Charles Koechlin - Doctor Fabricus; To the Starry Sky (Heinz Holliger)

Information

Composer: Charles Koechlin

1. Vers la Voûte étoilée, nocturne for orchestra (dedicated to the memory of Camille Flammarion), Op. 129
2. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 1. Le Manoir
3. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 2a. La Douleur. Choral I
4. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 2b. La Douleur. Choral II
5. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 2c. La Douleur. Choral III
6. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 3a. La Révolte. Allegro moderato
7. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 3b. La Révolte. Reprise des thèmes de la Douleur
8. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 3c. La Révolte. Fugue
9. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 3d. La Révolte. Rappel des thèmes de la Douleur
10. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 3e. La Révolte. Stretto de la fugue
11. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 3f. La Révolte. Choral "Aus tiefer Noth..."
12. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 4. Le Ciel étoilé
13. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 5. La Nature, la Vie, l'Espoir
14. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 6. "Réponse de l'Homme"
15. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 7. La Joie
16. Le Docteur Fabricius, symphonic poem after Charles Dollfus' novel, Op. 202: 8. Choral final (on the original monodic chant)

Christine Simonin, ondes martenot
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Heinz Holliger, conductor
Date: 2003
Label: Hänssler

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Review

Much of Koechlin’s highly individual orchestral music remains unexplored: indeed, both works here are premiere recordings. Before he became a composer, Koechlin wanted to be an astronomer and his fascination with the ‘starry firmament’, and the dream world it evoked, is sensuously created in the arch-like structure of Vers la voûte étoilée (‘Towards the vault of stars’). Written in the early 1920s and revised in 1939, this demonstrates the composer’s exotic sound world in a nocturnal piece that does not outstay its welcome.

The stars in the heavens return in Le Docteur Fabricius, written between 1941 and 1944, a more ambitious, large-scale symphonic poem with a philosophical underlay, based on a short story by the composer’s uncle. In the narrative he describes a visit to the mysterious house in which the nihilistic Doctor Fabricius has cut himself off from the world ‘where nature is indifferent, using humans only to maintain life, and doing nothing to reduce human misfortune’. After an austere opening, dolorous chorales symbolise the philosphical disillusion, interrupted by a strident, fugal revolt and interwoven with moments of sadness.

This leads to a powerfully scored chorale suggesting that human hope always re-emerges. The visitor looks out to the starry firmament (the ondes martenot-rich scoring suggests Messiaen) and then, in a passage of radiant exultation, the spirit of Ravel hovers over the music to evoke the consolation of Nature. After an explosion of joy the music returns to the serene, withdrawn evocation of the opening.Koechlin’s powers as an orchestrator ensure his vision is powerfully communicated. Heinz Holliger is very much at home here, and the Stuttgart Radio orchestra play most responsively. The recording is full and atmospheric if not demonstration-class: one ideally needs a more voluptuous ambience. But this is well worth trying.

-- Ivan March, Gramophone

More reviews:

ClassicsToday ARTISTIC: 10 / SOUND: 10

MusicWeb International RECORDING OF THE MONTH

BBC Music Magazine PERFORMANCE: **** / SOUND: ****

http://www.allmusic.com/album/charles-koechlin-le-docteur-fabricius-vers-la-vo%C3%BBte-%C3%A9toil%C3%A9e-mw0001841430

http://www.amazon.com/Koechlin-Docteur-Fabricius-Vo%C3%BBte-%C3%A9toil%C3%A9e/dp/B0001WGEJ8

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Charles Koechlin (27 November 1867 – 31 December 1950) was a French composer, teacher and writer on music. He was a political radical all his life and a passionate enthusiast for such diverse things as medieval music, The Jungle Book of Rudyard Kipling, Johann Sebastian Bach, film stars (especially Lilian Harvey and Ginger Rogers), traveling, stereoscopic photography and socialism. Koechlin was enormously prolific. Despite his lack of worldly success, Koechlin was apparently a loved and venerated figure in French music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Koechlin

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Heinz Holliger (born 21 May 1939 in Langenthal, Switzerland) is a Swiss oboist, composer and conductor. Holliger began his musical education at the conservatories of Bern and Basel. He studied composition with Sándor Veress and Pierre Boulez. He is one of the world's most celebrated oboists, and many composers have written works for him. Holliger has also composed many works in a variety of media. Many of his works have been recorded for the ECM label. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Holliger

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