Ropartz and Timpani;
two names that are becoming inseparable.
This connoisseurs label has been the
enthusiastic and enthusing advocate
of Ropartz for many years. While one
of their Ropartz efforts proved small
beer (the Orchestra de Bretagne anthology)
all of their other Ropartz discs have
been cause for celebration. Their CD
of symphonies 2 and 5 has just been
issued. Le Pays - Ropartz’s opera
- was splendidly done by Timpani a couple
of years back and is well worth tracking
down for its stark rather than lush
take on French late-romantic opera.
Their Ropartz chamber
music recital on Timpani 1C1047 including
the Fourth Quartet makes for a satisfying
cross-section. That recording of No.
4, made in 1996, was by ‘Ensemble Stanislas’
- presumably the same ensemble now making
this intégrale.
The Third Quartet
comes first. It was premiered by
the Calvet Quartet. In four movements
- just like the Second - it is a passionate
work often akin to the Ravel quartet
in its ecstatic crooning. It opens with
a recurrent lapping and sighing motif
evolving into an exciting climactic
statement. The finale’s memorably sun-soaked
contentment is nicely set off by the
slightly acerbic tone of the two violins
and contrasts with the sinister expressionist
(Zemlinsky, Van Dieren) episodes in
the Lento. The Second Quartet
pre-dates the Great War and is predominantly
quite different in character from No.
3. Contrary to my expectations of an
optimistic serenading work the music
is at first classically severe with
occasional relaxation in the first movement
into folk-like dances and lissom asides
as at 5:33. The Assez vif (II)
is also fairly stern although the hiccuping
figure (1:19, II) recalls Dukas’s apprentice
and Berlioz’s capering demons. The dignified
music of the long Très lent
(III) sustains the mood and provides
a meditative romantic-spiritual preparation
for the plunging and singing finale.
This harks back to earlier movements,
artfully weaving the instrumental threads
together. Across its four movements
the work traces a path from rigidity
and darkness into a pliant and healthy
light-filled landscape.
As with most if not
all Timpani releases this disc is presented
in a hard-card folding frame with the
booklet slipped into a slit on the inside
front cover. The CD is stem-mounted
on a plastic case onto the inside rear
section of the card-fold. It’s all tastefully
designed. In fact everything is done
in sympathy with a completely satisfying
visual effect.
The Third Quartet was
dedicated to another one of the great
neglecteds of France, the composer G.
M. Witkowski (any thoughts, Timpani?).
Paul Dukas was the dedicatee of the
Second.
Ropartz’s complete
string quartets are being recorded by
Timpani with Quatuor Stanislas in the
opera house in Nancy under the aegis
of Opéra National de Nancy et
de Lorraine. When completed the line-up
is expected to be as follows:-
Vol. 1 Quartets 2 and
3
Vol. 2 Quartets 4,
5 and 6 (November 2006)
Vol. 3 Quartet 1 and
Pieces for quartet (2007)
I wish them every success.
This is an easily recommendable
disc setting out on a formidably desirable
pioneering project. These quartets,
ably and sympathetically performed,
should both satisfy and whet the appetite
of any admirer of 20th century melodic
chamber music. Two more volumes to come!
Rob Barnett
ROPARTZ WEBSITE
http://www.ropartz.org/
OTHER ROPARTZ CD REVIEWS ON MUSICWEB
INTERNATIONAL
Symphonies
1 and 4
Timpani
- opera Le Pays
Timpani
chamber music incl. String Quartet No.
4
Timpani
- La Chasse and various song
cycles
Timpani
- Petite Symphonie and other
orchestral
Arion solo piano music
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Dec01/ropartzpf.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Nov01/Ropartz.htm
Marco
Polo - Masses and Motets
Marco Polo/Naxos
Le
Miracle and other choral-orchestral
Quatuor Stanislas (Laurent Causse, violin I; Bertrand
Menut, violin II; Paul Fenton, viola; Jean de
Spengler, cello) 
