Classic 100 - France Booklet

480 6883
AS VOTED BY LISTENERS
TO ABC CLASSIC FM
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
Why a Classic 100
about the music of France?
Since ABC Classic FM’s first Classic 100 in 2001, we’ve been asking our listeners to tell
us about their favourite music in all sorts of categories. You’ve voted for your favourite
piano works, symphonies, chamber music, opera and concertos. For Mozart’s 250th
birthday in 2006, the Classic 100 was devoted entirely to a celebration of his music.
And in 2011 we explored the music of the 20th century.
In 2012 we’ve taken the Classic 100 in a new direction with a focus on the music of one
country and one culture. The idea came up when we were thinking about how to
celebrate the sesquicentenary of the birth of Claude Debussy (born 22 August 1862) and
the key role he played in the story of French music. We soon realised there was so much
great music to celebrate by so many French composers, and we decided to make the
music of France the subject of our 2012 Classic 100.
Ask someone to list the great composers, and names from the German tradition tend to
top the list – usually Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. French composers are often in the
shadow of this pantheon of the greats. In fact the composers of France have lived next
door to two dominating musical cultures, the German and the Italian. Naturally they were
influenced by both, but French music has also frequently defined itself in opposition to
those neighbouring traditions.
Opera in France, for example, established by the Italian-born Lully in the 1670s, continually
absorbed German and Italian influences into a distinctively French tradition. Sometimes
those influences were productively repelled: the Wagner operas to which Debussy was
devoted as a young man had to be “dispensed with”, he said, in order to create his own
operatic masterpiece, Pelleas and Melisande. Berlioz said that discovering the music of
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Beethoven was like ‘a thunderclap’. Hearing the ‘Eroica’ Symphony propelled him into
writing his own Symphonie fantastique, which took the symphonic form in a new, rather
non-Germanic direction with its dream-like narrative of personal desires and fears.
The idea of both Germany and Italy as single modern nation states emerged only with
their unification movements in the 19th century. France, on the other hand, has been a
political entity for hundreds of years, as a kingdom, a republic and briefly as an empire.
The smaller kingdoms and principalities that eventually coalesced into Italy and Germany
had numerous courts and capitals; by contrast, French classical music has always had its
centre in cosmopolitan Paris.
This made our task of defining what we meant by the ‘music of France’ fairly
straightforward, but it was not without its challenges. The boundaries of France have
altered over time, so the inclusion of some of the composers in our original voting list
was quite literally ‘border-line’. Many of the great non-French composers spent time living
and working in France, notably Stravinsky and Chopin. Could we include Chopin’s music in
the music of France? It was a question that divided opinion within ABC Classic FM. To
settle the matter we asked our listeners to give us their views via Facebook. In less than
a day we had the answer: an overwhelming majority said no, Chopin was a Polish
composer, and most importantly, he had considered himself to be so.
When we announced the Classic 100: Twentieth Century in 2011, a few listeners said that
they felt they couldn’t take part because they didn’t know enough 20th-century music. By
the time the Countdown was over, many more listeners were telling us that they hadn’t
realised how much of that music they already knew and loved – and how they’d enjoyed
getting to know more. Listeners have said something similar about the Music of France:
many were delighted to find how many French works were already among their favourites.
What can we say about French music from the works that you selected for the
Countdown? Perhaps the most striking characteristic is its sheer beauty. You can see a
vein of sensuality and an almost nostalgic feeling for myth and the ancient world in such
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works as the Gymnopedies and Prelude to ‘The Afternoon of a Faun’. A certain French
genius for translating the natural world into the imagery of music reveals itself as much in
the majestic landscape painting of La Mer as in the witty sketches of the Carnival of the
Animals. There’s a continuing fascination with exotic cultures evident in the stories and
sounds of The Pearl Fishers, Lakmé and Sheherazade, and in the musical influences from
Asia that were felt in the late 19th century. And how often have French composers turned
for inspiration to the land just to their south: Ravel’s Bolero, Chabrier’s España, Lalo’s
Symphonie espagnole and our number one, Bizet’s Carmen, are all immersed in the
rhythms and colours of Spain.
We seem also to respond to a deep sense of the spiritual in French music of all kinds, from
Faure’s exquisite Requiem to the strange and cosmic mysticism of Messiaen’s Turangalîla
Symphony. Messiaen declared that this work was essentially ‘a song of love’, and it’s no
surprise that in l’amour we find one of the recurring themes of this Countdown, from the
romantic longing of the Songs of the Auvergne and the eroticism of Ravel’s Daphnis and
Chloe to variations on grand passions of doomed love in Samson and Delilah and in Carmen.
Can we hear in these characteristics a particular appeal of French music to Australian
ears? Perhaps we share some of them – an awareness of the potency of landscape and
the sea, the celebration of sensuality and pleasure, nostalgia for summer afternoons and
nights, and delight in eccentricity and wit.
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GEORGES BIZET 1838-1875
Carmen – highlights
Act I
Prélude
Mais nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita!...L’amour est un oiseau
rebelle (Habanera)
Soldiers, young men, cigarette girls, Carmen
2’15
5’31
3
Parle-moi de ma mère
Don José, Micaëla
9’27
4
Près des remparts de Séville (Seguidilla)
Carmen, Don José
4’43
5
Act II
Les tringles des sistres tintaient
Carmen, Frasquita, Mercédès
4’53
6
Vivat, vivat le torero!...Votre toast (Toreador Song)
Escamillo’s friends, Zuniga, Mercédès, Frasquita, Lillas Pastia,
Escamillo, Carmen
6’55
7
Nous avons en tête une affaire
Dancaïre, Frasquita, Mercédès, Remendado, Carmen
4’55
8
La fleur que tu m’avais jetée (Flower Song)
Don José
3’52
This beautiful collection is the result of your choices. Thank you to the thousands of listeners
who helped to put it together. I hope it brings you many hours of joy, and that you’ll join us
again on ABC Classic FM to discover still more of the riches of the music of France.
Richard Buckham
Manager, ABC Classic FM
October 2012
[74’55]
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Non! tu ne m’aimes pas!
Carmen, Don José
4’18
TRACK RANK
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Act III
Mêlons! Coupons!
Frasquita, Mercédès, Carmen
7’27
Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante
Micaëla
Act IV
Les voici, les voici
Street-sellers, gypsies, boys
5’43
1
2
3
4
4’14
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C’est toi! – C’est moi!
Carmen, Don José, spectators at the bullfight
Tatiana Troyanos
Plácido Domingo
José van Dam
Kiri Te Kanawa
Norma Burrowes
Jane Berbié
Michel Roux
Michel Sénéchal
Pierre Thau
Jacques Loreau
[78’09]
Carmen
Don José
Escamillo
Micaëla
Frasquita
Mercédès
Dancaïre
Remendado
Zuniga
Lillas Pastia
John Alldis Choir
Boys’ Chorus from Haberdasher Aske’s School, Elstree
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Georg Solti conductor
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10’03
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CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS 1835-1921
Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 ‘Organ’
I. Adagio – Allegro moderato –
Poco adagio
II. Allegro moderato – Presto –
Maestoso – Allegro
Peter Hurford organ, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal,
Charles Dutoit conductor
GABRIEL FAURÉ 1845-1924
Requiem, Op. 48
I. Introït et Kyrie
II. Offertoire
III. Sanctus
Kirsten Williams solo violin
IV. Pie Jesu
V. Agnus Dei
VI. Libera me
VII. In Paradisum
Sara Macliver soprano 8, Teddy Tahu Rhodes bass-baritone 6, 0,
Cantillation, Sinfonia Australis, Antony Walker conductor
ERIK SATIE 1866-1925
Trois Gymnopédies
Gymnopédie No. 1
Gymnopédie No. 2
Gymnopédie No. 3
Tamara Anna Cislowska piano
[34’24]
10’18
9’28
6’47
7’44
[35’12]
6’04
8’03
3’19
4’07
5’12
4’40
3’12
[8’11]
3’13
2’34
2’18
7
[76’16]
0
N’aï pas ïèu dè mio (I Have No Sweetheart) (Book II, No. 5a)
2’14
Sara Macliver soprano, The Queensland Orchestra, Brett Kelly conductor
GEORGES BIZET
The Pearl Fishers: Au fond du temple saint
(In the depths of the holy temple)
5’49
Words by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré.
David Hobson tenor, Teddy Tahu Rhodes bass-baritone, Sinfonia Australis,
Thomas Woods conductor
CD4
[77’13]
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7
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CLAUDE DEBUSSY 1862-1918
Prélude à ‘L’Après-midi d’un faune’ (Prelude to ‘The Afternoon
of a Faun’)
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Jorge Mester conductor
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9’52
2
HECTOR BERLIOZ 1803-1869
Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
[50’30]
I. Rêveries (Daydreams) – Passions: Largo – Allegro agitato
e appassionato assai
14’48
II. Un bal (A ball): Valse. Allegro non troppo
6’04
III. Scène aux champs (Scene in the fields): Adagio
15’18
IV. Marche au supplice (March to the scaffold): Allegretto non troppo 4’29
V. Songe d’une nuit de sabbat (Sabbath night dream): Larghetto –
Allegro – Dies irae – Ronde du Sabbat (Sabbath Dance:
Un peu retenu) – Dies irae and Ronde du sabbat together
9’36
Orchestre de l’Opéra Bastille, Myung-Whun Chung conductor
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JOSEPH CANTELOUBE 1879-1957
Chants d’Auvergne (Songs of the Auvergne) – selections
Baïlèro (Book I, No. 2)
L’aïo de rotso (Spring Water) (Book I, No. 3a)
8
6’08
1’15
9
MAURICE RAVEL 1875-1937
Boléro
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Stuart Challender conductor
14’39
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
10 Le Carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals)
[22’46]
I. Introduction et marche royale du lion (Introduction
and Royal March of the Lion)
2’01
II. Poules et coqs (Hens and Roosters)
0’53
III. Hémiones: animaux véloces (Wild Asses: Speedy Animals)
0’38
IV. Tortues (Tortoises)
1’57
V. L’Éléphant (The Elephant)
1’23
VI. Kangourous (Kangaroos)
0’54
VII. Aquarium
2’38
VIII. Personnages à longues oreilles (Characters with Long Ears)
0’57
IX. Le Coucou au fond des bois (The Cuckoo Deep in the Woods)
2’25
X. Volière (Aviary)
1’18
XI. Pianistes (Pianists)
1’21
XII. Fossiles (Fossils)
1’24
XIII. Le Cygne (The Swan)
2’56
XIV. Finale
2’01
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Anna Goldsworthy and Mark Kruger pianos,
Janis Laurs cello $, David Stanhope conductor
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CLAUDE DEBUSSY
12 La Mer (The Sea)
[23’36]
I. De l’aube à midi sur la mer (From Dawn to Midday on the Sea):
Très lent (Very slow)
8’45
II. Jeux de vagues (Play of Waves): Allegro dans un rythme
très souple (In a very flexible rhythm)
7’06
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea):
Animé et tumultueux (Lively and tumultuous)
7’39
The Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez conductor
The Classic 100 Music of France –
Complete List
CHARLES-FRANÇOIS GOUNOD 1818-1893
32 Faust: Faites-lui mes aveux (Make My Confesson to Her)
Words by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré.
Sally-Anne Russell mezzo-soprano, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra,
Nicholas Milton conductor
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CLAUDE DEBUSSY
40 Children’s Corner: VI. Golliwogg’s Cake-walk
Roger Woodward piano
GABRIEL FAURÉ
46 Clair de lune (Moonlight)
Words by Paul Verlaine.
Yvonne Kenny soprano, Malcolm Martineau piano
3
4
5
2’49
7
8
2’25
9
10
11
2’50
™
MAURICE RAVEL
50 Le Tombeau de Couperin: III. Forlane
Stephanie McCallum piano
5’31
#
MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER 1643-1704
67 Te Deum, H146: Prelude
West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Northey conductor
1’49
10
1
2
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
BIZET Carmen
SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3
‘Organ’
FAURÉ Requiem
SATIE Trois Gymnopédies
BIZET Les Pêcheurs de perles
(The Pearl Fishers)
DEBUSSY Prélude à ‘L’Après-midi
d’un faune’
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
CANTELOUBE Chants d’Auvergne
(Songs from the Auvergne)
RAVEL Boléro
SAINT-SAËNS Le Carnaval des
animaux (Carnival of the Animals)
DEBUSSY Suite bergamasque
(incl. Clair de lune)
DEBUSSY La Mer (The Sea)
RAVEL Pavane pour une
infante défunte (Pavane for
a Dead Princess)
MASSENET Thaïs
DELIBES Lakmé
SAINT-SAËNS Danse macabre
OFFENBACH Les Contes
d’Hoffmann (The Tales
of Hoffmann)
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
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DEBUSSY Préludes – Book 1,
incl. La Cathédrale engloutie
(The Submerged Cathedral and
La Fille aux cheveux de lin
(The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)
WIDOR Organ Symphony No. 5
(incl. Toccata)
RAVEL String Quartet
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major
SATIE Gnossiennes
FAURÉ Pavane
MESSIAEN Quatuor pour la fin du
temps (Quartet for the End of Time)
ADAM Cantique de Noël: Minuit,
chrétiennes (O Holy Night)
DUKAS L’apprenti sorcier
(The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
BIZET L’Arlésienne
DELIBES Coppélia
SAINT-SAËNS Samson et Dalila
FAURÉ Cantique de Jean Racine
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé
GOUNOD Faust
GOUNOD Ave Maria
OFFENBACH Orphée aux enfers
(Orpheus in the Underworld) (incl.
Galop infernal – Can-can)
BERLIOZ La Marseillaise –
arrangement
BIZET Symphony in C major
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
ADAM Giselle
FRANCK Violin Sonata
CHABRIER España
DEBUSSY Children’s Corner – Suite
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2
FRANCK Symphony in D minor
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 5
‘Egyptian’
BERLIOZ Les nuits d’été
(Summer Nights)
BERLIOZ Harold en Italie
(Harold in Italy)
FAURÉ Clair de lune (Moonlight)
MARAIS Sonnerie de SteGeneviève du Mont-de-Paris
(The Bells of St Genevieve)
FRANCK Panis angelicus
DEBUSSY Nocturnes
RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin
MESSIAEN Turangalîla-Symphonie
BERLIOZ L’Enfance du Christ
(The Birth of Christ)
(incl. The Shepherds’ Farewell)
BERLIOZ Grande messe des
morts (Requiem)
RAVEL Shéhérazade
RAVEL Piano Trio
DEBUSSY String Quartet
POULENC Organ Concerto
JARRE Doctor Zhivago
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
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JARRE Lawrence of Arabia
DURUFLÉ Requiem
OFFENBACH Gaîté parisienne
RAVEL Piano Concerto for the
Left Hand
DEBUSSY Cello Sonata
LITOLFF Concerto symphonique
No. 4 (incl. Scherzo)
RAMEAU Les Indes galantes
GODARD Jocelyn (incl. Berceuse)
CHARPENTIER Te Deum
BERLIOZ Te Deum
SAINT-SAËNS Cello Concerto No. 1
DEBUSSY Deux arabesques
BOIELDIEU Harp Concerto
POULENC Flute Sonata
GOUNOD Messe solennelle de Ste
Cécile (Saint Cecilia Mass)
FAURÉ Sicilienne Op. 78 for cello
and piano
LALO Symphonie espagnole
COUPERIN Les Barricades
mystérieuses
RAVEL Ma mère l’oye
(Mother Goose)
DEBUSSY Pelléas et Mélisande
(incl. Sicilienne)
LULLY Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
(incl. Marche pour la cérémonie
des Turcs)
80
81
82
DEBUSSY Images pour piano
ROUGET DE LISLE La Marseillaise
SAINT-SAËNS Introduction and
Rondo Capriccioso
83 BERLIOZ La Damnation de Faust
84 FRANCK Symphonic Variations
85 CHAMINADE Flute Concertino
86 BERLIOZ Le Carnaval romain
(Roman Carnival Overture)
87 FRANCK Cello Sonata
88 RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole
89 RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
90 BERLIOZ Les Troyens (The Trojans)
91 MASSENET Manon
92 HAHN À Cloris
93 BOLLING Suite for Flute and
Jazz Piano
94 POULENC Gloria
95 SAINT-SAËNS Violin Concerto No. 3
96 FAURÉ Dolly Suite
97 MESSIAEN Vingt regards sur
l’enfant-Jésus (Twenty
contemplations of the child Jesus)
98 BERLIOZ Roméo et Juliette
(Romeo and Juliet)
99 DEBUSSY Petite suite pour piano
(4 hands) (incl. En bateau)
100 SATIE Je te veux (I want you)
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Executive Producers Robert Patterson, Laura Bell
Mastering Virginia Read CD2, CD3, CD4
Publications Editor Natalie Shea
Cover Concept Spring in Alaska
Booklet Design Imagecorp Pty Ltd
Chants d’Auvergne by Joseph Canteloube is published by Éditions Heugel.
ABC Classics thanks Cyrus Meher-Homji, Ed Scholl and Tory Gervay (Universal Music Australia),
Richard Buckham, Emma Paillas and Meghan Fitzgerald (ABC Classic FM), Andrew Delaney, Dux
Newton and Jonathan Villanueva.
www.abcclassics.com
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