The French Music Exploration thread

Started by Papy Oli, September 14, 2020, 03:17:20 AM

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Papy Oli

Quote from: Irons on September 17, 2020, 11:12:33 PM
Suites Des Indes Galantes
Most enjoyable. A recording from 1961 that wears it's years well.

Excellent !
Olivier

aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 17, 2020, 03:00:36 AM
Nor me, I'm afraid. Too much banging and dissonance overall for my own tastes.

"Arcana" was sort interesting for 5-10 minutes but it lost me afterwards. "Tuning up" was original and quirky, even pressed replay on this particular one, but I do not feel the need to revisit again.

I have been doing some exploratory listening to Varese's music over the last couple of days as I know nothing of this composer. One work stood out for me, and that is Arcana. I find it to be powerful, interesting, exciting and compelling listening. I also find Déserts and Amériques to be intriguing but I cannot quite grasp them yet. I will have to study them more.
I have no interest in percussion ensembles, however.  ;D

aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 17, 2020, 06:23:49 AM
I moved on to Jean-Philippe Rameau earlier this afternoon.

I do not have a lot in my collection but he actually is the French composer I return to the most for the following :

Les Indes Galantes (Orchestral - Bruggen)
Les Indes Galantes (Harpsichord - Rousset)
Pieces de Clavecin (Bielder, Ross , Meyer)

The Suite in E minor particularly is a strong favorite of mine as it includes Rappel des Oiseaux et Gigue en Rondeau. I have always been satisfied with only Indes Galantes in instrumental versions. It should be a short foray as I tried a few times the operas themselves (audio, YT video) but to no avail. It just doesn't work for me once the singing is there.

Earlier today, I listened to the Overtures by Rousset. That was very good, really enjoyed that.



Checking out Rameau's works on wikipedia, I notice he did some motets. I'll give that a go later today on tomorrow.



Rousset is a fine interpreter of Rameau, I think, and he plays the harpsichord works very well if one is interested in that particular field of endeavour.

Scion7

Quote from: aligreto on September 18, 2020, 01:25:10 AM
I have been doing some exploratory listening to Varese's music over the last couple of days as I know nothing of this composer. One work stood out for me, and that is Arcana. I find it to be powerful, interesting, exciting and compelling listening. I also find Déserts and Amériques to be intriguing ...

Great!  I am glad you are not a water-sprite genocidal maniac like Papy!   :P
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

aligreto

Quote from: Scion7 on September 18, 2020, 01:37:09 AM
Great!  I am glad you are not a water-sprite genocidal maniac like Papy!   :P

No, and if they all look like that I will contribute in any way to save them  ;D

Seriously though, I did find a lot to interest me in Varese's music and I will definitely explore further, if slowly.

Madiel

I took some of my Rameau in a thoroughly non-traditional form.



And I was rather surprised at how well the programming worked. The choices of Debussy pieces are very, very smart to fit with the Rameau ones. And yes, this won't work if you don't want your harpsichord music played on piano. But for what it is, it impressed me a lot more than I had expected.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Papy Oli

#86
Quote from: aligreto on September 18, 2020, 01:25:10 AM
I have been doing some exploratory listening to Varese's music over the last couple of days as I know nothing of this composer. One work stood out for me, and that is Arcana. I find it to be powerful, interesting, exciting and compelling listening. I also find Déserts and Amériques to be intriguing but I cannot quite grasp them yet. I will have to study them more.
I have no interest in percussion ensembles, however.  ;D

???

joke aside, you make a case for trying Arcana again at some point.
Olivier

Papy Oli

#87
Quote from: aligreto on September 18, 2020, 01:28:43 AM
Rousset is a fine interpreter of Rameau, I think, and he plays the harpsichord works very well if one is interested in that particular field of endeavour.

I only have one CD of his but yes, it is a very good one :

Olivier

Papy Oli

Quote from: Madiel on September 18, 2020, 03:49:21 AM
I took some of my Rameau in a thoroughly non-traditional form.



And I was rather surprised at how well the programming worked. The choices of Debussy pieces are very, very smart to fit with the Rameau ones. And yes, this won't work if you don't want your harpsichord music played on piano. But for what it is, it impressed me a lot more than I had expected.

Noted Madiel, thank you, and added in my queue. Maybe the mixing of tracks with Rameau will help me hear Debussy differently when I get to him.
Olivier

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 18, 2020, 04:52:36 AM
Noted Madiel, thank you, and added in my queue. Maybe the mixing of tracks with Rameau will help me hear Debussy differently when I get to him.
Sorry if I missed earlier comments, but are you (currently) not much of a fan of Debussy?

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 18, 2020, 04:48:35 AM
???

joke aside, you make a case for trying Arcana again at some point.

Yes, I think that it is certainly worth taking some time over but one would have to be in the right frame of mind for a challenge.

This is one of the versions that I found to be very appealing whenever you are ready for it:



https://www.youtube.com/v/Bg3-Sdn4PPg

aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 18, 2020, 04:50:19 AM
I only have one CD of his but yes, it is a very good one :



Yes, it is a good one indeed.

Papy Oli

#92
Henri Sauguet is the French composer I am exploring today. I was really impressed by his 1st symphony recently, upon Jeffrey's (Vandermolen) recommendations. I'll be exploring his symphonies 2 (playing now), 3, 4, his three string quartets, his mélodies (songs), and some ballet music as well. Also some guitar music.

   

 



Olivier

aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 18, 2020, 05:08:55 AM
Henri Sauguet is the French composer I am exploring today. I was really impressed by his 1st symphony recently, upon Jeffrey's (Vandermolen) recommendations. I'll be exploring his symphonies 2 (playing now), 3, 4, his three string quartets, his mélodies, and some ballet music as well. Also some guitar music.

   

 

Once again, I know nothing of this composer so I look forward to some recommendations here.

Papy Oli

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 18, 2020, 04:59:51 AM
Sorry if I missed earlier comments, but are you (currently) not much of a fan of Debussy?

PD

Hi PD,
I would love to be a fan but he is one of the main French composers that I just don't click with. Over the years, I have regularly tried and picked up his piano works (Michelangeli) and orchestral works (Martinon) off the shelf but very little success. Hence this little project. Open my ears to as much French music as possible and hoping that when i get to spend some time with Debussy towards the end, it might appear more accessible to those ears. Ravel is in the same boat in the main (although some of works I do like already).

Olivier

Papy Oli

Quote from: aligreto on September 18, 2020, 05:00:14 AM
Yes, I think that it is certainly worth taking some time over but one would have to be in the right frame of mind for a challenge.
This is one of the versions that I found to be very appealing whenever you are ready for it:

Quite. Thank you Fergus, I have saved it.
Olivier

Papy Oli

Quote from: aligreto on September 18, 2020, 05:14:56 AM
Once again, I know nothing of this composer so I look forward to some recommendations here.

So far, his symphony No.2 is surprisingly very engrossing. I wasn't convinced to start off with, with the soprano and the choir, but they just draw you in, like in a tale, through the seasons. Very atmospheric, sometimes eerie. Definitely a work where some narration would fit right in, like in Children of Lir  actually (I can't believe I would miss/consider narration !!). Worth it if in the right mood.

Couldn't be any more different to what I discovered with his First either.

Olivier

Pohjolas Daughter

Well, I just listened to some long 'samples' of some of Sauget's works:  Les Forains, Tableaux de Paris, and his first symphony and what I heard left me feeling "Eh".   :(  It felt very retro to me...unexciting.  Pleasant and charming for Les Forains and the Tableaux, but not memorable.  Perhaps it was my mood?  Would be interesting to hear others thoughts here.

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Scion7

You don't like Debussy? You don't like Debussy??!?!!
Don't you know every time you say that, a despondent French forest-nymph throws herself into the Seine, and drowns???   ???



As Richard A. Leonard wrote:




When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 18, 2020, 05:58:24 AM
So far, his symphony No.2 is surprisingly very engrossing. I wasn't convinced to start off with, with the soprano and the choir, but they just draw you in, like in a tale, through the seasons. Very atmospheric, sometimes eerie. Definitely a work where some narration would fit right in, like in Children of Lir  actually (I can't believe I would miss/consider narration !!). Worth it if in the right mood.

Couldn't be any more different to what I discovered with his First either.



WHAT!!!  :o  :o