The French Music Exploration thread

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

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Papy Oli

Quote from: Scion7 on September 18, 2020, 06:21:16 AM
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???   ???

:laugh:

I do not dislike Debussy. I just haven't found an entry point yet that unlocks his music for me  ;)

I might make an effort when his time comes  to save a nymph   :P
Olivier

Papy Oli

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 18, 2020, 06:08:40 AM
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

Fair enough  :)
Olivier


aligreto

Quote from: Papy Oli on September 18, 2020, 06:44:15 AM
oh, I knoooooooow !!!!



This thread is throwing up some interesting stuff already, in more ways than one  ;D

Papy Oli

I have sampled those two (guitar music, songs) but they didn't work for me.

Madiel,
You might want to check out the Melodies/Songs one just in case it hits the mark for you.


 
[/quote]
Olivier

André

#105
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 18, 2020, 06:08:40 AM
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

More likely it's the genre, PD. French composers were often adept at writing charming light music with ease, so judging from that end of their output may lead one to believe they have little depth or originality. Like Florent Schmitt. Imagine coming to him through Le petit elfe Ferme-l'oeil (charming work). You'd never think he had stuff like the piano quintet, Psaume XLVII or La tragédie de Salomé in him.

For meaty, serious Sauguet, the symphonies nos 3 and 4 and the piano concerto may help you reconsider.

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: André on September 18, 2020, 08:59:59 AM
More likely it's the genre, PD. French composers were often adept at writing charming light music with ease, so judging from that end of their output may lead one to believe they have little depth or originality. Like Florent Schmitt. Imagine coming to him through Le petit elfe Ferme-l'oeil (charming work). You'd never think he had stuff like the piano quintet, Psaume XLVII or La tragédie de Saloméin him.

For meaty, serious Sauguet, the symphonies nos 3 and 4 and the piano concerto may help you reconsider.
Thank you for the suggestions André!  I'll give those a listen to soon.   :)

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Scion7

He wrote a Piano Quintet?  Hmmm ... not in the works list.

Were you referring to  Divertissement de chambre, for piano, flute, clarinet, bassoon, & viola [1931]  ?
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."

Florestan

Quote from: André on September 18, 2020, 08:59:59 AM
French composers were often adept at writing charming light music with ease, so judging from that end of their output may lead one to believe they have little depth or originality.

Writing charming light music with ease is better than writing boring serious music at great pain. Plus, more often than not there's more originality in the former than in the latter. :D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

André

Quote from: Scion7 on September 18, 2020, 09:45:35 AM
He wrote a Piano Quintet?  Hmmm ... not in the works list.

Were you referring to  Divertissement de chambre, for piano, flute, clarinet, bassoon, & viola [1931]  ?

I'm talking about Schmitt, not Sauguet in that post.

Scion7

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."

Florestan

Quote from: Scion7 on September 18, 2020, 10:55:46 AM
Ah!  So you were - I'm going blind.

Off topic: where on earth do you find your avatars? They are way more fanciful than any of the water sprites whose fate seems to concern you greatly.  :D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Florestan on September 18, 2020, 11:04:55 AM
Off topic: where on earth do you find your avatars? They are way more fanciful than any of the water sprites whose fate seems to concern you greatly.  :D
I was curious too!  Particularly this one!
Pohjolas Daughter

Scion7

The Magyars will rise!  They will expand to the times of medieval kingdom before the Mongols came!  Next year for certain!   :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."

Florestan

Quote from: Scion7 on September 18, 2020, 12:26:12 PM
The Magyars will rise!  They will expand to the times of medieval kingdom before the Mongols came!  Next year for certain!   :P

I suggest you take a cold shower and listen to more Enescu.  :P
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Scion7

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."

Madiel

I go to bed and look at all the fun and games in Europe... Magyar hordes and all.

I shall try some Saturday morning Sauguet, not sure whether it will be Singing Sauguet or Symphonic Sauguet yet.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Florestan

Quote from: Scion7 on September 18, 2020, 01:16:46 PM
Eneszló?   :D

Never heard about him. One of the lesser-known Arpad's chieftains?
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Madiel

Okay, I'm not loving the Sauguet.

I lasted with Symphony No.3 for only a couple of minutes before thinking no, that's not what I want right now.  So I switched to String Quartet No.3, and while I've had it on for a bit longer I'm not feeling inspired. I can hear some of the same uninteresting qualities. Sure, it could be the performers (there's only 1 to choose from on Primephonic in each case)... or it could be that the music is a bit dull.

Switching to that Melodies album... hmm, could I find the words somewhere? That'd help me. But see, now I have to work out if it's the music that's flat or only the singer. Because the singer is definitely not impressing me.

I'd really like... a spark of energy somewhere. And I can't be certain whether this is just a run of flat performances or whether the music itself is flat.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Scion7

You don't like Henri?  YOU DON'T LIKE HENRI??!!?   Don't you know every time you say that, a Norwegian Hulder turns to ice, and melts away with the morning sun???   ???



oh, the humanity . . .
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."