Langlais' Lantern

Started by vers la flamme, February 15, 2020, 11:09:19 AM

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vers la flamme

I could not find a thread for this extremely prolific Breton/French composer. I chanced upon a CD of his at the record store today, the Suite Médiévale and the Cinq Méditations sur l'Apocalypse on Naxos, w/ organist Bruno Mathieu, and decided to buy it despite not having heard any of his music. Listening now, I'm very glad to have taken the chance. This is fascinating music, magical in a way not unlike Messiaen's organ music, the obvious touchstone. But it's a little different, quieter, more meditative, more tonal, with the influence of ancient music readily apparent. Enjoying it very much so far. Also, it turns out today is his birthday, so it only made sense to start a thread.

From Wikipedia:

QuoteJean Langlais (15 February 1907 – 8 May 1991) was a French composer of modern classical music, organist, and improviser. He described himself as "Breton, de foi Catholique". His works include masses and organ music, some based on Gregorian themes, enhanced by polymodal harmonies, as well as music for other forces.

Langlais was a prolific composer, composing 254 works with opus numbers, the first of which was his Prelude and Fugue for organ (1927), and the last his Trio (1990), another organ piece. Although best known as a composer of organ music and sacred choral music, he also composed a number of instrumental, orchestral and chamber works and some secular song settings.

Langlais' music is written in a highly individual eclectic style, venturing well beyond what might be expected of mid-twentieth-century French music, with rich and complex harmonies and overlapping modes, sometimes more tonal than his contemporary, friend and countryman Olivier Messiaen, sometimes related to his two predecessors at Sainte-Clotilde, Franck and Tournemire, but sometimes also employing serial techniques and often exhibiting an earthy, Celtic folkiness which owes not a little to Bartok: "Il y a toujours des artichous dans sa musique" as one early reviewer wrote.

Any fans here? Has anyone been listening to any Langlais as of late? I'm curious about where to go from here with his music.

vandermolen

I remember enjoying this LP:
Nice thread title:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

André

A great organist/composer. Langlais was titular at Sainte Clotilde, Paris for 42 years, succeeding Tournemire (and, before him, César Franck).

I have organ music, organ concertos, masses and vocal music by him. He is earnest but not austere, concise but not cryptic. He sometimes flirted with modernism but always remained intent on communicating spiritual meaning by classical means.

Unfortunately very few recordings have been issued bearing his music only. Most of the time a mass, organ pieces, motets etc join other composers' music. It makes it harder to get a firm picture of the composer when he shares the stage with the likes of Olsson, Dupré, Alain, etc.

Symphonic Addict

Interesting. One further added to the extense list.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky