Born in Besançon
in 1875, Max d’Ollone is one of the
peripheral figures of late-romantic
French music. The small reputation he
does have is based mainly on his eleven
operas and numerous songs, five of his
operas being premiered in the inter-war
years. At the Paris Conservatory, d’Ollone
was taught by Massenet and he won the
Prix de Rome in 1897. d’Ollone eventually
became a noted conductor and musicologist
in addition to composer.
Quite often the relative
obscurity of composers is linked to
unassuming personal traits, and d’Ollone
was one of the more unassuming composers
of his period. As Jean-Denis Bredin
of the French Academy stated, "He
was totally indifferent to the fact
of making or not making his mark".
Of course, d’Ollone was the opposite
of indifferent when it came to his intense
love of music. He would talk about music
for hours on end and offer help to all
entrants into the field.
D’Ollone did not compose
many orchestral works, and the three
orchestral compositions on the Claves
disc are world premiere recordings.
They are relatively early d’Ollone pieces
first performed during the period 1899
to 1910. In contrast, the Andante et
Scherzo for Three Cellos was written
later in d’Ollone’s life and first performed
in public in 1931.
The orchestral works
are not late-romantic in nature, possessing
the qualities generally found in the
music of the romantic period. Although
derivative, they are attractive conveying
memorable themes and sturdy architecture.
However, thematic variety is not plentiful,
and emotional depth is only sporadically
presented.
The most rewarding
work on the program is the three-movement
Le Ménétrier (The
Village Fiddler) that reminds me
of the pastoral music of Ralph Vaughan
Williams. This work has an extra-musical
association written by the composer
himself, in which he relates the tale
of a village fiddler who enthralls the
townspeople with the ancient melodies
full of the history and culture of his
homeland. Gypsies then pass through
the village, and our fiddler becomes
intoxicated with the unusual rhythms
and feelings expressed in their music.
He joins the gypsies but soon returns
to his village to regain the feelings
of security from his life-long home.
However, his music no longer sounds
the same as before, being imbued with
the gypsy influence. Also, the village
folk are not captivated by the change
in musical styles and abandon the fiddler.
He gives up his playing and becomes
a laborer, enjoying the simple pleasures
of life but continuing to feel beckoned
by the gypsy music.
The first Movement
of Le Ménétrier is
likely the best orchestral music written
by d’Ollone. It begins with a surging
of the lower strings that gives way
to the primary cyclic motif presented
by the solo violin and aided by the
oboe. It’s a gorgeous and poignant theme
that becomes thoroughly uplifting when
the full strings take over and ascend
to the heavens [tr. 1 1.41]. Thereafter,
the music is an enticing mix of gusto
and tender refrains.
The second Movement
of Le Ménétrier has
Spanish rhythms replete with castanets
to enhance the effect. The energetic
dance rhythms begin immediately and
are given a compelling urgency when
the solo violin enters [tr. 2 1:04].
The third Movement recycles the themes
presented earlier in the work, but d’Ollone
seems content to merely give us a stale
retreading of old ground. Throughout
the work, the well-known violinist Mark
Kaplan plays sweetly with appropriate
angst when needed.
The Lamento for
Orchestra is a rewarding funeral piece
highlighted by shimmering strings that
begin in a surreptitious manner that
soon opens up to strong declarations
of dramatic intent [tr. 4 3:28]. Unfortunately,
there is not sufficient material to
accommodate nine minutes of music.
The premiere of the
Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra
took place at the Concerts Lamoureux
in 1899 with a young Alfred Cortot at
the piano. The work begins on a grand
scale with a determination unusual for
d’Ollone, but most of piece has a warmed-over
Chopinesque feel to it. François-Joël
Thiollier plays excellently but can’t
overcome the limitations imposed by
the composition.
The final work on the
program, the Andante et Scherzo for
Three Cellos, is from d’Ollone’s full
maturity and does involve some harmonic
invention not found in the orchestral
works on the disc. It might remind listeners
of the Metamorphosen by Richard
Strauss, but the level of musical inspiration
is at a much lower level.
In summary, this d’Ollone
recording gets a mild recommendation
and should appeal most to those who
love the repertoire of the romantic
era. The performances are excellent,
and show d’Ollone’s music in its best
light. Recorded sound is fine except
that it possesses an opaque quality
that doesn’t allow the music to fully
bloom.
Don Satz
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra/Lawrence Foster
