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Messages - Alan Howe

#9632
OK, back to the music. And I'm going to stick my neck out and contend that by far - in fact by a country mile - the best music in the set is the 39-minute Symphonie française in F minor of 1908. In fact, I'd say it's major work of the order of say, the Dukas or Chausson symphonies. Like the latter in particular, it is certainly indebted to Wagner and Franck is a looming presence, yet ultimately this is some of the most personal music I have heard by Dubois. It sounds as though he put his whole heart and soul into the piece. The contrast between light and shade is one of the work's particular fascinations - compare, for example the gloom-laden opening of the first movement with the calm, ethereal writing at the end of the slow movement. Wonderful. Then we have a third movement which begins as light as a feather before turning more stormy and mysterious with hints of Franck here and there. An unbuttoned finale then bursts upon us, the music soon becoming less certain before blossoming into an extended lyrical episode. The work ends in triumph. 

Oh, and by the way: it's superbly done by Les Siècles under François-Xavier Roth.
#9633
Quoteyou can edit them into the post

Done!
#9634
I think the two PCs are Widor's most substantial and interesting pieces of those we've been discussing, followed by Symphony No.2. La Nuit de Walpurgis is certainly the most individual piece on the latest CD, although I'm bound to say that Franck or Saint-Saëns did this sort of ghosty-ghouly stuff rather better. The middle movement of the Widor symphonic poem was the most attractive of the three for me - it rather reminded me of a Massenet intermezzo (almost verismo).


#9635
Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: Loeffler from Dutton
Friday 06 February 2015, 17:01
The music's not really impressionistic. It's late romantic.
#9636
I'm with Gareth on this.
#9637
Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: Eggert Symphonies
Friday 06 February 2015, 16:58
Thanks for all the sleuthing, Richard and Eric.
#9638
In short, Colin: yes.
#9639
...unless they started at 2500 and are working backwards. Mine is 2404 and it arrived two days ago.
#9641
I haven't listened to the piece yet, Gareth, but the sleevenote says that the piece can be performed with chorus, although it is omitted here.
#9643
Quite right, Mark.
#9644
..a bit like spending all that money I haven't got...
#9645
The Symphony No.1 in F minor is very much of its period (1870); the first movement reminds me somewhat of Svendsen, which may seem rather odd, but probably reflects their shared commitment to the broadly conservative tradition which one might describe in both cases as 'Leipzig plus'. The slow movement, scherzo and finale are similar in style to, say, Saint-Saëns or Godard (not to say Mendelssohn or Raff - one should never underestimate the latter's influence in this period).

Still this is extremely attractive and vigorous stuff, with not a note wasted. Again, not an undiscovered masterpiece, but well worth anyone's attention.