Émile GOUÉ (1904-1946)
Symphony No. 2 op. 39 (1943) [32:41]
Ballade on a poem by Emily Brontë op. 25 (1940) [12:42]
Max Roques (violin)
Orchestra Radio Symphony Paris/Tony Aubin (symphony)
Marie Béronita (soprano); Henriette Roget (piano); Quatuor Vocal; Quatuor
Krettly/Louis de Froment (Ballade)
rec. 8 Feb 1958 (symphony); 18 Mar 1949 (Ballade). Paris Radio, Mono
AZUR CLASSICAL AZC135 [45:23]
Azur Classics are to be lauded for championing the little
known, unsung composer Émile Goué. This latest release, the eighth in the
series by my calculation, has been recorded under the auspices of La Collection
du Festival International Albert Roussel. This has been under the artistic
directorship of singer, conductor, composer and musicologist Damien Top, who
has also provided the liner-notes. I was interested to see from the booklet
that M. Top has written a biography of the composer. Both works featured are
here receiving their world premiere recordings.
Goué was born in Chateauroux, central France, 13 June 1904. Highly intelligent,
he combined music with a brilliant scientific and academic career. Toulouse
Conservatory provided his initial musical grounding but later in Paris he
came under the influence of Albert Roussel and Charles Koechlin. He married
Yvonne Burg in 1927 and became the father of three children. Although his
earliest compositional ventures date from 1933, it was 1936 that saw the burgeoning
of an intense period of creativity; he destroyed much of his early work. The
war intervened, and in 1939 he was enlisted as a lieutenant of artillery.
In June 1940 he was captured and spent the next five years as a prisoner of
war in Oflag XB Nienburg-on-Wesser. He died not long after his release on
10 October 1946, a broken man.
Six months after he was called up, Goué began work on his Ballade on a
poem by Emily Brontë op. 25 for soprano, vocal quartet, string quartet
and piano. It occupied him over the winter of 1940, and he completed it at
Le Bouscat, near Bordeaux whilst on leave. Brontë, the English novelist and
poet, may seem an unusual choice, but the composer had already drawn on her
poetry in two sets of songs penned in 1937 and 1938: Chants de l’âme
navrée, Op. 16 and Les heures étranges, Op. 19 (both of which
can be found on the Azur volume entitled Mélodies (RECITAL SYPRO054).
In the poem Brontë looks at three aspects of life: past, present and future.
What links yesterday and tomorrow is today. The poet addresses these three
stages of life in questions to a child. The answer is that the past can’t
be changed but the future holds endless possibilities. We should live for
today. The performance here is the premiere, on National Radio, broadcast
after the composer’s death on 19 March 1949, conducted by Louis
de Froment. A French and English text of Brontë’s poem is provided.
Having listened to this captivating work several times I’m struck by
the way it is heavily indebted to Ravel. Marie Béronita’s enchanting
voice has a seductive charm and is a positive asset. In the louder sections
it is never drowned out but soars refulgently. Froment coaxes a subtle palette
of sound from the vocals and strings, who blend well, the pianist’s
contributions being sensitively sculpted. Although in mono sound the conductor
secures favourable results. Goué’s handling of instrumental texture
and the achievement of colour are a constant wonder in this deliciously evocative
score.
July 1943 marked the completion of the Second Symphony. By this time the composer
was interned in Oflag XB, suffering appalling living conditions. This is certainly
not reflected in the optimistic and euphoric demeanour of the opening movement,
the general tenor of which seems triumphant at times. He employs a solo violin
which weaves its way throughout the narrative of the work; Max Roques does
the honours and acquits himself admirably. The slow movement, by contrast,
has a sombre feel. The solo violin intones a wistful, plaintive chant against
a chromatic backdrop, with Goué’s varied pastels evoking a dreamy landscape.
The Scherzo was described by the composer as dance-like, humorous and magical
and he gives the brass a prominent role. The exuberant Finale is cast in a
celebratory vein, portraying a world totally in contrast to the one Goué found
himself inhabiting. Tony Aubin, who directs this radio broadcast, injects
plenty of energy and life. The audio quality is perfectly agreeable. The Symphony
was given its first performance on 13 November 1943 by the Oflag orchestra,
with Jean Robin as soloist. By all accounts it was make-do-and-mend affair,
with saxophones replacing bassoons and horns out of necessity.
The annotations in French and English provide an overview of the music, setting
it in the context of the composer’s life. There is no doubting the value
of this historical document. I would certainly now like to explore the music
of Émile Goué further, especially the string quartets.
Stephen Greenbank
Previous reviews: Hubert
Culot ~ Rob
Barnett
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