Louise Farrenc

[SonicMan46]

Farrenc, Louise - Violin/Piano & Piano Works w/ the performers below - same recordings as posted previously - there is some overlap w/ the two piano recordings shown which I've kept in my collection (Fanfare reviews attached - Dubins seems to love the Polk performance).  Dave

   

[SonicMan46]

Re-post from the 'listening thread' on the Farrenc Symphonies - put together a Spotify playlist and results: 1) Enjoyed the Laurence Equilbey period instruments performance of Nos. 1 & 3 - ordered on Amazon; and 2) My Goritzki CDs vs. the König performances; well, both sounded fine to me so agree w/ the attached reviews - will simply keep the older discs and wait to see if Equilbey comes out w/ No. 2 + fillers.  Dave

Yesterday, I posted on some of Louise Farrenc's chamber works and left a short bio (check link for more) - this morning I'm listening to her Symphonies done by Laurence Equilbey (just 1 & 3), Christoph König, and Johannes Goritzki - I own the Goritzki recordings, but should I replace the CDs w/ those of König? Also, Equilbey uses a period instrument band (which I've already heard and enjoyed but $20 USD on Amazon USA - will check elsewhere; plus I'm assuming she will do No. 2 plus fillers?).  Attached are reviews for those interested - Goritzki vs. König seems to be 'nose-to-nose' - will shortly have heard both and will decide, BUT I'd still like to obtain Equilbey at a decent price or DL).  Any comments appreciated - Dave

   

 

 

[Daverz]

I don't think any of the Naxos, CPO or Erato symphony recordings have been less than very good.  I've streamed all of them and simply find myself enjoying the music each time.

So many "rediscovered" composers from that era have been forgettable in the end, but Farrenc is the real deal if you like Schumann and Mendelssohn.

[SonicMan46]

I don't think any of the Naxos, CPO or Erato symphony recordings have been less than very good.  I've streamed all of them and simply find myself enjoying the music each time.

So many "rediscovered" composers from that era have been forgettable in the end, but Farrenc is the real deal is you like Schumann and Mendelssohn.

Hi Dave - I listened to all of those symphony recordings this morning on a Spotify playlist and enjoyed each one - ordered the Laurence Equilbey CD because of the use of a period instrument band but the other two were similarly well done. I really admire Farrenc for emerging when males predominated her world and she still was triumphant - her chamber and piano music is wonderful also - for those reading this thread and not aware of Louise, then open your ears to a female 19th century composer who challenged the best of her times - really!     Dave

[SonicMan46]

Farrenc's Piano Music - how much did she write?  I currently own the 2 CDs shown below (left & middle) - there is much overlap, e.g. the 'Air Russe' and selective 'Etudes, Op. 26' - reviews are attached in a previous post of mine here.  BUT, Brian in the 'New Releases' thread just posted an upcoming release of the 'Etudes' by Maria Stratigou (a doctoral professor and concert pianist who has written and lectured on Farrenc) - states a 2-CD recording and listed as '1', so more to come?

Obviously, this piques my interest as to 'how much' piano music did Louise write - immediately below from her Wiki bio is a listing (and many of those opus numbers have a lot of pieces, such as the Etudes - click to enlarge) - so will be curious about this new release, reviews, and whether a '2' will be coming out?  Dave



   

[calyptorhynchus]

I find her work very good, which is surprising as I don't often like pieces from that period (from the death of Schubert to Bruckner's first symphonies as I think of it!).

[SonicMan46]

Just purchased the 2-disc set of Farrenc's Symphonies and Overtures w/ Laurence Equilbey (had some Amazon credit so just a $10 buy - will donate my duplicates) - reviews attached - these are period instruments but receiving uniformly 'very good' comments.  Dave

 

[SonicMan46]

Farrenc's Piano Music - quoted post about a year ago from me - still have the same 2 discs, i.e. Johanne Polk & Konstanze Eiskhorst - in the list below of Farrenc's piano compositions, I've put in bold the pieces performed on these two recordings; there is some overlap, esp. of Op. 26.  Maria Stratigou appears to be on a project and has so far released 3 CDs on Grand Piano (and assume more are coming?) - her performances are in italics below (including Op. 26 which seems to be a popular choice).  Dave

Piano works
* Variations (Aristide Farrenc), Op. 2 - Stratigou
* Grandes variations Le premier pas, Op. 4 (piano solo) - Stratigou
* Variations brillantes on a theme from La Cenerentola by Rossini, Op. 5 - Stratigou
* Variations sur l'air favori "O ma tendre musette!", Op. 6 - Stratigou
* Air suisse varié, Op. 7 - Stratigou
* Trois rondeaux, Op. 8
* Rondeau sur un air du pirate de Bellini, Op. 9
* Variations (George Onslow), Op. 10 - Stratigou
* Rondeau sur des thèmes d'Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber, Op. 11
* Variations (Galopade favorite), Op. 12
* Rondeau (Rossini), Op. 13
* Les italiennes, Op. 14 - Polk only
* Variations brillantes (Donizetti), Op. 15 - Eiskhorst only
* Les allemandes, Op. 16
* Air russe varié, Op. 17 - Eickhorst & Polk
* La Sylphide, Op. 18
* Souvenir des Huguenots, Op. 19 - Polk only
* Les jours heureux, Op. 21
* Fugues, Op. 22
* Trente études all major & minor keys, Op. 26 (1838) - Eickhorst & Polk; Stratigou
* Hymne russe varié, Op. 27
* Variations sur un thème allemand, Op. 28
* Variations (Bellini) Op. 29 (Piano four hands, arrangements for two or three pianos)
* Douze études brillantes, Op. 41 (1853) - Stratigou
* Vingt études de moyenne difficulté, Op. 42 (1854) - Stratigou
* Trois mélodies, Op. 43
* Scherzo, Op. 47
* Valse brillante, Op. 48 - Eiskhorst only
* 1er nocturne, Op. 49 - Eiskhorst only
* Vingt cinq études faciles, Op. 50 - Stratigou
* Deuxième valse brillante, Op. 51
* Various works for piano, without opus numbers
* Mélodie, without opus number

Farrenc's Piano Music - how much did she write?  I currently own the 2 CDs shown below (left & middle) - there is much overlap, e.g. the 'Air Russe' and selective 'Etudes, Op. 26' - reviews are attached in a previous post of mine here.  BUT, Brian in the 'New Releases' thread just posted an upcoming release of the 'Etudes' by Maria Stratigou (a doctoral professor and concert pianist who has written and lectured on Farrenc) - states a 2-CD recording and listed as '1', so more to come?

Obviously, this piques my interest as to 'how much' piano music did Louise write - immediately below from her Wiki bio is a listing (and many of those opus numbers have a lot of pieces, such as the Etudes - click to enlarge) - so will be curious about this new release, reviews, and whether a '2' will be coming out?  Dave

   

 

[SonicMan46]

Just left the post below in the listening thread - mainly re-posting for the book on her, borrowed from the local Wake Forest library (last taken out in 1987!  ).  Louise Dumont was born into a long generational family of painters, printers, sculptors, and other artists - for decades the family had artist apartments first at the Louvre Palace, then at the re-opened Sorbonne.  As famous was her older brother, Auguste Dumont (1801-1884), a sculptor who left a plethora of art throughout France.  Dave

Farrenc, Louise (1804-1875) - Symphonies/Overtures w/ Laurence Equilbey/Insular Orchestra (period instruments) and Piano Etudes w/ Maria Stratigou (a second volume about to be released by Grand Piano).

Also, I was able to checkout the book below from the Wake Forest University Library w/ a new library card:

Louise Farrenc, 1804-1875: Composer, Performer, Scholar by Bea Friedland, published by the University of Michigan in 1980 - divided into Part I of about 80 pages of biography, photo section, and then Part II of her music (over 100 pages in two indices); finally ending w/ a lot of notes and references - just half way through the bio section.  Dave