Neglected 20th Century French composers

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh they are great fun, come on! I know quite a few learned organists who love his music!! :)

Oh, you mean Louis "Give It Plenty Of Wély" Lefébure! Yes I agree (and I think vindepays agrees with you too) that his stuff is fun and rather daft!

[umslopogaas]

I have just acquired the 50 CD set on Cypres, mentioned elsewhere on this forum (apologies, I've forgotten by whom). It is an outstanding bargain, £165 from my local shop, even cheaper from Amazon. It celebrates 50 years of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege. There is some mainstream Brahms, Schubert etc, but a lot of French (presumably) composers including many I've never heard of:

Jongen
Gossec
Kersters
Gretry
De Greef
Dupuis
Lekeu
Tournemire
Van Rossum
Leduc
Biarent
Boesmans
Bartholomee
Souris
Rens
Ketterborn
Caplet
Escaich
Mernier
Dupuis

Well, I have actually heard of a couple of those, but know nothing of their music. The last CD sounds most intriguing, I am wondering if it is a spoof:

Ferre muet dirige - Love Requiem La mort des loups Muss es sein es muss sein
Generation 2001 - Rap 'Odyssee
Miam Monster Miam - L'origine du Monde

I promise I'm not making this up. I will report back. And apologies for missing out all the accents, but I dont know how to do them in this system.

[vinteuil]

a lot of French (presumably) composers .

.... or even Belgian composers

(I understand what that poor M Poirot had to endure... )

[umslopogaas]

Woops. Geography was never my strong subject. Belgian indeed. Perhaps I should more accurately have described them as Francophone composers, though presumably some will be Dutch-speaking as well.

[Serial_Apologist]

This week's COTW on the early 20th century grouping around Ravel known as Les Apaches is promising to be a fascinating journey into an era of French music generally overlooked, not least by the BBC, namely composers other than Debussy, Ravel and Satie who were around at the time, and the sorts of music they composed. The programmes also look at relationships with poets and visual artists contemporary with them. It all helps build up the picture behind what made Paris in particular so central to musical innovation pre-WW1, as well as offering cues later composers would take up, (Respighi must have heard that ending to Inghelbrecht's "Automne" when he composed his "Fountains of Rome" surely?) and I strongly recommend a listen to those who missed this morning's first programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b033sdg

[Rosie55]

Cheeky I know but I do so enjoy this Percy Grainger arrangment of Faure's Apres en Reve. Why are the Grainger arrangements not performed more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DECp2K2RLwQ

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This Thread is still running!

[Serial_Apologist]

This Thread is still running!

When I tried to post a message with a link to Koechlin Symphony No 2, it wouldn't let me (boo-hoo emoticon).

Perhaps it needed someone with the firm hand of authority!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

When I tried to post a message with a link to Koechlin Symphony No 2, it wouldn't let me (boo-hoo emoticon).
Perhaps it needed someone with the firm hand of authority!

Nah - it worked for me.

[Serial_Apologist]

Nah - it worked for me.

Yes, thanks for, er... freeing it.

[Dave2002]

The only music link for Le Roux I can find is the complete 1956 film "Le Ballon Rouge" - much loved by the French, with its delightful score:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQhvgo62l74

That link no longer works, but the DVD is available - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-li...e+ballon+rouge

I've been looking for that for years.

[Lat-Literal]

Where does one start?

Personally:

Date order:

Holmes, Duparc, Chaminade, Bonis, Pierne, Koechlin, Vierne, De Severac, Hahn, Renie, Cras, Le Flem, Lili Boulanger, Casadesus, Tailleferre, Alain, Radigue.

Also, I don't know if Magnard and Tomasi are neglected as such.

Or Tournemire.

I think a lot of forum members would enjoy Ibert.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's high time I followed up on my promise to introduce a number of French composers, mainly of the interwar period, a generation I have long considered unjustly neglected in this country, in general and specifically by Radio 3. Some have quite probably never been broadcast here; some will be new to forumites; some quite possibly not worthy of further investigation - but judge them one-by-one, and see what you think.

I start off modestly and with the oldest, Claude Delvincourt (1888-1954):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEW72TOQ-xs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snkh8wmLs-M

[bluestateprommer]

One other neglected name is Jacques Chailley (1910-1999), whose Symphony was issued on an LP way back in the day. I remember finding the LP in the local library and borrowing it on a whim. It turned out to be a wonderful, very inventive and appealing. Unfortunately, when said branch of the library apparently unloaded its LPs some time back, it never occurred to me to take it off their hands.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

One other neglected name is Jacques Chailley (1910-1999), whose Symphony was issued on an LP way back in the day. I remember finding the LP in the local library and borrowing it on a whim. It turned out to be a wonderful, very inventive and appealing. Unfortunately, when said branch of the library apparently unloaded its LPs some time back, it never occurred to me to take it off their hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aVRLCyPRWo