This
disc last appeared as the longer of two discs in an Erato Ultima
twofer (8573 85636 2) and the performances and recordings
still represent good value. If you are up for impressionist-romantic
music of luxurious opulence this is for you. Schmitt, a life-long
friend of Vaughan Williams, sounds nothing like his friend;
more like RVW’s contemporary, Arnold Bax. To the Baxian saturated
romance you can expect lashings of Ravel’s Daphnis and
the dazzle and shimmer of the exoticism of Rimsky and Griffes.
Schmitt does not pull his punches.
Despite
his name Schmitt was French; born in Blamont, Meurthe-et-Moselle,
France. He lived until the age of 88 and his longevity meant
that he was still alive when his Second Symphony was premiered
by Munch in 1958; the same year in which Vaughan Williams
died.
He
is likely to be best known if at
all for these two works. They were
splendidly recorded by EMI-Pathé-Marconi
in the early 1970s using ORTF forces
conducted by Jean Martinon. I still
have that luxurious sturdy gatefold
LP as well as the more pinched CD
incarnation. The Tragédie
is based not on Wilde but on a poem
by Robert d'Humières and is dedicated
to Stravinsky. In 1907 Stravinsky
still a ‘wild boy’ both fêted and
execrated by the musical establishment.
There are reflections and predictive
touches in the Salomé work, of Dukas
(La Péri), Wagner, Bax (Spring
Fire, Fand and the Second
Symphony), Respighi (Vetrate
di Chiesa), Holst (in The
Planets - try tr2 2.47) and
Debussy (La Mer). The reduced
orchestra version was given in Paris
on 9 November 1907 six months after
Strauss's Salome had been
aired there. The large orchestra
version, given here, is heady, mood-rich
and warmly dreamy. The distant vocalisation
of the choir at tr.2 7.29 is very
well handled - lovingly distanced.
The oriental Muezzin curvature of
the singing prompts thoughts of
Delius's Hassan and the Delius
Requiem and also put me in
mind of two much later hyper-romantic
works - Harty's Children of Lir
and Enescu's Vox Maris.
Janowski does not have quite the
abandon exhorted by Martinon but
this is still a well conceived and
enthusiastic performance.
Schmitt
pulls out all the stops for the
single movement Psalm. This
shouts in colossal exultation with
impassioned oaken tones from the
massed French radio choirs blazingly
done and with a nod towards the
towering tones of Berlioz's choral
monuments. Other works may leap
to mind including the Hanson Lament
for Beowulf cantata as well
as Janáček’s Glagolytic
Mass. It sounds big - none of
the chamber choir approach. While
it is weakened somewhat by a proneness
to rum-ti-tum rhythms in the outer
sections, recalling his friend Vaughan
Williams, it is also decidedly Rimskian
and leans on the example of Borodin
and the Polovtsian Dances. Although
in one movement, it is a triptych
with the Glory to the Lord and
God has ascended framing
He has chosen the beauty of Jacob.
It’s a pity that the whole of this
noble work is in a single 26 minute
track.
The
solo violinists are Prat in Salomé and Commentale in
the Psaume. Commentale is given more to do and his
touchingly febrile role in the central panel is nicely balanced
up with his co-singer, the toweringly dramatic and operatic-toned
Sharon Sweet.
For
Psaume 47 the booklet gives us the sung text in both French
and English translation. Only the French was given in the
Ultima set. The notes are by Marc Vignal.
Rob
Barnett
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Sharon Sweet (sop), Jean-Louis Gil (organ), Jacques Prat (violin), Guy Commentale
(violin)
