Henri Sauguet (1901-1981) was a French composer whose first two symphonies ('Expiatoire' 1944 and 'Allegorique-Les Saisons' 1949) I find deeply moving. I can find no reference to him here but may have missed something. The 'Expiatoire' written to expiate his guilt at not being able to alleviate the suffering of his countrymen under the Nazi occupation in World War Two has a wonderful bell-like opening and deeply moving (in my view) conclusion and is a memorable work in every respect. I have just been discovering the partly choral Symphony No 2 and I love the orchestral section representing Winter. There is a minimalist aspect to this music which I find very haunting and also an endearing gentleness. He wrote four symphonies in total and I would definitely recommend No 1 and if you like that No.2. So, a strong recommendation for Henri Sauguet.
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You missed one, Jeffrey!
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I own all three recordings pictured and haven't heard them in years. Sauguet also wrote a ton of ballet music. I wish some enterprising conductor/orchestra/record label would record more of Sauguet's music.
I just have the first two symphonies and love them both. I remember listening to them on my headphone during a train ride. Would have been better had it been an old fashioned steam engine train instead of the bullet train, but still appropriate setting for listening to these works!
Thanks ever so much for the replies :). I thought this might be a candidate for the GMG Forum Zero Response Award! Actually I do have the CD with symphs 3 and 4 on but don't really know them - I shall rectify this soon. I realised that it was the 'Winter' section I loved most from Symphony No 2 (which I have on at the moment whilst painting the living room wall!)
If I remember correctly, Saguet's Symphonies 3 & 4 have a Neoclassical feel to them and a tougher harmonic/melodic language than these two symphonies' predecessors. They're still enjoyable works the best I can remember. It's always a fascinating thing to chart a composer's development through their symphonies.
Beautiful music, I have all his Marco Polo symphonies. Probably been about a year since the last playing.
That's what's great about this forum, persons posting and persons like myself reading and thinking...wow, must listen to them again tonight & tomorrow. The forum, most of the time is like your own little "play" or "to do" list :)
I'd go as far as saying his second is a masterpiece (certainly to my ears). The first is very powerful with very moving themes. The 3rd and 4th I would have to relisten as I've not heard them as much as the first two.
Quote from: AnthonyAthletic on April 10, 2013, 07:56:04 AM
Beautiful music, I have all his Marco Polo symphonies. Probably been about a year since the last playing.
That's what's great about this forum, persons posting and persons like myself reading and thinking...wow, must listen to them again tonight & tomorrow. The forum, most of the time is like your own little "play" or "to do" list :)
I'd go as far as saying his second is a masterpiece (certainly to my ears). The first is very powerful with very moving themes. The 3rd and 4th I would have to relisten as I've not heard them as much as the first two.
Many thanks. Yes, the second has been a revelation to me. I think that I read a negative review of it (not here) which put me off. Taught me not to accept what the critics say!
Quote from: vandermolen on April 10, 2013, 10:20:18 AMI think that I read a negative review of it (not here) which put me off. Taught me not to accept what the critics say!
Exactly. With music, you have to go with your own intuition and what you feel inside of yourself.
My next French Composer is going to have to be that old Landowski disc, I think. I travel pretty slow on New French Composers. I'd still have to go through Jolivet before I got to Sauguet.
Quote from: snyprrr on April 10, 2013, 11:12:50 AM
My next French Composer is going to have to be that old Landowski disc, I think. I travel pretty slow on New French Composers. I'd still have to go through Jolivet before I got to Sauguet.
I'm going to be working on Jolivet very soon. Landowski will have to wait a little while.
Sauguet is buried next to Jolivet I think. Have listened to Sauguet's Second Symphony three times today (and it is not a short work!).
Here is Sauguet's grave next to that of Jolivet:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tombe_Sauguet.jpg
I think I'll have to dig my Sauguet recordings out now and listen to Symphony No. 2 first. I remember it being incredibly beautiful.
Listening to Symphony No. 2 right now. I don't care much for the choral sections, so I'm skipping them right away. The orchestral part of this symphony is quite beautiful. I think the choral parts should have been dropped or the poems should have simply been read by a narrator. That's my main criticism for this symphony so far.
That's it! I turned off this Sauguet symphony. The chorus just ruins the mood for me. It also doesn't help that they're not very well recorded and lack impact. The music is quite nice, but I won't be listening to this symphony or any symphony by Sauguet for a long time. Sorry to disagree with you about this symphony, Jeffrey, but I've heard better symphonies written by teenagers (Langgaard and Shostakovich both spring immediately to mind).
I also prefer the orchestral parts of Symphony No 2 but the complete work does work for me - also the choral sections are quite short! Listening to Symphony 4 now - quite different to 1 and 2 but am enjoying it - reminds me a bit of Honegger. I wonder John if you'll return to the 'Expiatoire' Symphony, which is my favourite. I think that I was in the right reflective mood to listen to Symphony No 2. No need to be sorry John - on the contrary it's great to have your input.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 10, 2013, 12:34:33 PM
I also prefer the orchestral parts of Symphony No 2 but the complete work does work for me - also the choral sections are quite short! Listening to Symphony 4 now - quite different to 1 and 2 but am enjoying it - reminds me a bit of Honegger. I wonder John if you'll return to the 'Expiatoire' Symphony, which is my favourite. I think that I was in the right reflective mood to listen to Symphony No 2. No need to be sorry John - on the contrary it's great to have your input.
I'll probably return at some point just not any time soon.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 10, 2013, 11:42:36 AM
I'm going to be working on Jolivet very soon. Landowski will have to wait a little while.
Well, this is the only Landowski sighting here, hmmm. I just picked up (finally!) that old Erato disc of Symphonies 1, 3, & 4. I could barely contain myself listening to the samples, so, hopefully all my expectations will be exceeded! I hear the are the closest things we have to Honegger's Symphonies 6-8, so I hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
This disc has been on the radar since, when?, the early '90s? Surely everyone here has at least passed it flipping through the racks at some point? ("Oh, THAT cd.")
The only Landowski I know are his Piano Concerto and his Ondes Martenot Concerto, two works I can highly recommend. I've been meaning to try the symphonies.
Quote from: lescamil on May 25, 2013, 11:25:48 PM
The only Landowski I know are his Piano Concerto and his Ondes Martenot Concerto, two works I can highly recommend. I've been meaning to try the symphonies.
You have that Koch disc of concertos? or...
Quote from: snyprrr on May 26, 2013, 05:11:51 PM
You have that Koch disc of concertos? or...
Yes, that's the one I have.
It's always surprised me too what these wackos here know- why d'you think I come here?
I've never heard of this Sauguet character but I'll give one of his symphonies a bashing in the next few days.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 10, 2013, 07:34:06 AM
Thanks ever so much for the replies :). I thought this might be a candidate for the GMG Forum Zero Response Award! Actually I do have the CD with symphs 3 and 4 on but don't really know them - I shall rectify this soon. I realised that it was the 'Winter' section I loved most from Symphony No 2 (which I have on at the moment whilst painting the living room wall!)
Quote from: Sean on May 26, 2013, 09:54:20 PM
It's always surprised me too what these wackos here know- why d'you think I come here?
I've never heard of this Sauguet character but I'll give one of his symphonies a bashing in the next few days.
Let us know what you think in due course.
Sauguet's Fourth under Almeida with the Moscow SO brings the first movement rhythmic impulses rather reminiscent of Tubin; ten minutes into the second movement sound like something from Star Trek while the rest is somewhat along the lines of Americana cinematics. As with so many composers he finds something though, in this case a curious sparse background scoring and sense of space.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 10, 2013, 07:34:06 AM
Thanks ever so much for the replies :). I thought this might be a candidate for the GMG Forum Zero Response Award! Actually I do have the CD with symphs 3 and 4 on but don't really know them - I shall rectify this soon. I realised that it was the 'Winter' section I loved most from Symphony No 2 (which I have on at the moment whilst painting the living room wall!)
You must have an interesting living room wall by now,Vandermolen! Have you tried painting to 'The Rite of Spring' or anything by Jon Leifs?!! ;D
Jon Leifs would be disastrous for wall painting. A colleague (unsympathetic to his music) describe a CD I lent him of Leif's music as sounding like someone blowing up a paper bag and then bursting it! This could result in a pot of paint catastrophe. Personally, though, I rather like Leifs's music.
I remember playing the BIS cd of his Saga Symphony to my late Mother & warning her about those sudden thumps! She found out what I meant & managed another ten years!!
Sauguet sounds intriguing. The Second Symphony takes up two whole cds!! Yet,despite some enthusiastic posts & reviews (on Amazon) I find myself somewhat put off by Mirror Image's posts. Maybe No1 would be my best bet if I were to take the plunge?!!
Another massive, and obscure symphony,in this case, for choir,organ (and tenor solo) that really does grab me is Tournemire's Sixth. Very impressive. I love all of his symphonies. I only wish a cd label like Timpani would show some interest! :(
The rotters!! >:( ;D
Hearing Sauguet's
Fourth for a fifth time it's visionary wide eyed character emerges, really rather disconnected and some of it fittable into a sci-fi film but it fills a small gap in the expressive realms of the 20th century symphony.
Quote from: Sean on May 28, 2013, 03:36:55 AM
Sauguet's Fourth under Almeida with the Moscow SO brings the first movement rhythmic impulses rather reminiscent of Tubin; ten minutes into the second movement sound like something from Star Trek while the rest is somewhat along the lines of Americana cinematics. As with so many composers he finds something though, in this case a curious sparse background scoring and sense of space.
I was delighted to find a newish release of an alternative recording of Sauguet's moving and powerful Symphony No.1 'Expiatoire'. This is actually a much earlier recording than the more familiar one on Marco Polo under Ernest Bour with the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise from 1948. Only four years after the symphony was composed in 1944. It is played with much greater urgency than the Marco Polo version and is nine minutes shorter, lasting under 45 minutes. Allowances must be made for the age of the recording but I would not be without either recording of this magnificent brooding work. Furthermore it comes coupled with the most moving performance I have heard of Bloch's 'Schelomo' recorded in 1952 with the same orchestral forces with Maurice Marechal as the soloist:
Here is a review of the CD:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2017/Jan/Sauguet_sy1_FR1229.htm