performed by Aldo Ciccolini, or below by Daniel Varsano second and third (cover image by Zhu Xihua) In contrast with what seemed last week like pretty genuinely serious music from Satie, we have something today that really embodies what most … Continue reading Satie: Embryons Desséchés
performed by Anne Queffélec, or below by Krystian Zimerman (cover image by Jez Timms) “…le plaisir délicieux et toujours nouveau d’une occupation inutile” (the delicious and forever-new pleasure of a useless occupation). Henri de Régnier, quote published on the piano … Continue reading Ravel: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales
performed by the Beaux Arts Trio, or below by the Joachim Trio (cover image by Aaron Burden) I’ve written my trio. Now all I need are the themes. Ravel, of his piano trio Ravel’s piano trio was written in 1914, … Continue reading Ravel Piano Trio in Am, M. 67
performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet (cover image by Sophie Sollmann) It has been some time, about three and a half years now, since we’ve seen anything from Satie on the blog, and we’re remedying that now (and again later in the … Continue reading Satie: Ogives
performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy, with the fourth below it played sublimely by Eric Lu (cover image by Jez Timms) Chopin composed his op. 17 mazurkas between 1832 and 1833, and they were published in Leipzig in 1834. The composer … Continue reading Chopin: Four Mazurkas, op. 17
(cover image by Christin Hume) Apologies in no particular order to: Charles-Marie Widor Jacques Ibert Rameau Cécile Chaminade Tristan Murail André Jolivet Pierre Capdeveille Jean Rivier Francis Poulenc Andre Gedalge Paul Le Flem Yves Ramette Henri Sauguet …among many others, … Continue reading The French Symphony in Review
performed by the Ensemble Risognanze under Tito Ceccherini, or as below, with the Ensemble Recherche under Kwam Ryan We are musicians and our model is sound not literature, sound not mathematics, sound not theatre, visual arts, quantum physics, geology, astrology or acupuncture. … Continue reading Gérard Grisey: Vortex Temporum
performed by the Tapiola Sinfonietta under Jean-Jacques Kantorow (available on this album on Spotify) My music is not neo-Classical, it is Classical, for it retains the timeless aspect of Classicism : the rigour of expression. My music is not neo-Romantic, it … Continue reading Nicolas Bacri: Symphony no. 4, op. 49 ‘Classique Sturm und Drang’
performed by the Orchestre Radio Symphonique de Strasbourg under Charles Bruck (this work isn’t on YouTube, but this performance, perhaps the only one in existence for now, is on Spotify. It can be found here.) (cover image by Hieronymus Bosch, … Continue reading Serge Nigg: Jerome Bosch Symphonie
performed by the Seattle Symphony under Ludovic Morlot, or as below with the Orchestre National de l’ORTF under Roger Albin (cover image by John Towner) One of the few composers in this series who isn’t appearing on the blog for the first … Continue reading Dutilleux Symphony no. 1
performed by the Quatuor Ravel (cover image by Jose Tebar) Jean Francique-Étienne Martinon was born on January 10, 1910 in Lyon. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Albert Roussel for composition, Charles Munch for conducting, and harmony under … Continue reading Jean Martinon: String Quartet no. 1, op. 43
performed by Yvonne Loriod, Jeanne Loriod, and the Orchestre de la Bastille under Myung-Whun Chung, or as below with Roger Muraro, Valérie-Hartmann Claverie, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, also under Chung (cover image by Kai Oberhauser) I asked … Continue reading Revisit: Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie
performed by the Orchestre National de la RTF under Jean Martinon, or below by somebody under Manuel Rosenthal The music of Elsa Barraine wins over its listeners by a contrapuntal independence of line, virtuosity, and expressive intensity through motivic and rhythmic … Continue reading Elsa Barraine: Symphony no. 2
performed by the Orchestre National de France under Charles Dutoit (cover image by Soroush Karimi) Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was born on April 5, 1869, and turned to music only as an adult, after seven years as a midshipman. … Continue reading Albert Roussel: Symphony no. 3 in Gm, op. 42
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Kawin Harasai) So this one really tops them all, I think. What do you to to top off a symphonic cycle, even if it’s just a … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 6, op. 79
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Samuel Zeller) Here we are at Milhaud’s op. 75, the opus number right after his fourth. It was composed in 1922. As the previous little symphony was … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 5, op. 75, ‘Tentet’
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Daria Shevtsova) The fourth little symphony was completed in 1921, the same year as the third. It’s longer than the previous works, at about six minutes, of … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 4, op. 74
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Aaron Burden) As you can see, we’ve moved forward a bit in this third post on this Monday in the middle of the year. The third little … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 3, op. 71 ‘Serenade’
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Lisa Hobbs) Well, here we are again in record breaking time for our second article of the day, and for a work with such a similar subtitle … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 2, op. 49, ‘Pastorale’
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Trevor Cole) I apologize in advance. Today and tomorrow, there will be three posts each. You’ll see why. Beginning in 1917, in his mid-twenties, Darius Milhaud … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 1, op. 43 “Le Printemps”
performed by the Ardeo Quartet (cover image by Daniil Kuzelev) Charles-Louis-Eugène Koechlin was born on November 27, 1867 in Paris, the youngest of a large family. His father died when he was 14. His family hoped he would be an … Continue reading Charles Koechlin: String Quartet no. 2, op. 57
Fugue for Thought 