Poulenc: Sextet,
Koechlin: Deux Nocturnes,
Milhaud: La Chemniee du Roi Renee,
Auric: Trio d'Anches,
Satie: Ludions, Je te Veux, La Diva de
L'Empire.
The Hexagon Ensemble, five wind players and pianist, hail from the Netherlands,
where since the band's formation in 1991, they have appeared frequently on
stage and radio. This debut CD is envisioned as the first of a long series
in which the group will 'play music from all ages.' The follow-up will feature
Mozart and Sphor, and more information can be found at
www.hexagon-ensemble.com.
This collection is not quite Les Six, but Auric, Milhaud, Poulenc,
and Satie are represented in an appealing survey of early 20th
century French chamber music.
Poulenc wrote his Sextet (or the somewhat unfortunate Sextour,
as it is on the cover) in 1932, scoring it for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon,
horn and piano, then completely revising the work in 1939. Unfortunately,
the notes do not make it clear which version is recorded here, though the
implication seems to be that it is the revised edition. Whatever, it is an
enjoyable, elegant and engaging piece, with three movements lasting just
over quarter-of-an-hour.
Charles Koechlin is one of the great unknown composers, a unique talent who
simply went his own way, writing enormous amounts of fine music and being
roundly ignored by the musical establishment in just the same way he ignored
musical fashion. His music is refined, often made of simple monophonic lines,
and has a translucent beauty at odds with the much of the celebrated music
of his time. The Deux Nocturnes are utterly lovely, perfectly formed
miniatures, the first for piano and flute, the second adding a horn.
Milhaud's La Chemniee du Roi Renee (The Domains of King Rene) was
written in 1939 and is a suite in seven parts celebrating the Count of Provence,
Rene d'Anjou and the royal courts of the Middle Ages. Going beyond
neo-classicism, Milhaud blends music not at all unlike that found in the
Poulenc Sextet with folk pastoral elements to tastefully evoke the
France of centuries past. The countryside idyll of 'La Meousinglade' is
especially appealing, while 'Joutes sur L'Arc' has a decidedly regal tone
and 'Madrigal-Nocturne' has a charming lullaby quality which might evoke
memories of Walton's 'French' music in his great score for Olivier's film
of Henry V (actually written 5 years later, and also drawning on
traditional French themes).
Trio d'Anches (Trio of Tongues) written for oboe, clarinet and bassoon by
Georges Auric in 1938, makes great play of the relationship between the
musician's tongues and the 'tongues' of the wind instruments. There are hints
of the baroque, a Christmas carol and a nod to Stravinsky and Petrouchka
in the three short movements, while the whole remains characterfully
French.
The soprano Hieke Meppelink, most acclaimed for her contributions to baroque
music, joins the Hexagon Ensemble for Satie's short song cycle,
Ludions. The five songs are very brief, the longest here lasting 64
seconds, the texts either inconsequential or silly in a sub-Lewis Carroll
way, but Kieke Meppelink does a good job of making the pixilated puns appear
to be worth setting to music.
'Je te Veux' finds Satie for once seemingly serious with words, this is an
ardent love song, performed in an arrangement by Hexagon Ensemble pianist
Arie Boers. The concert ends with a cabaret ode to desire, 'La Diva de L'Empire'.
Both songs are well characterised and richly sung, these vocal pieces providing
an imaginative and distinctive end to what might otherwise have been an enjoyable
but less striking programme.
This is an accessible and thoroughly rounded release. The playing is excellent
and the instruments clear on a well-defined soundstage. Certainly a disc
of particular interest to aficionados of 20th century French music,
there is still enough style, panache and playful melody here to enchant all
but the most stony-hearted. A most commendable debut release from the Hexagon
Ensemble.
Reviewer
Gary S. Dalkin
Hexagon Ensemble
