The French Music Exploration thread

[pjme]

French composer born in 1947 in Asnières who died in 2004.
In parallel with his university studies in the natural sciences, Arab literature and ethnomusicology, Jean-Louis Florentz entered the Paris Conservatory in the classes of Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Schaeffer and Antoine Duhamel (1971-1975). Many study trips took him, notably, to Kenya, Polynesia and Israel. Devoting himself to etho-ecology (the study of behaviour in its interaction with the ecological environment), he also undertook Semitic studies (1989). His music became the echo of his knowledge of extra-European cultures and music, of the world of birds and of his deep spirituality. His works include Magnificat (1980), Laudes (1985), Asùn (1988), Requiem de la Vierge (1988), Le songe de Lluc Alcari (1994), L'ange du tamaris (1995), L'anneau de Salomon (1998), L'enfant noir (2001), Qsar Ghilâne (2003). Appointed teacher of ethnomusicological analysis at the Lyons Conservatory (1985), he was elected member of the Académie des Beaux-arts in 1995.
Imo, Florentz's  style can be situated at crossroads with Dukas, Debussy, Koechlin, Messiaen, Dutilleux , Jolivet. He "...  draws inspiration as much from the French symphonic tradition stemming from Debussy as from an African-style approach to music. The resulting richness of harmonic coloration is matched by a heightened sense of incantatory melody.  "
https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/composer/4433/Jean-Louis-Florentz/

I have very fond memories of his "Requiem de la vierge" (Asun).
Françoise Pollet (soprano), Ian Caley (ténor), Louis Landuyt (baryton), Choeur et maîtrise de Radio France, Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, Claude Bardon (direction)[Concert enregistré le 15/12/1988 - Archive INA : 00363137]
L'anneau de Salomon is an opulent symphonic poem , slow and mysterious. The wordless chorus has a limited contribution and conductor Petitgirard exlains that  "...For the choir he had in fact written as for soloists and this exceeded the ranges of the majority of the choristers and forced me either to forget this chorus "ad libitum" or, as I did, to delete only a few impossible measures....'

I wonder what you think of it.

[Leo K.]

This year is my French music (from 19th and 20th centuries) year. I have been inspired from French composers I have heard within my mega sets of conductors, like Monteux, Munch, Reiner, Cluytens, Martineau, Ormandy, Szell, Karajan, Bernstein and more. I never gave many of these composers a chance but I sure missed out over all these year. Milhaud, Poulenc, Faure, Dutilleux and the list goes on. Just can't get enough. 

[Mandryka]

I hadn't even heard of Olivier Greif until I started to explore Koechlin, and saw that Quintette Syntonia had been championing his music. It looks to me like he is  very highly thought of in France, but English speaking audiences are hardly aware of him. Just compare the wikipedia articles in the two languages, if only for size

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Greif

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Greif

As far as the music is concerned, his voice is not at all experimental - think Britten. Deeply serious, rather beautiful, well made music. I'm focussing on the second quartet, which amongst other things, sets some sonnets by Shakespeare.

Another composer who has good things to offer methinks. Should I have said "Yet another composer . . ."  It feels like that, but I guess you can never have too much of a good thing.



A few things are streaming, but it looks like there's a substantial discography. Look at this



http://www.abbreportages.fr/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,19/Itemid,26/

[Mandryka]

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/29/000139692.pdf

The Greif piano quintet, the instrumentalists are asked to speak as well as play - a bit of the Mahabharata, a bit of Proust - the texts are in the booklet in the Qobuz link. Very impressive, powerful, dramatic and in many ways like nothing else I can think of.  (In some ways, intimations of Reich in for example The Cave. But that doesn't do Greif justice really, I wouldn't take the comparison too far.)

[Mandryka]

This one has some very interesting music IMO, maybe the most interesting Greif I've heard - and a top class pianist to boot. Always good to hear the composer play I think. Note also that the great Henri Barda makes an appearance here. Streaming everywhere.


There's a complex history to dig into with this composer - he had some sort of crisis which stopped him composing for a long time, and then he found the will to go back to it. The first piano piece here, Sonate de Guère it's called, sounds quite different from other music by Greif that I've heard - and rather less comfortable (in a good way.)

[Mandryka]

Thoughts about André Caplet's Le Mirroir de Jésus, anyone? For anyone who hasn't heard it, there are strong Le Martyre de St Sébastien vibes.

[Maestro267]

Plenty of French music on the docket for Bastille Day, starting with Daphnis et Chloe (cond. Boulez)

[pjme]

Quatorze juillet and -finally- some sun is shining....

[San Antone]

Au douz tens novel - Chansons de trouvères
Ensemble Celadon | Paulin Bundgen

Released this year, and excellent recording of music from the 12th century.

[Mandryka]

Plenty of French music on the docket for Bastille Day, starting with Daphnis et Chloe (cond. Boulez)

This is what you need for Bastille day

[Mandryka]

Pierre Jansen was a real modernist (Darnmstadt, Boulez and stuff) and then renounced it all and became a film composer. He worked a lot for Chabrol. @Papy Oli try the music from Les Biches - it's a masterpiece!

[Roy Bland]

[pjme]

01 - D'un matin de printemps, Lili Boulanger, orch. François Branciard
02 - Concerto pour clarinette et orchestre d'harmonie, Andante, Ida Godkowsky
03 - Concerto pour clarinette et orchestre d'harmonie, Perpetuum mobile, Ida Godkowsky
04 - Concerto pour clarinette et orchestre d'harmonie, Final, Ida Godkowsky
05 - Hommage à Rameau, Lent – Allegro Brioso, Germaine Tailleferre, orch. Désiré Dondeyne
06 - Hommage à Rameau, Andante cantabile, Germaine Tailleferre, orch. Désiré Dondeyne
07 - Hommage à Rameau, Allegro spiritoso, Germaine Tailleferre, orch. Désiré Dondeyne
08 - Concerto pour trompette et orch d'harmonie, Dolcissimo – Andante cantabile, Ida Godkovski, orch Désiré Dondeyne
09 - Concerto pour trompette et orch d'harmonie, Volubile – Prestissimo, Ida Godkovski, orch Désiré Dondeyne
10 - Concerto pour trompette et orch d'harmonie, Final – Vivace con altezza, Ida Godkovski, orch Désiré Dondeyne

Obscure label CORELIA.
Pierre Walter is conductor of the Musique des Gardiens de la Paix since 2008.

Another rarity



01 - DIONYSIAQUES op.6202 - LIED ET SCHERZO op.5403 - SELAMIK, DIVERTISSEMENT op.48. n°104 - FANFARE DU CAMP DE POMPEE op.6305 - MARCHE DU 163ème REGIMENT D'INFANTERIE op.48 n°206 - HYMNE FUNEBRE POUR TENOR, CHOEUR ET ORCHESTRE

https://florentschmitt.com/2016/09/10/french-conductor-and-wind-ensemble-specialist-philippe-ferro-talks-about-the-music-of-florent-schmitt-and-hymne-funebre-18991933/

[pjme]

[Brian]

I'm making a list of all the orchestral works where French composers imitate Spanish music. What's missing?

Bizet - Carmen
Chabrier - Espana
Debussy - Iberia
Ibert - one of the Escales
Massenet - Espada; Le Cid
Ravel - Rapsodie espagnole

[Florestan]

I'm making a list of all the orchestral works where French composers imitate Spanish music. What's missing?

Bizet - Carmen
Chabrier - Espana
Debussy - Iberia
Ibert - one of the Escales
Massenet - Espada; Le Cid
Ravel - Rapsodie espagnole

Waldteufel - Espana-Waltz (after Chabrier) 

[Symphonic Addict]

I'm making a list of all the orchestral works where French composers imitate Spanish music. What's missing?

Bizet - Carmen
Chabrier - Espana
Debussy - Iberia
Ibert - one of the Escales
Massenet - Espada; Le Cid
Ravel - Rapsodie espagnole

For now:

Pierné: Ramuntcho
Koechlin: L'Andalouse dans Barcelone, op. 134

Perhaps a little obvious this?

Lalo: Symphonie espagnole

[ritter]

Alborada del Gracioso?

Le Pas espagnol from Fauré's Dolly-Suite (orch. Rabaud)?

If we include operas, the list would be veeeery long, I'm afraid!

[Florestan]

If we include operas, the list would be veeeery long, I'm afraid!

I included a few of them in my reply before I realized it was only about orchestral works.

[Florestan]

Lalo: Symphonie espagnole

Drat! How on earth could it have escaped me? Heck, it's my favorite French violin concerto.