Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers

[jasthill]

Saw this on Presto's futures listings - 10 hours 9 minutes - of French women composers: known, unsung, and unheard-of till now. (10 March 2023)
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9439426--compositrices-new-light-on-french-romantic-women-composers

[Wheesht]

My order of this set arrived today, and I was delighted to see that it contains Charlotte Sohy's 'Grande Guerre' Symphony in C sharp minor (which was missing from the 3 disc set with works by Sohy that came out last year).

[Alan Howe]

Yes, 8 CDs' worth of recordings. My set has arrived too - where on earth do I start?

[eschiss1]

Ooh, it also streams on Amazon Music. 10 hours. Thanks for pointing this out... I think I'll start with Renié's cello sonata (no harp )

[eschiss1]

... I wonder if this album has (the first commercial release of) Barraine's 2nd symphony? Will have to see if it's on there... Rita Strohl's piano quintet and cello sonata are both on cd this year (the quintet is part of this collection) - this is good.

[Alan Howe]

It doesn't, unfortunately.

[eschiss1]

Still, there are cello sonatas by Renié and Bonis, symphonies by Farrenc and Sohy, a piano sonata by Sohy, a trio by Farrenc, a fantasy-quintet by Rita [Marguerite] Strohl (1865-1941), a cantata by Nadia Boulanger, among other things. I'm looking forward to listening...

[TerraEpon]

Chaminade's Callirhoe Suite is on there too. While the entire ballet had a recording a few years back, I've never seen a recording of the published suite.

What IS this set? A compilation of old very rare recordings? A mix of old and new? It's very curious...

[eschiss1]

"Recorded in Venice, Paris, Toulouse, Tourcoing and Metz between 2019 and 2022" - Bru Zane

[Alan Howe]

Do check out the full list of contents here:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9439426--compositrices-new-light-on-french-romantic-women-composers

[Mark Thomas]

A real cornucopia. I don't want the whole thing but have downloaded a few choice morsels.

[Wheesht]

I'd be curious to know which choice morsels you have downloaded and what you think of them, Mark - and I am also interested in other members' opinions. Has anyone bought the set or downloaded items?

[Mark Thomas]

I wasn't interested in more piano music, songs or short chamber works and avoided any duplication of what I already had, all of which reduced my downloads to just three, Thomas: Rita Strohl's Grande Fantaisie-Quintette, Marie Jaëll's Ossiane Introduction and Mel Bonis' Cello Sonata. Strohl's Quintet is a fine, big-boned and confident late romantic work and I really enjoyed it. Jaëll's short orchestral work is typical of her - quite muscular and dramatic - and, again, I though it a good work. Despite having heard it only recently, Bonis' Cello Sonata has made no lasting impression on me, which I'm afraid is typical of the much of her music that I've acquired - my loss I'm sure and I will listen to it again in the near future but without any great hopes. All three are, as one has come to expect from Bru Zane, very well played and recorded.

[Wheesht]

Many thanks, Mark, for your prompt reply. I have enjoyed Rita Strohl's Grande sonate dramatique "Titus et Bérénice", and I look forward to the boxed set that will apparently be issued on the La Boîte à Pépites label. I must admit I have had similar experiences with some of the works by Mel Bonis, the orchestral music for instance.

[jasthill]

Maybe more to come in this series - looking at the Bru Zane website shows these two links:

https://bru-zane.com/en/evento/compositrici-romantiche/
and
https://www.theatrechampselysees.fr/saison-2022-2023/orchestre-de-chambre-de-paris/herve-niquet-david-kadouch

Just saying and hoping.