This CD is attractive on several counts. Firstly, Chabrier's
music is sheer pleasure as well as a profoundly important contribution
to the development of French music. Secondly, this is an admirably
varied collection of gems in good or excellent performances.
Thirdly, three of these performances - España,
Suite pastorale and Fête polonaise - are
here recorded on CD for the first time.
Some of these may be familiar - irreplaceable classics such
as Beecham's Gwendoline Overture, Marcelle Meyer's Pièces
pittoresques and Bourrée fantasque, and Bernac
with Poulenc in two contrasting songs. It has to be said that
Paul Paray's Gwendoline is even more thrilling than Beecham's,
but while the catalogue has a surprising number of alternatives
to Meyer, she is hard to equal in her strong characterisation
and sense of abandon. The Bernac/Poulenc collaboration is unique
- what style, what feeling!
Schüchter's España at first seemed rather
brisk for ideal clarity of articulation, but on checking I found
Allegro con fuoco - dotted crotchet = 80. Even so,
a slightly slower tempocan enable more rhythmic pointing.
Lindenberg's Suite pastorale is delightfully characterful
- the first and third movements affectionate, the others - especially
the Scherzo-valse - splendidly earthy. It may not be
the most sophisticated version available, but too much sophistication
and polish would, I think, do Chabrier a disservice. As Rollo
Myers writes in his biography Emmanuel Chabrier and his Circle,
“... the important thing to remember about Chabrier is
that he was first and foremost an 'Auvergnat' - a native of
that highly individual province of France which is unlike any
other.” This brings me to the Bourrée fantasque,
an exuberant, astoundingly forward-looking piece with a main
theme of stamping character. The original bourrée was
common in the Auvergne. Biographer Joseph Desaymard finds in
the work “macabre imagination and a ballet of Death, rustic
and danced in wooden shoes, with here and there a touch of mysticism.”
Marcelle Meyer is wonderfully robust and imaginative here, as
well as in the three Pièces pittoresques. One
might feel that it is a shame to be deprived of the other three.
We have only seven, including the four orchestrations which
form Suite pastorale, but the disc runs to a very generous
77 minutes, so we would have had to sacrifice other tracks to
accommodate them.
The extracts from L'étoile,takenfroma
historic and treasurable collection,are sung with marvellous
joie de vivre, the Ode à la musique receives
a passionate performance, and the other orchestral items (tracks
16 and 17) are conducted with terrific enthusiasm by Barbirolli
- some tremendous contributions from the percussion - and Irving
respectively.
As a Chabrier fan, I would not be without this disc, but I suggest
that those with a limited knowledge of this sunniest of composers
- especially those unfamiliar with such delights as L'étoile,
the piano pieces or the songs - will have great fun exploring
this well chosen vintage selection.
Finally, there are truly excellent notes and biographies by
James Murray, as well as selected press comments on the original
releases.
Philip Borg-Wheeler
See also review by John
Sheppard
Full Track-List
Gwendoline Overture (1885) [9:10] (a)
España (18183) [5:52] (b)
Je suis Lazuli (from L'étoile - 1877) [2:52] (c)
Moi, je n'ai pas une âme ingrate (from L'étoile)
[1:42] (d)
L'île heureuse (1890) [2:56] (e)
Ballade des grands dindons (1890) [3:03] (f)
Suite pastorale (1888) [18:40] (g)
From 10 Pièces pittoresques (1881) (h)
Melancholie [2:25]
Tourbillon [1:26]
Mauresque [2:35]
Ode à la musique (1890) [8:33] (i)
Bourrée fantasque (1891) [5:42] (j)
Joyeuse marche (1888) [3:55] (k)
Le roi malgré lui - Fête polonaise (1887) [7:12]
(l)
(a) Orchestre Nationale de la Rediffusion Francaise/Sir Thomas
Beecham - Salle Wagram, Paris 9 November 1957
(b) Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm Schüchter
- Bielefeld, 25 November 1954
(c) Fanély Revoil, Orchestre de L'Opéra Comique,
Paris, Roger Désormière - Studio Albert, Paris,
February and June 1943
(d) Fanély Revoil, Lucie Thelin (other details as in
c)
(e) Pierre Bernac (baritone), Francis Poulenc (piano) - Studio
Albert, 2 November 1936
(f) - as in (e) - 7 July 1936
(g) L'Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du
Conservatoire, Paris, Edouard Lindenberg - Maison de la Mutualité,
Paris, 8 June 1953
(h) Marcelle Meyer (piano) - Salle Adyar, Paris, 28 April -
2 May 1955
(i) Janine Micheau (soprano), Elisabeth Brasseur Chorale, Orchestre
de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Jean
Fournet - Maison de la Mutualite, 16 June 1952
(j) - all details as in (h)
(k) Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli - Free Trade
Hall, Manchester, 11 August 1957
(l) Sinfonia of London, Robert Irving - venue unknown, 1959
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MAGDALEN RECORDINGS METCD 8015 [76:58] 