French Piano Quintets 1875 - 1925

[Kriton]

Dear people,

What a wonderful forum; it's nice to find out there's a place on the web where those who love unknown composers can get together. I have been reading through a lot of old threads and posts, and hope that the topic I open has not already been extensively discussed elsewhere - as I hope it's not a problem for new members to start with opening a new topic!

At the moment I'm listening a lot to french piano quintets around the turn of the century (1900, that is). I've collected a few of these works, but regret to say that I've found out not many of them are available on cd. I reckon we all know the Fauré and Franck quintets, and most of you probably know those by Hahn, D'Indy, Pierné, Schmitt and Vierne as well.

I wanted to ask if anyone is familiar with a recording of the 2nd Widor quintet? And if anyone has heard of the Dubois quintet in a recording with the "normal"  2 violins instead of violin + oboe? Also, it appears that Lalo and Séverac wrote quintets as well, has anyone ever heard these?

Thanks for any help, I look forward to exchanging information about unsung composers!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Widor's 2nd Quintet was available on an SNE disk (1997) with the Laval Quartet and Anna-Maria Globenski at the piano, coupled with Vierne's Piano Quintet. But this seems to have been deleted.
I regret I know of no recording of the Lalo or Severac quintets.
I was unaware that Dubois ever sanctioned a version of his piano quintet for string quartet + piano (i.e. without oboe). I knew only that he stated that a clarinet could be substituted for the oboe, if required.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

And welcome to you, Kriton! Ditto Gareth's reply: alas there seem no recording of the Lalo and Severac Quintets for Pf & Strings. Hopefully one day we will be rewarded.

I must expand the rules, change from Quintets to Trios, and sneak in mention of the Lalo Piano Trios. Marvellous pieces! And there is a first rate recording of all 3 by the Parnassus Trio. But I'm sure you already know it!

Peter

[Mark Thomas]

Castillon's Piano Quintet has recently been issued with the Piano Quartet on a Ligia CD, but jpc seem to behaving trouble fulfilling my order.

[Kriton]

I was unaware that Dubois ever sanctioned a version of his piano quintet for string quartet + piano (i.e. without oboe). I knew only that he stated that a clarinet could be substituted for the oboe, if required.

Strangely, Altmann, in his Kammermusik-Katalog (1910), mentions only substitution by Violin, although Cobbett (1929) and Hinson (1978) both mention the Clarinet as another replacement option. The easiest thing would be just to check the liner notes in the cd booklet - but I don't have that cd here now. Although I prefer clarinet to oboe, I was hoping for a recording with string quartet... Long shot, probably!

I must expand the rules, change from Quintets to Trios, and sneak in mention of the Lalo Piano Trios. Marvellous pieces! And there is a first rate recording of all 3 by the Parnassus Trio. But I'm sure you already know it!

Peter

I do, and I can't wait to get my hands on the new Godard release. But, for the time being, I'm still obsessing over my quintets...  It seems that a guy named Boisdeffre wrote no less than 4 (transcriptions included), which I find as hard to track down on cd as the quintets of Cellier - if he even got around to writing more than 1 - sources are contradicting. I could plunge myself into some silly listmania, but I reckon it'd be more pleasant to stop name-dropping and start hoping for any unknown treasures I haven't heard of yet!

The Timpani label is probably my biggest source of hope in this repertoire - I saw a thread on Cras somewhere; his music I find absolutely delicious. And then there's that beautiful piano quintet of that other great composer from Brittany: Paul le Flem... Has anyone on this forum tried the new cd of Huré yet? Another name I'd never heard of before Timpani...

[Kriton]

Castillon's Piano Quintet has recently been issued with the Piano Quartet on a Ligia CD, but jpc seem to behaving trouble fulfilling my order.

Thanks for the tip, I will be ordering that as well, now! This forum will probably be very good for my education, and very bad for my wallet...

[Marcus]

Hello Kriton,
I happened upon your post while searching for something else. This post will not help you in your search for recorded French quintets, but it is a list of available sheet music, & an excellent resource with names & brief comment, of chamber music by many unknown composers, including piano quintets by the Frenchman Gouvy , Dubois, Vierne, amongst others, but many names are missing also. It is only a brief footnote, compared to Cobbett, but as you appreciate chamber music, you may find it of interest. But who owns a set of Cobbett ?
Glazier who asks about piano trios (v.va.p) & sextets in other posts , may find something of interest here also, if he/she  doesn't already know the site.
But, if you all know this site -  well no harm done !
I have no idea how to post the web-site, but a Google search will find it for you:
Edition Silver Trust ( editionsilvertrust.com). As you might guess, I am a computer illiterate, but improving (slowly) with age -  I hope.
Marcus.

[Kriton]

It is only a brief footnote, compared to Cobbett, but as you appreciate chamber music, you may find it of interest. But who owns a set of Cobbett ?

I do... 

Glazier who asks about piano trios (v.va.p) & sextets in other posts , may find something of interest here also, if he/she  doesn't already know the site.
But, if you all know this site -  well no harm done!
I have no idea how to post the web-site, but a Google search will find it for you:
Edition Silver Trust ( editionsilvertrust.com). As you might guess, I am a computer illiterate, but improving (slowly) with age -  I hope.
Marcus.

Thanks for your post! I did already know the site, but surely there's plenty of people who haven't heard of it yet. By the way, I just saw that somebody uploaded a huge amount of unknown French music in the Petrucci Library over the last months, including the barely-known piano quintets of a.o. Gabriel Dupont & Jean Huré. But I guess the Gouvy score I'd really have to order via Silvertrust...

Petrucci is rather like Brilliant Classics; amazing that so much stuff is available for free, rather sad for those who paid large sums of money for a couple of score sheets, just because they were so rare...

[chill319]

The Huré works read well. Love to hear them played.

[Kriton]

The Huré works read well. Love to hear them played.

The piano quintet has just been released on Timpani...

[Marcus]

Hello Kriton,
I have some of Dupont's music, the beautiful "La maison dans les dunes". It is a pity he died before his time.
Another little known French composer, who only wrote a handful of pieces, is Abel Decaux (1869-1943),
Hyperion have released his best known piano piece Clairs de lune, an atmospheric piece which could have been written by Debussy. It is in 4 movements (19'40"): Minuit passe, La ruelle, Le cimetiere, & La mer.
The Hyperion disc  (CDA 67513) also contains the Piano Sonata of Paul Dukas. I already had two versions of this work, but bought the Hyperion after hearing the Decaux on radio. Sorry to have strayed from your original thread.
Marcus.

[Kriton]

Hey Marcus,
Let's expand the topic, then, to include all works by unknown French composers from the late-19th century... 

I have some of Dupont's music, the beautiful "La maison dans les dunes". It is a pity he died before his time.

I have a recording as well, coupled with the poème for piano quintet, beautiful music!

Another little known French composer, who only wrote a handful of pieces, is Abel Decaux (1869-1943),
Hyperion have released his best known piano piece Clairs de lune, an atmospheric piece which could have been written by Debussy. It is in 4 movements (19'40"): Minuit passe, La ruelle, Le cimetiere, & La mer.

I remember reading in the liner notes that there's not much more music by him? Ashamed to say I've heard the CD once, and never returned to it, since I have plenty of recordings of the Dukas sonata as well. But I'll give it another listen!

Another such character is Pierre de Bréville; Hyperion recorded his violin sonata, and more works are on the Alpha label, including string quartets. Amazing music, but it took me thorough listening before getting addicted.

[Marcus]

Thanks Kriton,
I hope that I, & others, can come up with something of interest.
Marcus.

[jerfilm]

The Hure Quintet along with a violin sonata is now available as a download from Amazon for US$9.99 and imho is well worth the price.

Jerry

[alenvers]

Hello to all ! As you seem interested in French piano quintets, I must tell you that last month was released in France a CD Chamber music for piano and strings by Edouard Lalo, featuring the wirld's first recording of his Piano Quintet. The score was at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and has been reedited... it's a very nice piece

Here is a link to listen to it and get the score... All the best !

http://quintettelalo.berichcorp.com/?page_id=18