Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) Symphony in B flat major, Op. 20 Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op, 25 Viviane, Symphonic Poem on a Legend of the Round Table,...
Ernest Chausson (1855-1899)
Symphony in B flat major, Op. 20
Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op, 25 Viviane,
Symphonic Poem on a Legend of the Round Table, Op. 5
Born in Paris on 20th January 1855. Ernest Chausson grew up in the protective
environment of a well-to-do family that was aware of contemporary artistic
trends, in the Paris drawing-rooms of Fantin-Latour, Odilon Redon, the Abbe
Lacaria and one who would become a confidant and friend throughout his life,
Vincent d'Indy. He chose to study law, doubtless to please his family, or
perhaps through his own indecision. Attracted by painting and literature, he
knew that he was destined for music, but undecided and hesitant by nature, he
waited until he was twenty-two before daring to reveal his ambition. He became
an advocate officially on 7th May 1877, a profession that he never had the
occasion to practise before entering the Conservatoire in Massenet's class on
2nd October 1879. He also followed the courses of Cesar Franck, for whom he
thereafter entertained the deepest admiration, joining there Franck's previous
students, Henri Duparc, Vincent d'Indy, Joseph-Guy Ropartz and Sylvio Lazzari.
There "he learned to discover the poetic feeling of great compositions, to
appreciate their comprehensiveness and the logic of their structure. There, in
this group of convinced artists... he learned to work slowly, without hope of
money and fame. He was also not slow to win a special place in the affections of
the man that his students, with respectful familiarity, called Father Franck,
one whose goodness and devotion he took as an example in life. Later appointed
secretary of the societe Nationale de Musique, he contributed, over a long
period, to the development of its concerts, always welcoming the work of young
composers... and happy at their first successes." (Gustave Samazeuilh. Ernest
Chausson, in La Revue Musicale, December 1925). Debussy, whom he had
helped during a difficult period, had this to say, fourteen years after
Chausson's death. "Ernest Chausson, on whom the Flemish influence of Cesar
Franck weighed so greatly, was one of the most delicate artists of our time. If
the influence of the Liege Master has undeniably been of service to some
contemporary musicians, it seems rather to have done Chausson a disservice, in
that to his natural gifts of elegance and clarity it opposed this sentimental
rigour that is the basis of the Franckian aesthetic." (Claude Debussy, societe
Independante de Musique, 15th January 1913). It is true that Chausson had an
undeniably independent spirit, which showed itself clearly from the composition
of his Piano Trio, Opus 3, until his failure in the entry competition for
the Prix de Rome. In spite of his many stays in Bayreuth, he refrained from
undue endorsement of the Wagnerian aesthetic, always seeking creative procedures
that suited him. Chausson died in his prime, at the age of forty- four, after a
bicycle accident.
Symphonic music had been part of German tradition in the nineteenth century,
marked by the influence of Beethoven. France shared more sparingly in this
purely orchestral aesthetic. Of course there was Berlioz, with his Symphonie
fantastique and Harold en Italie, but it was necessary to wait until
the second half of the century for the appearance of the symphonies of Camille
Saint-Saëns and of Bizet. With the establishment of the societe Nationale de
Musique, orchestral music found a new audience, curious to hear the Organ
Symphony of Saint-Saëns in 1885, the Symphony in G minor of Lalo in
1886 and the Symphony on a French Mountain Song, the Symphonie Cevenole of
Vincent d'Indy, in the same year. Chausson was not to be outdone. As was his
custom, he left Paris to devote himself to composition and it was in the North
of France, at Arras, that he revealed his ideas to Henry Lerolle, his
brother-in-law and future dedicatee of the symphony: "If there were not
this dirty black mud and miles of houses along the roads, this could be pretty,
but this mud is terrible. All this speaks of industry, unclean progress. I would
rather be murdered and eaten by a handsome savage than always live among these
poor colourless faces, blackened and sickly. Just looking at them you can
understand strikes, revolutions, murders... Back home again, when the symphony
is not going forward, I am ashamed to grumble...", but the symphony was
going forward "...Here my study is charming; I am trying to finish there
the two first movements of the symphony. At present it is not yet finished, but
perhaps it will come. I ought to be used to retouching things, since I do it so
much. But every time I find the same difficulties. Actually I think the thing is
very difficult." (Letter to Henry Lerolle, La Revue Musicale, 1925).
Started in September 1889, the symphony was finished in December 1890, with the
idea of performance at the Concerts Lamoureux. The first reading of the work
took place on 17th February, to the satisfaction of Chausson, who declared that
he had had no great surprise. "It seems to me that it sounds as I wanted,
with perhaps too much fullness of orchestration all the time. But that could
perhaps disappear with adjustment... This finale, it seems to me, is the one of
the three movements that gains most from the orchestra." (quoted by Jean
Gallois, Ernest Chausson, 1994). On 18th April 1891, in the magnificent
Salle Erard, the symphony was given its first performance, conducted by the
composer, a work that had taken fifteen months to write. In the audience were
his constant friends, Lalo, Boucher, Chabrier, Massenet and Besnard. The Symphony
in B flat major, Opus 20, has three movements, Lento-Allegro vivo, Très
lent and finally Anime, with an orchestra that in addition to the
strings includes triple woodwind, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, a
tuba, timpani and percussion, with two harps. The introduction starts with a
slow, serious 4/4 theme in the strings, without violins, clarinets and horns,
its length and modulatory nature suggesting the school of Cesar Franck. A rapid
ascending passage in the violins and woodwind announces the triple-time Allegro
vivo, which starts at once, in the bassoon and horn, with a theme making
principal use of the interval of a third, then another rhythmic theme that finds
its counterpart in a lyrical melodic phrase. These last two, contrasting in
character, are developed and combined in clever counterpoint "where
brilliance vies with ingenuity and assurance of the material" (Jean Gallois).
The second movement, Très lent in D minor, certainly taxed the composer
the most, as his sketches show. It is, as Jean Gallois says, "a great
lament, sometimes near to despair... built on two melodies, the first of which
does not reach its full flowering until the second has been completely
revealed." The third movement, Anime, remains faithful to the
Franckian principle in quoting more or less explicitly the themes and motifs
heard earlier, in a free enough sonata-form, with the recapitulation replaced by
one of the most extraordinary pieces of orchestral writing, a chorale of
twenty-two bars for brass alone, particularly difficult to perform, a real hymn,
leading to the brighter key of D major. Chausson's Symphony has often
been compared to that of Cesar Franck, three years before. While the
similarities cannot be denied, there are, equally, many differences, as the
excellent book by Jean Gallois, published by Fayard, on the life and work of
Ernest Chausson shows. It must not be forgotten that "there is a phrase of
Schumann that is terrible and that resounds always in my ears like the trumpet
of the day of judgement' 'One is not master of the thought until one is
completely master of the form', I feel more and more the truth of this and it
leaves me no rest," (Letter to Mme de Rayssac, Munich, 1879, in La Revue
Musicale,1925),
"The Poème for violin and orchestra shows the composer's best
qualities. The quality of the form never contradicts harmonious proportion.
Nothing is more touching in its dreamy tenderness than the ending, when the
music, leaving aside all description, all that is anecdotal, becomes the very
feeling that inspires the emotion. These are very rare moments in the work of an
artist." Debussy, in his report of 15th January 1913 for the societe
Independante de Musique, confirmed the profound originality of this work for
violin, defying the usual rules of a solo concerto, Chausson and Ysaÿe since
1892 had talked of a composition for the famous violinist. Ysaÿe had wanted a
concerto, but Chausson dreamed of poetry, He was inspired, perhaps, by a novel
of Turgenev, whom he so much admired, since the first sketch of the Poème carries
the words Le chant de l' Amour Triomphant (The Song of Love
Triumphant). The plot concerns the unlucky passion (comparable, perhaps, to that
of Turgenev for Pauline Garcia) of a young musician for Valeria, who has
preferred Fabius to him. On his return from the East some years later, at a
dinner, he makes them drink a mysterious wine from Shiraz, then plays on his
Indian violin folk-tunes and a melody that is full and passionate, vibrating
with joy triumphant, "the song of love happy and triumphant". The
orchestra includes double woodwind, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, a
tuba, timpani, a harp and strings. Contrary to the statement of Debussy, the Poème
is elaborate and detailed in construction, in five sections that Jean
Gallois compares to five acts of a classical tragedy. The first, third and fifth
of these are all in triple time in a generally slow tempo, Lento e misterioso,
Poco lento, then Tempo I, and comparable in thematic material. The
even-numbered sections are conceived in 8/8, Animato for the second and Allegro
for the fourth, sharing the second principal theme of the work. After a
thickly textured and mysterious orchestral opening, the poignant and full sound
of the violin is heard in the silence of solitude, the music taken up again by
the orchestra with feeling and harmonized with a counterpoint the expressive
power of which bursts out strongly in the orchestral climax of the last section.
The second theme, rhythmic and energetic in character, only appears fully in the
fourth section, struggling wildly against the introductory motif. The song of
love, happy and triumphant, shines out, in intensity, before dying away in
renewed clarity of texture. The poème was first performed by Ysaÿe on
27th December 1896 at Nancy, under the direction of Joseph-Guy Ropartz, in the
same concert-hall as that used for the present recording, which is, therefore, a
celebration of the centenary of Chausson 's poème.
The symphonic poem Viviane, Opus 5, was Chausson's first purely
orchestral work. It was dedicated to Jeanne Escudier, his fiancee, whom he
married shortly afterwards. The first sketches go back to July 1882, but this
work, inspired by the Round Table, was actually written at the end of 1882 and
first performed at the Salle Erard on 31st March 1883, conducted by Edouard
Colonne. Chausson had shown a particular interest in Celtic legends, having
spent, since 1875, many hours in the Luxembourg Library studying the Arthurian
cycle. The literary inspiration is given in the brief note that he wrote at the
head of the score. "Viviane and Merlin in the forest. Love scene.
Messengers from King Arthur range through the forest seeking the enchanter; he
wants to escape and rejoin them. Viviane puts Merlin to sleep and surrounds him
with thorn-bushes in flower." In finely expressive orchestration, Chausson
admirably evokes both the mysterious magic atmosphere of the forest undergrowth
and the growing tenderness between the lovers, love in a warmly lyrical unison
phrase in the violas and cellos. To the trumpet-calls of Merlin's companions
coming nearer and nearer Viviane's magic replies, which, after an intense
struggle, will emerge victorious. To the friendly questions of Vincent d 'Indy,
Chausson replied in a letter of 26th April 1883. "You are very, very kind
to interest yourself in the fate of Viviane. For a first appearance in
the world she really did not do badly. First I had the luck of having a very
good copyist (Baudoux) and then took the trouble to revise the orchestral parts
very carefully, with the result that there were no mistakes, except, only, for a
small omission. The rehearsals were laborious, but in the end the performance
was good, I do not say perfect... I do not conceal from you, without false
modesty, that I was very happy with the whole thing. As for the details, there
are some places that would benefit, I think, from different instrumentation. It
is not a problem. I was sorry that you were not there, for I would have been
very glad to have had your advice. The next time I hope to do better." In
1887, after full revision, Chausson issued a new score, fresh and youthful in
its spontaneity, a portent of the expressive power of works to come.
Isabelle Battioni
English version by Keith Anderson
Laurent Korcia
Laurent Korcia was born in Paris in November 1964 and, under the guidance of
Pierre Barbizet from an early age, entered the Paris Conservatoire National
Superieur de Musique when he was thirteen, studying there under Michele Auclair.
He won the Paganini Competition in Genoa in 1983, which brought him the honour
of playing Paganini's own Guarnerius violin, and in 1984 took the third Grand
Prix at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris. In 1990 he won
the Young Concert Artist award in London, after triumph in 1989, when he won the
first prize in the Zino Francescatti Competition. His career has brought concert
engagements with major orchestras in Europe, Japan, China, Australia and the
Middle East and he has won particular praise for his recording of the
unaccompanied violin sonatas of Ysaÿe.
Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy
The origin of the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy goes back to 27th
June 1884, when Edouard Brunel, director of the newly established Conservatoire,
gave a concert in the Grands Salons of the Hotel de Ville with the teaching
staff of the institution. Under the inspiration of Joseph-Guy Ropartz, the new
director of the Conservatoire, and of Albert Carre, then director of the Opera,
a season of symphony concerts was organized, starting in 1889, in the Salle
Poirel, built specially for this purpose. From its foundation the orchestra,
then known as the Orchestre des Concerts du Conservatoire de Nancy, welcomed the
greatest soloists of the period, Eugene Ysaÿe, Alfred Cortot and others. It was
in 1979 that Jerome Kaltenbach replaced the then director of the Conservatoire,
Noel Lancien, as conductor. The orchestra then became independent from the
Conservatoire and fulfilled a double task, in the concert-hall and in the
opera-house. It has since then been known by its present name. The orchestra, in
addition to its commitments at home, has undertaken concert-tours abroad and has
appeared with soloists of the greatest distinction. Under Jerome Kaltenbach the
orchestra has also embarked on a highly successful recording schedule, with a
number of award-winning releases.
Jerôme Kaltenbach
After his studies at the Paris Conservatoire Jerôme Kaltenbach was
unanimously awarded first prize in conducting in the class of Manuel Rosenthal
and Jean Martinon. In 1972 an Italian government scholarship took him to the
Accademia Sta Cecilia in Rome for study with Franco Ferrara. Twice a
prize-winner at Besançon in the Competition for Young Conductors, he took
second prize in the Min On Competition in Tokyo. He has appeared as a guest
conductor with major orchestras throughout France and with the principal
orchestras in Japan. At the same time he enjoys a career in the opera-house,
with engagements in France and in the United States, and in 1982 was entrusted
by the French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, with the creation and musical
direction of the French Youth Orchestra. Since 1979 Jerome Kaltenbach has been
director of the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy and director of music
at the Opera de Nancy.
Narrow your search
Classical Music
Lent-Allegro vivo-Allegro molto-Plus lent-Allegro scherzando-Moins vite-Allegro molto-Allegro vivo-Allegro molto-Presto - 12:40 
