Ernest Chausson

[Barbirollians]

Heard it live in Manchester when Tortelier was Conductor of the BBC Phil and conducting a lot of French music.

He made a very fine recording of it for Chandos too .

[Nick Armstrong]

Must dig out Collard, Dumay and the Muir Qt's splendid Gramophone 1987 award winning recording of the Concert later. The autumnal hues in the sky and trees now appearing sum up the essence of Chausson's wistful art.

That's very interesting, Sir V. It's the only work of his I really love - especially the last movement, the climax of which is stunning. I heard a performance of it at the Wigmore Hall - it's gripping to hear live.

I have the Decca recording, coupled with the Ravel trio, by Thibaudet with Bell, Isserlis and the Takacs

http://www.allmusic.com/album/chausson-concerto-op-21-ravel-trio-mw0001413574

But I didn't know about that Collard &c. version you mention.

And I'm now curious to try this one too:

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA66907

[Nick Armstrong]

And I'm now curious to try this one too:

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA66907

Now downloaded

Sir Velo, as fellow cyclists, we must hold a special candle for unlucky Ernest, what with his fatal two-wheeled accident. From what I recall of the Wigmore programme, he did not have a specially happy 44 years, always insecure about his gifts and feeling under others' shadow

I note early in this thread some fans of his Symphony which I don't know at all, and must discover.

[amateur51]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]
That's very interesting, Sir V. It's the only work of his I really love - especially the last movement, the climax of which is stunning. I heard a performance of it at the Wigmore Hall - it's gripping to hear live.

I have the Decca recording, coupled with the Ravel trio, by Thibaudet with Bell, Isserlis and the Takacs

http://www.allmusic.com/album/chausson-concerto-op-21-ravel-trio-mw0001413574

What a great coupling Caliban (I've just realised that that could be taken the wrong way! ).

Re the Wigmore Hall performance was it given by people from the Russia Cove lot who play annually at WH? I heard them do it in around 2006 with Chloe Hanslip, I think.

[Barbirollians]

I have a cracking performance with Perlman and the Juillard .

[Nick Armstrong]

What a great coupling Caliban (I've just realised that that could be taken the wrong way! )

Who knows what they do in their spare time...

But as regards the CD, it's very good - I recall the performance of the trio did very well in the France-Musique 'blind tasting', second only to the Trio Dali's performance I seem to recall.

Good lord - France-Musique having junked all its online archive , I was able to corroborate this via google by reference to .... myself, in a posting on the old boards in December '09!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio3/html/NF6643901?thread=7156586

[verismissimo]

Chausson's "other" Poeme (the Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer) is the one that I find most overwhelmingly convincing and irresistable, especially in the recording by Janet Baker with the LSO and Previn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC6NROWBRGk

... and there's a fine recording with Caballé and Wyn Morris. And then there's Ferrier with Bob O'Reilly and the Hallé - recorded on very primitive equipment (with the needle mostly in the red) from a broadcast performance...

I have that Baker/Previn of the Poeme de l'amour et de la mer, also the same cycle by Maggie Teyte and by Gerard Souzay. The latter is far too wobbly for my taste these days.

Although I have recordings of the symphony and the violin Poeme, I think of Chausson primarily as a composer of songs - melodies. Certainly he wrote them (48 in all, it appears) throughout his short career. For some reason I only have a few of them: Chanson perpetuelle (Janet Baker/Melos Ensemble); Le temps de lilas (Nellie Melba in 1913 and Maggie Teyte with Gerald Moore in 1943/44); Les papillons (Teyte/Moore); Le Colibri (Teyte/Moore).

Really I should be investing in this 2 CD set by Graham Johnson and his fine British singers, but for whatever reason I'm resistant: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Chauss...chausson+songs

Anyone heard it? Should I weaken?

[Roehre]

I have that Baker/Previn of the Poeme de l'amour et de la mer, also the same cycle by Maggie Teyte and by Gerard Souzay. The latter is far too wobbly for my taste these days.

Although I have recordings of the symphony and the violin Poeme, I think of Chausson primarily as a composer of songs - melodies. Certainly he wrote them (48 in all, it appears) throughout his short career. For some reason I only have a few of them: Chanson perpetuelle (Janet Baker/Melos Ensemble); Le temps de lilas (Nellie Melba in 1913 and Maggie Teyte with Gerald Moore in 1943/44); Les papillons (Teyte/Moore); Le Colibri (Teyte/Moore).

Really I should be investing in this 2 CD set by Graham Johnson and his fine British singers, but for whatever reason I'm resistant: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Chauss...chausson+songs

Anyone heard it? Should I weaken?

IMO you should , though (again IMO, but this applies to Baker too) the French pronunciation is not always idiomatic.
Nevertheless a set to enjoy.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Chanson perpetuelle (Janet Baker/Melos Ensemble)

Oh, yes - I'd forgotten this work: it must be 30 years since I heard it last .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-54T6-N20s

[Barbirollians]

As much as I love Chausson's songs etc I think he is underrated as a writer of orchestral music . Kyung Wha Chung's recording of Poeme - is very much an account for anyone who simply dismisses it as a bit of pretty French violin music . It is intensely felt and very moving.

Chausson has barely had a look in at the Proms . Poeme has not been performed since 1982 - the symphony once in 1987 , Poeme de la amour four times since 1985 but never before , Viviane was performed once in 1920 but not since !

The Poeme for violin and orchestra would be an ideal last night work iMO

[verismissimo]

... The Poeme for violin and orchestra would be an ideal last night work iMO

They could ask Nige to do it.

[ahinton]

They could ask Nige to do it.

Now that you've mentioned that, someone somewhere probably will. Be careful what you wish for and all that. Did I mention Vanessa-Mae?...

[verismissimo]

IMO you should , though (again IMO, but this applies to Baker too) the French pronunciation is not always idiomatic...

Maggie Teyte seems ideal to me in this repertoire, in spite of her Black Country origins. Personally coached by Debussy, of course.

[Barbirollians]

They could ask Nige to do it.

Why not ? He made a good recording of it with Okko Kamu of Sibelian fame on EMI Eminence .

[Nick Armstrong]

Just a tip for Chausson fans - in the wee small hours tonight:

1:52 AM
Chausson, Ernest [1855-1899]
Trio for piano and strings (Op.3) in G minor