Chamber Series II - French Impression

The four composers we will present for the French Impressions concert are Faure, Ravel, Debussy and Saint Saens who largely represent the best of the French classical music scenes from 1830 to 1920.  Therefore, this coming June H. Edwards Chamber Concert on February 6, 2010 (SATURDAY) may be”light” in its style; nevertheless, it’s quite substantial for its historical content.   Though the four of them all had been contemporaries for at least four decades, their compositional style, were drastically different.  I can divide them into two groups:   Romanticism – Faure and Saint Saens, Impressionism – Ravel and Debussy.

Saint Saens, the earliest amongst the four, was an outstanding talented pianist, as well as a prolific composer. (With his Opus’s amounting up to 169!)  Among the vast quantity of works, piano Concert No. 2 along with Carnival of Animals, remain the most popular.  Though the piano Concert No. 2 was criticized as “superficial and lack of adventurousness-beginning like Bach, and ending like Offenbach”.  But I found it to be impressive use of the piano and exciting musically.  Without an orchestral introduction, the first movement starts with a majestic and improvisational long piano solo cadenza in a style of the Bach Fantasia.   The restless and melancholy main theme of the first movement was actually drawn from Saint Saen’s student Faure’s abandoned “Tantum ego motet”.   Instead of a slow movement as in many Romantic concertos, the second movement is rather light-hearted, with quite a fast tempo.   The delicate personality of this movement is very much in character of Saint Saen’s musical wit, most famously observed in his Carnival of Animals.  The third movement is moving faster with more energy.  This extended tarantella rushes the soloist and orchestra tumultuously, gaining volume and momentum finishing the piece in a whirlwind of G major arpeggio.   I am looking forward to having Ketevan Badridze on the keyboard, making her FIRST appearance with the South Bend Symphony Chamber Orchestra.

Even though it was written in the 20th century ( 1919 ), Faure’s composition, Masques et Bergamasques, was very much paying homage to the gallant style in the 18th century as in Bach, early Hayden and Mozart compositions.   The piece was commissioned by Prince Albert I, of Monaco, and was designed to accompany a one-act divertissement, with dance and song as an entertainment with a scenario by Rene Fauchois.   The scenario was relating how members of a commedia del’art troupes would spy on the amorous encounters of aristocrats in its audience.   Faure selected four movements for the orchestra suite from the original eight episodes.   The music is thoroughly light and warm.  Faure was deliberate in creating an “early music” atmosphere.   Considering his near deaf condition, during the time, I assume Faure never had the pleasure of hearing his composition in concert.

Sarabande is a dance in slow three beats which originated in Spain.   In 1894, Debussy wrote Sarabande as a piano piece which was part of Images inedites.   In Sarabande, Debussy created an intimate lyrical tone-poem.   Unlike romantic composition during the time, this piece is quiet, subtle and without dramatic dynamic contrast.   I just love its timelessness and inexorable beauty.   Maurice Ravel, Debussy’s closest comrade in terms of impressionistic composing, certainly did an outstanding job in creating an incredible orchestration.   It was hailed as being “more Debussyesques than Debussy”.

Le Tombeau d Couperin was originally intended as a piano suite with six movements which was written between 1914 and 1917 by Ravel.  Composer Francois Couperin (1668-1733) was the founder of the French school of keyboard music.   However, Ravel’s true intention was never to imitate Couperin himself, but rather to pay homage to the sensibility of the French keyboard suite.   During the brutal World War I, Ravel enlisted in an artillery unit as a truck and ambulance driver from 1915 to 1916.   When he returned to finish Le Tombeau de Couperin in 1917, he decided to inscribe each movement to one or two of his fallen friends.   In 1919 Ravel orchestrated four movements, and made them into this popular orchestra suite.   In this orchestration transcription from his own piano composition, Ravel had reached the height of his orchestration skill.    The orchestra suite clarifies the harmonic language, and brings sharpness to its dance rhythm.   Among the demands it places on the orchestra is the requirement for an oboe soloist of virtuosic skill.   Instead of being somber, it is a work with brilliant texture, beautiful colors and fluidness.    Why was he so light on such a somber topic?   Ravel’s reply was, “the dead are sad enough, in their eternal silence”. 

Best Regards, Maestro Tsung Yeh

Location:
The DeBartolo Performing Arts Center