Topic: The French Music Exploration thread

[BWV 1080]

The spectralists are worth giving a listen.  This is an amazing piece - using a symphony orchestra to synthesize the opening trombone

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/GRRwk3hwrDI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/GRRwk3hwrDI</a>

[Mandryka]

Someone was asking about ethereal music, so I thought I'd spend some time this week in the obscure byways of French piano, starting with Albéric Magnard's Promenades Op. 7


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/amWJ5GJhR2o&amp;ab_channel=BartjeBartmans" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/amWJ5GJhR2o&amp;ab_channel=BartjeBartmans</a>

This is the CD I'm using, I haven't heard all that youtube, but the first two pieces suggest to me that anyone whose appetite is whetted should dump the youtube fast and get the recording



I've never heard his symphonic music, people tell me he's Bruckner manqué. Whatever, you couldn't get further from Bruckner in the drop dead gorgeous piano music.

[kyjo]

Thank this thread I got reacquainted with Ibert's music and it was a very welcome rediscovery this year. Just heard Ouverture de Fête again. What a stunning piece of music. It has grandeur and a certain rhythmic vitality, scintillating orchestration, and it's quite moving in a sort of way. And the orchestration, as always, very French, energetic, at times sharp, but always masterful. Blown away, literally!

His Flute Concerto also left me amazed the other day by how eloquent and quirky passages it has. What other works of his you all consider in the same or similar league (including Ouverture de Fête if you know it)?

I was recently blown away by this Timpani CD of two of Ibert’s ballets: Le chevalier errant and Les amours de Jupiter:



Unsurprisingly, this music is full of great tunes, rhythmic vitality, and is scintillatingly orchestrated. But there’s also a rather surprising amount of “meat” and depth to this music, especially in Le chevalier errant. Seriously impressive music, and not inferior to any of the great 20th century ballets in the slightest!

[kyjo]

I can enthusiastically recommend that set, particularly for the stupendous recordings of his very underrated early piano trios. Dare I say they’re my favorite works of his alongside the Violin Sonata and Piano Quintet. I’ve never been too keen on the Symphony in D minor as I find it to be quite poorly orchestrated....

[Jo498]

I agree that the almost complete negligence of the early trios is a bit of a mystery. While the first one is the best and the first movement of the first probably the best one of the lot, at least the first one should be standard trio rep and the others should be at least be known on the level of e.g. the Chopin Trio.

[Brass Hole]

I agree that the almost complete negligence of the early trios is a bit of a mystery. While the first one is the best and the first movement of the first probably the best one of the lot, at least the first one should be standard trio rep and the others should be at least be known on the level of e.g. the Chopin Trio.

The answer of your mystery is the piano. It's so heavily scored that it's almost impossible to balance the ensemble. The cascading octaves and countless repeating chords need a virtuoso. It's far superior than the other three for sure. But the last three are not equals of Chopin's in many musicological aspects, maybe in taste?

[Jo498]

yes, the piano dominance is probably the reason. But if you look what has been "excavated" or revived from 19th and early 20th century by lesser known romantics it remains strange that a bunch of flawed but interesting works of a major composer are virtually unknown and hardly ever recorded. Admittedly I have not heard the Alkan Trio but this has been recorded as well and there are similar examples.

[Mandryka]

Day two of my week of exploring the unexplored byways of French piano music brings me to Abel Decaux’s Clairs de lune



This is expressive and impressionistic music which reminds me of things in Debussy and in late Liszt. I was disappointed because someone once told me years and years ago that Decaux anticipated serial music à la Schoenberg, but just from casual listening that sounds wrong to me: this is not serial. Not at all unattractive nevertheless and I’m glad to have made its acquaintance.

[Papy Oli]

The spectralists are worth giving a listen.  This is an amazing piece - using a symphony orchestra to synthesize the opening trombone

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/GRRwk3hwrDI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/GRRwk3hwrDI</a>

Noted thank you. Grisey is in the "explore" list on page 1. I have saved the link of this YT video for when I get to him 

[Papy Oli]

Someone was asking about ethereal music, so I thought I'd spend some time this week in the obscure byways of French piano, starting with Albéric Magnard's Promenades Op. 7

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/amWJ5GJhR2o&amp;ab_channel=BartjeBartmans" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/amWJ5GJhR2o&amp;ab_channel=BartjeBartmans</a>

This is the CD I'm using, I haven't heard all that youtube, but the first two pieces suggest to me that anyone whose appetite is whetted should dump the youtube fast and get the recording



Thank you, link also saved and sampled briefly. I had sampled Magnard before this project kicked off and added his symphonies and his orchestral works in my collection already. I'll make a run through them and add his piano music and chamber music when it is his turn.
I've never heard his symphonic music, people tell me he's Bruckner manqué. Whatever, you couldn't get further from Bruckner in the drop dead gorgeous piano music.

[Papy Oli]

I was recently blown away by this Timpani CD of two of Ibert’s ballets: Le chevalier errant and Les amours de Jupiter:



Unsurprisingly, this music is full of great tunes, rhythmic vitality, and is scintillatingly orchestrated. But there’s also a rather surprising amount of “meat” and depth to this music, especially in Le chevalier errant. Seriously impressive music, and not inferior to any of the great 20th century ballets in the slightest!

I was impressed by that CD as well at the time, Kyle. One i should revisit.

[Papy Oli]

I will be closing the loop on César Franck shortly with his Symphony in D (with Giulini). Another fruitful exploration for me. I am just besotted with the Cello version of the violin sonata, what a gorgeous piece (Wang/ Capucon will be a future purchase for this). I still have some reservations about the original VS, more to do with my reaction to strident or shrieking violin tones. I  prefer the softer and more "melancholic" (to me) cello sound. That said, I am currently listening to 30-sec samples of the Cypres box recommended further up and the VS sounds a bit softer and closer to my liking.

I am also coming round to the Piano Quintet (Dalberto with Novus Qt) and will probably get that too in the future. the Prelude, Chorale & Fugue and Prelude, Aria & Final on that same album are just gorgeous.

I was not enthralled by the Piano Trios on the couple of recordings I streamed in the last week but again, the Cypres box samples just now made me go "oh i like this"...so there's hope.

I revisited Chasseur Maudit & Eolides off my shelves and had a much better impression than ever before. It's a win for those too.

I skipped his melodies and organ music. Maybe one day.

Thank you all, once again, for your inputs on this composer. This is a great musical journey for me. Vive la France 

[North Star]

Day two of my week of exploring the unexplored byways of French piano music brings me to Abel Decaux’s Clairs de lune



This is expressive and impressionistic music which reminds me of things in Debussy and in late Liszt. I was disappointed because someone once told me years and years ago that Decaux anticipated serial music à la Schoenberg, but just from casual listening that sounds wrong to me: this is not serial. Not at all unattractive nevertheless and I’m glad to have made its acquaintance.

Yes, it anticipates the free atonal Schönberg rather than the serialist.

[Papy Oli]

A foray into the short (and ultimately even shorter !!) works of Jean Barraqué.



Not for me, at least not today.

Let's put it that way: The 30-second advertising & musical interludes every 2-3 tracks on Idagio Free were actually a pleasant and welcome distraction from Barraqué. My loss maybe, but for now, I'll live with it   

 

[North Star]

For something soothing after Barraqué, how about the Airs de coeur? Vincent Dumestre has made some wonderful recordings of Étienne Moulinie, Antoine Boësset, Pierre Guédron, etc. Catherine King and Jacob Heringman singing with Charles Daniels' lute accompaniment are also lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qpGtevdQ2k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhqeCGh73nw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_e-3kJwS18

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5nTJY4ozRI&list=OLAK5uy_mbDK23UCQp2YP56iMkfCm4NseAG-Ovgz8

[Papy Oli]

Thank you for those, Karlo. I have saved the links and will add them to the composers' list.

[Mandryka]

Yes, it anticipates the free atonal Schönberg rather than the serialist.

Yes, it's not bad at all! 

[Madiel]

I’ve been listening to some Barraque. It does nothing for me.

[Mandryka]

Day 3, time for the big piano cycle by Antoine Mariotte, impressions urbaines.



These pieces are all quite substantial, and describe city life  - factories, suburbs, dancehalls, railway stations, urban wasteland. The musical style is weighty, at times motoric, chromatic harmonies throughout.

[Mandryka]

I’ve been listening to some Barraque. It does nothing for me.

I listened to the concerto, the ensemble 2e2m performance, I love it.