Henry Rabaud

[alberto]

Has anyone heard the Symphony op.5 by Henry Rabaud?
I Know of no recording. His opus 2 -Divertissements sur des chansons russes-; opus 6 -La procession nocturne;opus 7 Eglogue, after Virgil sound to me very fine (they have been recorded by Dervaux Emi; Segerstam MP; La Procession also by A.Jordan Erato). Amusing and entertaining to me the dances from the opera "Marouf" (again recordings EMI and MP). 

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Hello Alberto, Yes, I've got the Op. 2 Divertissement, and the Op. 6 and 7 Symphonic Poems. All in the Segerstam recordings. On that same disc by Segerstam you can also find the Suite Anglaise No. 2 and No. 3 - both derived from the incidental music to The Merchant of Venice of 1917. I find them fine pieces.

I've also got the 1914 opera, Marouf, savetier du Caire with a libretto by Lucien Nepoty and based on the Arabian Tales (Accord 472 142-2). I've been very lazy here - I recall peeling off the cellophane and listening to the piece. And I can distinctly remember enjoying it, and intending to listen to it more carefully after that 'first hearing'. But - and I'm sure it is a comment on me and not on Rabaud - that first hearing took place in 2005 and I haven't visited the opera since!

[X. Trapnel]

Rabaud has long been on my list of French (or Belgian) symphonists yet to be recorded. Others include Jean Rivier (7 symphonies), Desire Paque, Andre Gedalge, Georges Migot (13!)