Jean Françaix - Scuola di Ballo; Symphony in G (Thierry Fischer)

Information

Composer: Jean Françaix

• (01) Symphony in G major
• (05) Sérénade
• (09) Ourverture anacréontique
• (10) Pavane pour un Génie vivant
• (11) Scuola di Ballo

Ulster Orchestra

Thierry Fischer, conductor

Date: 2002

Label: Hyperion

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67323

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 9

This winsome disc of Françaix works is sure to put a smile on the face of even the gloomiest individual. Just about everything he wrote during his long and prolific career was light-hearted, witty, and puckish, if hardly ever academically fashionable. Françaix seldom veered from his goal of writing completely accessible, well crafted music that often sparkles with clever wind parts, sardonic gestures in the brass, and rambunctious rhythms. That the works on this well-recorded (but slightly bass-heavy) disc, all of which are similarly infectious but unique in their own way, were composed between 1933 and 1987 is a testament to Françaix’s compositional integrity.

Many of the pieces sound as if they could have been ballets, even if only one of them, Scuola di Ballo (based largely on Boccherini’s string quintets–think Pulcinella or La Boutique Fantasque), actually was intended for the stage. From the very opening of the Symphony, a sort of circus-like concerto grosso composed in 1953, you immediately can picture choreography by Balanchine. Dedicated to the memory of Haydn (and structured as a strictly classical symphony), this charming work nonetheless cleaves to Stravinsky’s “neo-classical” period and, in the last movement, to early Prokofiev. Of considerable delight is a tango beat that underpins the Trio in the third movement, accompanied by salacious glissandos in the strings.

Next up is the 1934 Serenade, a collection of charming miniatures that again have their roots in Stravinsky–not so much the Dumbarton Oaks referenced in the liner notes, but a cross between Histoire du Soldat and the Octet, with a little Rite of Spring thrown in via the high bassoon tessitura in the Andantino section. The off-kilter Vivace is sheer musical cabaret farce, featuring a goofy trombone solo, cheeky wind playing, and plucky strings, all executed playfully by the Ulster Orchestra personnel.

Two rarities–Ouverture anacréontique (1978) and Pavane (1987)–demonstrate indeed how consistent Françaix was in his later years. The longest work on this disc at slightly more than 11 minutes, the Ouverture’s dreamy prelude gives way to the customary Françaix frolic, while the Pavane, a riff on and memorial to Ravel, sounds a lot more like the Menuet from Tombeau de Couperin in its big oboe solos than Ravel’s semi-eponymous work. A thoroughly enjoyable disc, especially if your spirits are low.

-- ClassicsToday

More reviews:

MusicWeb International  RECORDING OF THE MONTH

http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/h/hyp67323b.php

https://www.amazon.com/Francaix-Scuola-Ballo-Symphony-etc/dp/B000063TSL

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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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Françaix

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Thierry Fischer (born 28 September 1957) is a Swiss orchestra conductor and flutist. He studied flute with Aurèle Nicolet and began his musical career as Principal Flute in Hamburg and at the Zurich Opera. His conducting career began in his 30s, conducting his first concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Fischer was principal conductor of the Ulster Orchestra (2001-2006) and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (2006-2012). Outside of Europe, he has served as chief conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra (2008-2011) and music director of the Utah Symphony (since 2009).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thierry_Fischer
http://www.thierryfischer.com/

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