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Saturday, November 28, 2020

Jean Françaix - À huit; Divertissement; Clarinet Quintet (Gaudier Ensemble)


Information


Composer: Jean Françaix
  • (01) À huit (for clarinet, horn, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, cello & double bass)
  • (05) Divertissement (for bassoon & string quintet)
  • (09) Clarinet Quintet
  • (13) L' heure du berger (for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn & piano)

The Gaudier Ensemble
Marieke Blankestijn, Lesley Hatfield & Elizabeth Wexler, violin
Iris Juda, viola
Christoph Marks, cello
Stephen Williams, double bass
Jaime Martín, flute
Gareth Hulse, oboe
Richard Hosford, clarinet
Jonathan Williams, bassoon
Robin O'Neill, horn
with
Susan Tomes, piano

Date: 1998
Label: Hyperion

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Review

Throughout Jean Francaix’s extremely prolific output – which along with a large number of chamber works included three symphonies, more than 30 concertos or concertante works, five operas and 13 ballets – two things could be relied on: everything would be most expertly and gratefully written for the medium in question (never with a surer touch than in his music for wind instruments), and for the most part high spirits would predominate; even in more serious situations cheerfulness had a habit of breaking in. A conspicuous example of this is his Divertissement which, though written in 1942 in wartime France, bubbles over with irrepressibly cheeky wit (with a charmingly idyllic Lento for contrast). Five years later his L’heure du berger, background music for a brasserie, resembles Poulenc in his most farcical spirit of gaminerie – ‘Pin-up girls’ are represented by hilariously exhibitionist clarinet arabesques, and the finale is pure music-hall.

For a moment, A huit (dedicated to Schubert’s memory, and scored for the same combination as his Octet), written in 1972 when Francaix was 60, seems to be going to be more sober in style, but in no time at all a perky vivacity takes over, with some feather-light scherzando writing, and ending unabashedly in a Viennese waltz – all the while maintaining a crystalline clarity of texture. But that Francaix was also capable of an endearing lyricism is shown in the pastoral opening and warmly expansive slow movement of the 1977 Clarinet Quintet (a work that deserves to be better known, and which eventually almost turns into a concerto), though even in this the first movement suddenly veers off in exuberantly playful mood.

Throughout the programme The Gaudier Ensemble’s playing is highly accomplished and sensitive (and has been recorded with complete fidelity); but solo billing should rightly have been given to the excellent bassoonist and clarinettist, Robin O’Neil and Richard Hosford respectively.

-- Lionel Salter, Gramophone


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Jean Françaix (23 May 1912, in Le Mans – 25 September 1997, in Paris) was a French composer and pianist. He studied at the Conservatoires in Le Mans and Paris, and was considered one of the best students of Nadia Boulanger. Although an accomplished pianist and often played his own works, Françaix's primary occupation was his extraordinarily active compositional career. He remained prolific throughout his life, writing over 200 pieces in a wide variety of styles. Françaix wrote pieces in many of the major large musical forms, including concerti, symphonies, opera, ballet, as well as numerous chamber works.

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The Gaudier Ensemble is a chamber group which was formed in 1989 in London. The group consists of 11 players of mixed nationalities The group performs music for winds, strings, and piano, typically from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Beside works by well known composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Dvorák, the group often delves into the less familiar repertoire like Spohr, Berwald, and Francaix. Its first recording appeared in 1990 on the ASV label, the Schubert Octet in F major. Subsequent recordings by the Gaudier players have been issued on the Hyperion label.

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4 comments:

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  2. ciao Ronald Do.
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    quando puoi, per favore, puoi riattivarlo ?
    grazie in anticipo sempre.
    S.

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