Jolivet's music since I discovered the pianoconcerto and the concerto for ondes Martenot in the late sixties. However, his late works seem to be the most serious and abstract. A wonderful combination of rythmic exuberance and mystico-religious awareness.

Jean Martinon is indeed even less known as a composer. He leaves a substantial catalog however. In the early seventies I saw him conduct the Festival Orchestra in Switzerland/Luzern. His own Hymne, Variations et Rondo, op 56 (1967), Gershwin Pianoconcerto in F with  Philippe Entremont and some Berlioz, if I remember well...
Hymne,variations et rondo is a substantial and imposing work. Symphony nr 2 "Hymne à la vie" was available on a ORTF LP and "Altitudes (symph. nr 4) was indeed written for Chicago.Both excellent works!



Martinon, orchestral works:

Symphonie n° 1 en ut, op 17 (1934/36)
Symphoniette pour orchestre de chambre, op 16 (1935)
Concerto giocoso pour violon et orchestre (n° 1), op 18 (1937/42)
Musique d'exil ou Stalag IX, op 31 (1941)
Divertissement, op ? (1941)
Obsession pour orchestre de chambre, op ? (1942)
Romance bleue, rhapsodie pour violon et orchestre, op ? (1942)
Symphonie n° 2 "Hymne à la vie", op 37 (1942/44)
Concerto jyrique pour quatuor à cordes et orchestre de chambre, op 38 (1944)
Fanfare en rondo, op 40 (1946)
Symphonie n° 3 "Irlandaise", op 45 ou 44 (1949)
Ouverture pour une tragédie grecque, op 47 (prélude pour l'acte II d'Hécube) (1949)
Symphonies de voyage, op 49 n° 1 (1957)
Concerto pour violon et orchestre n° 2, op 51 (1958)
Introduction et Toccata op 45 (orchestration de la pièce pour piano Prélude et Toccata) (1959)
Concerto pour violoncelle, op 52 (1963)
Symphonie n° 4 "Altitudes", op 53 (1964/65)
La Cène, op ? (1962/63)
Hymne, Variations et Rondo, op 56 (1967)
Concerto pour flûte, op ? (1970/71)
Sonata Movimento Perpetuo, op ? (1973)
Transciption du Concerto lyrique en Concerto pour 4 saxophones et orchestre de chambre, op 38b (1974)
Grande Fugue de Beethoven, arrangée pour orchestre à cordes (1975)

[Cato]

Jean Martinon is indeed even less known as a composer. He leaves a substantial catalog however.  "Altitudes (Symph. nr 4).

I recall the RCA cover having a picture of galaxies on it for the Symphony #4.  I cannot find it yet on Amazon, but will keep searching.

And yes to the Jolivet Concerto for Ondes Martenot: again, my memory of it goes back many decades, but my impression was quite positive.

[kyjo]

I don't know enough of Jolivet's music as I should, so thanks for your informative posts, Peter! He seems like a really individual and interesting composer.

[Mirror Image]

I don't know enough of Jolivet's music as I should, so thanks for your informative posts, Peter! He seems like a really individual and interesting composer.

You don't own the Erato set, Kyle?

[kyjo]

You don't own the Erato set, Kyle?

Surprisingly, no! Another 20th century French composer composer I've been meaning to investigate is Marcel Landowski (his orchestral works have also been recorded by Erato). Do you know his music, John?

[Mirror Image]

Surprisingly, no! Another 20th century French composer composer I've been meaning to investigate is Marcel Landowski (his orchestral works have also been recorded by Erato). Do you know his music, John?

I know Jolivet and Landowski. Both are worth exploring. Quite surprised you don't know either, Kyle.

[kyjo]

I know Jolivet and Landowski. Both are worth exploring. Quite surprised you don't know either, Kyle.

Don't be sad, John! Yeah, besides Les Six, Dutilleux and Messiaen, mid-to-late 20th-century French music is a rather blind spot for me, I'll admit!

[Mirror Image]

Don't be sad, John! Yeah, besides Les Six, Dutilleux and Messiaen, mid-to-late 20th-century French music is a rather blind spot for me, I'll admit!

I'm not sad. I know you'll get around these composers (eventually).

[kyjo]

Just listened to Jolivet's Symphony no. 2 on YouTube. Overall, I thought it was a pretty cool work (but could've done with better sound quality, of course). The outer movements have a relentless, driven (if rather wearisome) quality to them, and the slow movement is mysterious and elliptical, if a tad overlong. What makes Jolivet's music so unique is the prominence of the percussion, which are used in an almost aleatoric fashion in this work. I wonder why his Symphonies 1 and 2 don't have modern recordings......

BTW shouldn't this thread be in the "Composer Discussion" board?