Joseph-Ermend Bonnal - a forgotten French composer -String Quartets 1&2

[Marcus]

Joseph-Ermend Bonnal (1880-1944) born in Bordeaux, France, composer, organist, pianist teacher & music critic.
"One of the complete musicians of our time" P.Dukas. Henri Sauguet regarded him as a direct precursor to Oliver Messaien. Louis Vierne compared his talent as an organist to Cesar Franck.
He was a pupil of Vierne,Tournemire (organ), de Beriot (piano), & Faure (composition). he was deputy organist to Tournemire & Widor at St Cotilde & St Sulpice, before attaining the position of chief organist at St.Clotilde in 1941.
One of the reasons that his music has been neglected, was because of his humble & unassuming nature, he did not promote his compositions, preferring to concentrate of his position as organist & teaching.
Bonnal absorbed the musical styles of his fellow composers & fused those with his own creative writing. It is easy to see the influence of Ravel, Debussy, Faure, Ladmirault, and even Bartok in his compositions.
The two String Quartets are superb creations. To quote briefly from booklet notes,The 1st (4 mvts) has a richness of ideas & inspiration & profoundly lyrical & displays a wide range of moods. It has a very Gallic idiom, although the 2nd movt is almost Bartokian, the 3rd solemn & varied leading to the final movement, with references to the previous , a synthesis of the work as a whole.
The 2nd Quartet (3 mvts), Bonnal's style has progressed, the 1st mvt uses contrasting themes, the 2nd mvt alternates Gregorian chant & Basque shepherd songs, while the 3rd is brighter in character and reveals Bonnal's love of the Basque country.
Bonnal wrote a Symphony for Organ & Orchestra, an orchestral Symphony, a choral Symphony, a String trio, 3 String quartets, a Basque ballet, a Basque Suite, a Fantaisie for Piano, Operettas, Liturgical works, & songs.
His interest in SW France & the Basque counrty, led him to compose settings of popular songs , and his work in this regard is compared with similar work done by Bartok, Kodaly & Canteloube.
The String Quartets 1 & 2 are on Arion CD #ARN 68504. His String Trio, plus various works for Violin & Piano are available on Pavane #ADW 7389.
Another French Unsung who is equally neglected is Paul Ladmirault (1877-1944). He is better represented in the catalogue than Bonnal. I have 4 cds (Skarbo & Pierre Verany). he wrote in most genres, Symphony in C major, Symphonic Poems, Church & Choral Works, Chamber music, Piano music & Songs. I will leave that discussion for another time.
Marcus.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

How the heart warms when I read of another friend on the site recommending a composer who one has discovered by chance and now - just on the basis of two works! - treasures! Thank you, Marcus, for your advocacy of Bonnal. I came across that Arion disc of the string quartets a couple of years ago when browsing in the racks. I hesitated, for I had never heard of Bonnal. But into the basket it went - maybe if only for the rather rotten reason that nothing else had turned up in the browse.

And how glad I turned out to be! The music wonderfully exemplifies late French romanticism. Glorious! Later I came across an especially enthusiastic review of the disc by Rob Barrett on MusicWeb, which reassured me I hadn't gone barking mad in the joy of listening to these quartets. Barrett, in summing up the disc, talks of this "sheerly magical music" - and spot on right!

So thank you again Marcus for bringing attention to this composer. We need more Bonnal. Who is up for it? Come on Timpani!

I don't know (and confess I haven't heard of) Paul Ladmirault - another composer to sniff out.

I conclude with another recommendation: George(s) Martin Witkowski (1867-1943). There's a marvellous Arion disc of the String Quartet and Piano Quintet. Again on the basis of just two works, I'd say here is another composer to treasure!

Peter

PS I guess the most painful part of the experience of idly browsing in the racks is when you consider a potential acquisition, think 'I wonder, aw, maybe not', replace it, wander about a few more hours, travel back home, two days later remember the item, do a wee bit of research....and then kick yourself around the house. Thus if anyone spots some Bonnal - or Witkowski - grab the thing whilst it is in reach!!

[Marcus]

Hello petershott,
Thanks for the recommendation of Witkowski. I have to admit, I have never heard of him. This is one of the reasons that I find this forum so valuable, as barely a day goes by when I don't learn something.
I have just looked up Witkowski, and find that he has written two symphonies,symphonic poem Harold, Mon lac for piano & orchestra, a piano quintet, string quartet, violin sonata, Poeme de la maison choral symphony,piano & violin pieces, operas & many songs. There is definately scope there for the recording companies ! We can only wish.
Marcus.

[wunderkind]

The Bonnal works absolutely deserve mention.  So, too, for the Witkowski chamber pieces on Arion.

Another to mention is Adolphe Biarent.  His striking Piano Quintet is on Cypres, as is a tone poem and the evocative Rapsodie wallonne for Piano & Orchestra.

[Marcus]

Hello Wunderkind,
Glad you mentioned Adolphe Biarent (1871-1916). His  Symphony in D minor was a real find for me. (Cypres CYP 3601). It is preceded by the Symphonic Poem Trenmor, and upon hearing that for the first time, before the Symphony, I knew I had stumbled across a composer of top class. The Symphony is one of the best to come out of Belgium after Cesar Franck's. Also on disc, apart from the Cello Sonata & Quintet, is Contes d'Orient Orchestral Suite, Rapsodie wallonne for Piano & Orchestra & Poeme heroique for Orchestra, all very fine works.
On the subject of Belgian composers, I nominate another of the unsungs Sylvain Dupuis (1856-1931). A disc of some of his orchestral works is on Musique en Wallonie #MEW 0421, definately worth hearing.  (2 Suites, Macbeth paraphrase symphonique, Moina poeme heroique,Pour un drame Overture symphonique, plus works for violin, cello )
Marcus.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Very glad to see Wunderkind commending Biarent. Possibly our minds run along similar tracks, for when I made my initial comment on Bonnal I also thought of Biarent. But ever mindful of the need to stay on thread (approximately!) I did not mention Biarent simply on the grounds that he is Belgian and not French! With that restraint removed I could have got in with a mighty handful of unsungs all of whom deserve to be rescued from near oblivion!

But yes, Biarent was a very fine composer indeed. I'm told by a colleague in Belgium that, alas, he is pretty much unsung in his own country. To allow others easier access to the 3 CDs of his music issued by Cypres they are:

CYP 3601 Symphony in D minor (and a veritable cracker); Trenmor: Symphonic Poem; Sonnets for Vc & Orchestra.
CYP 4611 Piano Quintet; Cello Sonata
CYP 7606 Suite Contes d'Orient; Poeme Heroique; Rapsodie wallonne for Pf & Orchestra.

All splendid music (and for that matter, performances and recordings).

And back to France. Anyone rate Theodore Dubois (1837-1924)? In my view, someone else to celebrate, and in the last year or so, some very worthwhile recordings of the chamber music on Atma.

Kind regards to all,

Peter

[wunderkind]

Yes, Peter - I am with you on Dubois.  I've managed to buy three of the Atma discs of his very lovely chamber music.  It all is marvelous and melodious.

Staying out of Belgium, therefore, and still in France - my favorite two composers of the same sort are Ropartz and Cras.  I very much enjoy the sea motifs in the music of both - and they now are quite well represented on CD.  Of course, the Ropartz Quartets are in a world of their own, and his Third Symphony is an overwhelming paean to nature and humankind.

[eschiss1]

Yes, Peter - I am with you on Dubois.  I've managed to buy three of the Atma discs of his very lovely chamber music.  It all is marvelous and melodious.

Staying out of Belgium, therefore, and still in France - my favorite two composers of the same sort are Ropartz and Cras.  I very much enjoy the sea motifs in the music of both - and they now are quite well represented on CD.  Of course, the Ropartz Quartets are in a world of their own, and his Third Symphony is an overwhelming paean to nature and humankind.

A world of their own - with respect to other quartets or in the context of his output? I've only heard his sixth&last quartet (as a MIDI, before the commercial recording came out.) Hoping to get the recording though; the quartet is obviously fantastic (& maybe fantastical, too ).  The slight bitonality of the second movement's trio with its re-interpretable drone seems inspired by d'Indy's op. 24 suite, to mention just the slightest point of many of interest (not least a very memorable slow movement).
Eric

[wunderkind]

Well, with respect to most other 20th century quartets, I suppose.  Their world is one of the sea and the shore and impressions of the jagged coastline of Ropartz's native land.  I simply love them, and especially the mighty First Quartet which was, if I recall correctly, dedicated to D'Indy.  It clocks in at almost 44 minutes and contains the usual brilliant references to Brittany that we find in the music of Ropartz.  The slow movement is typically inward-looking and deeply moving and the finale is a powerful and kaleidoscopic - almost unsurpassed - workout for the performers.   All the Ropartz Quartets are wonderful; the First is something special.

[Marcus]

Two more French composers worth a mention: Paul Le Flem (1881-1984), and J.Roger-Ducasse (1873-1954).
Le Flem's style changed markedly during his lifetime. his Symphony no4 is a very different creation to the 1st.
I love the Fantaisie for Piano & Orchestra  (Timpani 1C1021) & the Quintette in E minor (Timpani 1C1077).
The Roger-Ducasse 2nd Quartet in D major is a long winded work, 50 minutes, and rather dull in parts.
Marco Polo released a disc of his works a few years ago, but I haven't heard this disc, so perhaps I picked a hard nut to crack first up.
Marcus.

[chill319]

Anyone rate Theodore Dubois (1837-1924)?

Just chiming in on this old thread... Have been discovering Dubois's chamber music on Atma. These are committed  performances, and the music is of high quality. Though in a somewhat familiar French fin de siecle style, Dubois's turns of phrase and harmonic changes are fresh and personal, and above all you can hear that he really has something to say through these forms.