Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/02/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]You're going to make me break out the vinyl;^) Ric On Feb 16, 2007, at 4:37 AM, Douglas Sharp wrote: > Phil, > If you can find it there's a wonderful recording by France Clidat > on Dutch Gramophone (CD85001). > And a rather strange recording with Michel Legrand playing the > piano and recitations in French by Raymond Devos (French humorist) > mostly as voice-overs but interesting all the same. (on Erato > 4509-92858-2). > > Erik Satie is a wonderful start to discovering lesser known French > (and Swiss) composers of the turn of the Century 19th -20th. > Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc (love him), Germaine Tailleferre > (not enough on records) , Arthur Honegger (perhaps a little too > modern for some tastes), Jacques Ibert, Georges Auric, Louis > Durey. All of them were around at about the same time as the more > "mainstream" French composers Ravel, Debussy and Faure (who wrote > the best Requiem ever!!). > You may also find your way to Jean Francaix who followed this > "modern", but still recognisably musical, trend in French classical > music until his death in 1997. > > There is an anecdote (one of many) about Erik Satie: He apparently > asked Debussy what "La Mer" was all about. On being told that it > depicted a day in the life of an ocean, Satie replied," I > particularly liked the bit between 3 and 4 in the afternoon" > > There's also a fascinating recording on Chandos records with 2 > ballet suites composed by about 12 French composers in the 1920s, > one of which "Les Maries de la Tour Eiffel" is the music for a > rather surrealistic ballet by Jean Cocteau where the main theme is > what can happen when a photographer says "watch the birdie" while > taking wedding photographs at the Eiffel Tower. ( The title of the > record is L'eventail de Jeanne, # CHAN 8356) > > There's another recording of music for 2 pianos by a selection of > these composers performed by Eduard Exerjean and Philippe Corre > including Darius Milhauds glorious "Boeuf sur le Toit" and > "Scaramouche" , 2 delightful cameos from Francis Poulenc and a > selection of works from Tailleferre, Auric, Durey and Honneger > (Disques Pierre Verany PV.786091 Title Le Groupe des Six - The Six > - Le Boeuf Sur le Toit) > > Hope you find as much enjoyment in this period of French classical > music as I do > Cheers > Douglas > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information