Sauguet's Sanctum (Henri Sauguet 1901-1989)

Started by vandermolen, October 30, 2014, 01:48:56 AM

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pjme


pjme

And -recorded in Siberia - Sauguet's celloconcerto "Mélodie concertante" - a Rostropovitch commission ( 1963).


http://www.youtube.com/v/kYA7RKya0A0

vandermolen

pjme - thank you so much for posting these. I don't know any of them. The opening of the Piano Concerto and Cello Concerto sound very promising.

Thanks again.  :)
"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).

pjme

 :)

I enjoy You Tube . there's a whole world of lesser known music and forgotten composers to be explored.

I posted only the first movement of the pianoconcerto. But both the slow mov. and the finale can easily be found.

Peter

vandermolen

Quote from: pjme on November 04, 2014, 09:44:37 AM
:)

I enjoy You Tube . there's a whole world of lesser known music and forgotten composers to be explored.

I posted only the first movement of the pianoconcerto. But both the slow mov. and the finale can easily be found.

Peter

Many thanks Peter - I have discovered many lesser-known works on You Tube, most recently Karl Birger Blomdahl's First Symphony.
Jeffrey
"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).

vandermolen

Hadn't realised how fine Symphony 3 was until I heard the recording from 1956 with Orchestre Nationale de la Radiodiffusion-Television Francaise conducted by Pierre Dervaux (Forgotten Records CD).
"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).

pjme

That symphony was premiered by the N.I.R. symphony in Venice / 1955, together with Milhaud's 7th symphony, Concerto for orchestra by Alexander Tansman and the Fantaisie concertante by Malipiero. Afaik, Franz André was the conductor.

N.I.R. stands for  Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-Omroep ( I.N.R. for the french section) - the name of the Belgian National Broadcasting institution from 1930 till 1960.

Arthur Meulemans and Jean Kumps were the first conductors of a small "Radio orchestra " of ca 30-40 muscians. From 1935 André was able to organise a large, professional orchestra.
Still, the history of the radio orchestra is a chequered one and reflects the complex ( at times hilarious and/or agressive  ...) political situation of our bilingual country....

Peter

vandermolen

Quote from: pjme on November 07, 2014, 12:13:00 AM
That symphony was premiered by the N.I.R. symphony in Venice / 1955, together with Milhaud's 7th symphony, Concerto for orchestra by Alexander Tansman and the Fantaisie concertante by Malipiero. Afaik, Franz André was the conductor.

N.I.R. stands for  Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-Omroep ( I.N.R. for the french section) - the name of the Belgian National Broadcasting institution from 1930 till 1960.

Arthur Meulemans and Jean Kumps were the first conductors of a small "Radio orchestra " of ca 30-40 muscians. From 1935 André was able to organise a large, professional orchestra.
Still, the history of the radio orchestra is a chequered one and reflects the complex ( at times hilarious and/or agressive  ...) political situation of our bilingual country....

Peter

Here is the musicweb review of the Symphony 3 CD.

I like Meulemans's 'Pliny's Fountain' very much and the Gothic Symphony by Godfried Devreese.

"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).

Christo

Thank you all very much. I wouldn't ever have known enough about Sauguet without your help. Bought the four symphonies this Summer and am winding my way through them, thus far especially the Fist, Third and Fourth, that I all like very much. Have to find the courage yet to dive into the Second (only touched it with my toe).

For me, Sauguet is a category of his own. But if I have to compare him with some-one, it would be Honegger.
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#30
Quote from: Christo on August 26, 2015, 11:31:45 AM
Thank you all very much. I wouldn't ever have known enough about Sauguet without your help. Bought the four symphonies this Summer and am winding my way through them, thus far especially the Fist, Third and Fourth, that I all like very much. Have to find the courage yet to dive into the Second (only touched it with my toe).

For me, Sauguet is a category of his own. But if I have to compare him with some-one, it would be Honegger.

Excellent news! Glad you are enjoying this Johan. I think that the Honegger connection is very true; both in terms of style and the underlying integrity of the music. The 'Expiatoire' in particular was one of my best discoveries on Marco Polo and I have been increasingly enjoying Symphony 3 having discovered a different recording which conveys a bit more urgency although the Marco Polo is fine. Symphony 2 has a touching motto theme connecting the different sections.  I find the bell-like opening of Symphony 1 and the conclusion to be very moving.
"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

#31
I didn't know there was a Sauguet thread. Thanks Jeffrey for cooking it up !

My first Sauguet disc was this, a Chant du monde LP of Les forains under the composer's direction, and the first PC with Vasso Devetzi and Rozhdestvensky (a surprising match!):




And then came the set of the 4 symphonies, which I listened to many times, including just recently. I had all but forgotten how good - and totally different from the other three - is the Second. On that occasion I came to realize that the later symphonies (3 and 4) were the most solid and original.

There's also an excellent cello concerto, which has been recorded a few times, most notably by Rostropovich.

As Christo says, he's in a category of his own.

snyprrr

my Posts didn't show up here??...


just discovered the Cello Concerto, and some other distinctive works...

snyprrr

String Quartet No.2 (1949)

Sounds like Debussy/Ravel to me, not a bad thing. No.3 (1979) is a little more dour.

vandermolen

Quote from: snyprrr on October 25, 2017, 01:58:40 PM
my Posts didn't show up here??...


just discovered the Cello Concerto, and some other distinctive works...

You opened a separate thread - scroll down and you should see it.
"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).

vandermolen

#35
I seem to have forgotten to mention that a wonderful historic recording of Sauguet's movingly magnificent (IMHO at least) 'Symphonie No. 1 'Expiatoire' from 1945 has been released on Forgotten Records.

Musicweb much preferred it to the version available on Marco Polo, which is taken much slower. The reviewer even went so far as suggesting that those who have a copy of the Marco Polo should 'throw it away'  :o. As I explained I will do no such thing as I like both versions. Certainly the older recording has much greater urgency but I like the more reflective Marco Polo release as well which is, of course, a more recent recording.

Anyway the Forgotten Records release is with the ORTF conducted by Ernest Bour, recorded at a live broadcast I think on 23rd Feb 1948 and here is the link:

https://www.forgottenrecords.com/en/Marechal--Bour--Bloch-Sauguet--1061.html

It is coupled with a magnificent performance of Bloch's 'Schelomo' (1916) with the same forces and Maurice Marechal as the cellist - most moving version known to me.

Here's the review:

http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2017/Jan/Sauguet_sy1_FR1229.htm

All credit to Forgotten Records for unearthing this. The charming boss of Forgotten Records, Alain Degueruel, always puts in a nice personal note with the CD.
"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

+1 for the Expiatoire. I listened to all 4 symphonies not too long ago after a prolonged hiatus and was struck by their extraordinary quality. Sauguet also composed a delicious piano concerto. I used to have it on LP, with Vasso Devetzi, but alas I've never found it on cd.

Will definitely check the Forgotten Records disc. Thanks!

Christo

Quote from: André on June 13, 2018, 10:01:37 AM
+1 for the Expiatoire. I listened to all 4 symphonies not too long ago after a prolonged hiatus and was struck by their extraordinary quality. Sauguet also composed a delicious piano concerto. I used to have it on LP, with Vasso Devetzi, but alas I've never found it on cd.
Quote from: pjme on November 02, 2014, 12:12:33 PM
More Sauguet - albeit in often dated recordings - can be found on You Tube. The first piano concerto:
http://www.youtube.com/v/QBfIYP3L2zs
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

Quote from: André on June 13, 2018, 10:01:37 AM
+1 for the Expiatoire. I listened to all 4 symphonies not too long ago after a prolonged hiatus and was struck by their extraordinary quality. Sauguet also composed a delicious piano concerto. I used to have it on LP, with Vasso Devetzi, but alas I've never found it on cd.

Will definitely check the Forgotten Records disc. Thanks!

Thanks Andre - I'm sure that you'd like the disc and the Bloch coupling is very powerful and moving. Sauguet is a composer I greatly admire.
"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).

vandermolen

#39
Quote from: Christo on June 13, 2018, 11:35:11 AM


Thanks Johan and Peter too - the PC sounds very good.
"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).