Tournemire: La Legende de Tristan

[Mark Thomas]

Unfortunately I've not been able to find a "listen again" option for SWR2 broadcasts so, until La Legende de Tristan is rebroadcast and recorded, we're not in a position to discuss its merits. The Opern Welt review is (understandably) protected by a pay wall, but it would be interesting to read if anyone has a subscription....

[CelesteCadenza]

I have placed a copy of the SWR2 broadcast in the Downloads section. It is the 161k aac-stereo source, edited in a mp4(m4a) container without re-encoding using ffmpeg.

I've listened to this 1.5-times now. In the theater it may be more captivating but I found the audio-only far more tolerable than Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. It's certainly shorter.

[Wheesht]

Radio BR Klassik in its review states that the Ulm audience at the premiere gave the production standing ovations and that a CD production is planned.

[Alan Howe]

That's good news - thanks.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks also to CelesteCadenza for the recording, which will give us a chance to hear the piece.

[JanOscar]

Curiosity killed the cat, so thanks to CelesteCadenza's efforts and the affirmative comments I just felt obliged to listen again. This time I found it even worse. It's like watching water running from a tap. The standing ovations were surely not music related.

[Ilja]

... or they might be from people that appreciate the music differently than you do. It does happen.

Admittedly, I am something of a fan of Tournemire, even if I must admit that his later orchestral music can be a bit unfocused. My main issue with this particular performance is that the two main male singers don't sound all that French. Particularly in the case of Dae-Hee Shin I find it rather distracting. Still, I feel glad to have given Tristan two listens sofar, and I will certainly return to it in the future.

[Mark Thomas]

I can't really take a view on La Légende de Tristan as it's composed in an idiom, contemporary for the 1920s I suppose, which I don't enjoy at all. That's particularly true of the vocal writing, which just isn't my cup of tea.

[Alan Howe]

I'd add this to other operas whose style of vocal writing I don't take to, such as those by Schreker. But to each his own...

[ilbravo]

With sincere respect for the mostly critical or skeptical statements and judgments  of Tournemire' s  music in this thread, I  nevertheless would like to underline the fact, that there are on the other hand some real Tournemire enthusiasts out there like our dutch friend here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U2NKWPNL8A

It might be easy to find this kind of enthusiasm a little bit weird and funny. But for me personally I must admit  that my admiration of this composer and his music has grown over the years continuously.  His most significant music for organ seems to me widely acknowledged  and accepted -so there is no need of propagation here.

But  the 8 Symphonies seem  to me an unsung catalogue of works which is quite unique in French music ( and maybe in European music of that time).  What do we have here (in my ears)?

No 1-3: late romantic gems in the tradition of C. Franck;  colourfull, vigorous, enjoyable and full of tunes.
No 4 and 5:  on the way to a more abstract and modern view of nature and romanticism and to a personal style which is clearly distinctive at the first bars.
No 6-8:  for me masterpieces of modern religious music  - and in my opinion,  although not a religious person,  breathtaking and deeply touching. There is a  cantata dealing withe the horrors of war and the utopia of redemption (No 6),  the evolution of a (christian) civilization as a kind of ballet (No 7) and a profound, eloquent and  - optimistic -  requiem without words in a distinct modern musical language.

In my present state of musical understanding I would prefer any symphony by Tournemire to any symphony by Mahler or Shostakovich.


And:  ,,La Legende de Tristan" is in my ears stylistically very near to the symphony No 7. Inspired, gripping, dramatic -  and in the end visionary.   

[Mark Thomas]

No one here has a monopoly on opinion and it's great to read yours, ilbravo. Respectful disagreement and debate is an entirely healthy thing.

[Ebubu]

Sometimes it's best to leave a particular composer to the few who might appreciate him/her. I have a feeling that Tournemire falls into this category.

Nice to see that I'm not the only one....

[Derek Hughes]

I've tried to record each of the two recent broadcasts of Tristan, and in each case have encountered a technical hitch. Has anyone had better luck?

[DK]

The DLF broadcast is now available on demand:
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/charles-tournemire-la-l-gende-de-tristan-dlf-kultur-6ca68360-100.html

[Derek Hughes]

Many thanks.