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This album is released by: Phaedra Music
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This CD aims to present a kaleidoscopic image of more than eighty years of orchestral music in Flanders, from orchestral chamber music to concertante music to an opera overture.
The historical opera Le carillonneur de Bruges is an outsider in the opera production of Albert Grisar (Antwerp, 1808 - Asnières, 1869), which knew success in the genre of the opera bouffe around the middle of the 19th century in Paris. Notwithstanding the Flemish subject, the libretto was written by the French author Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (1799-1875), who dominated the Parisian theater scene with Eugène Scribe (1791-1861) in the years 1830-1840. This three-acter takes place in Bruges in 1566, during the Spanish reign, with the leading role reserved for the old carillonneur Mathéus Claës and his bells. Grisar and his librettist clearly appeal to Flemish-national and Belgian patriotic feelings with this work. Thus the opera ends anachronistic with a tribute to the flag of Flanders and the work is dedicated to Leopold I, 'roi des Belges'. The opera was created on the 10th of February 1852 in the Opéra-Comique in Paris, in which neither effort nor expense was spared. Like Beethoven in his overture to Egmont, Grisar summarizes the course of the drama, from the slow, ominous introduction to the enthusiastic transformation of the tragedy into a triumphal finale, with homage to the flag. Grisar shows his talent for spicy melodies and knows how to use 'Rossinicrescendo' efficiently.
Charles-Louis Hanssens (Ghent, 1802 - Brussels, 1871), nicknamed 'jeune' to distinguish him from his equally directing and composing uncle of the same name, has played a decisive role in Belgian musical life for half a century. As a conductor he introduced Beethoven in Belgium, he dynamized the music life in Ghent and Brussels and for decades he was conductor of the Muntschouwburg where he brought numerous creations and laid the foundation for a rich Wagner tradition. He also left an impressive oeuvre with cantatas, oratorios, operas, choirs, masses, a requiem, chamber music, overtures, orchestral fantasies, ballets, nine symphonies and concertos. Hanssens wrote his first violin concerto (in D) in 1836 during a stay in Paris. Noteworthy is the form in which the three parts blend into each other and in which the solo violin draws the structure. With short cadences the solo violin strikes the bridge between the Allegro and the Andantino and between the parts of the three-part middle section. A long note in the solo violin makes the transition to the final part, a virtuoso rondo. Hanssens dedicated the work to Jean-Baptiste Singelée (1812-1875), 'premier violon solo' of De Munt. Later he composed a second violin concerto (in A).
La ronde du sabbat is the work with which August de Boeck (Merchtem, 1865-1937) debuted as a symphonic: it was created on February 26, 1893 during the 31st concert of the Volksconcerten, conductor Constant Lenaerts (1852-1931). in Antwerp. It must be the first orchestral work that De Boeck wrote after he went into apprenticeship with his generation companion Paul Gilson (1865-1942). As a motto for his work De Boeck used a verse from Victor Hugo's eponymous ballad from 1825, a poem that also inspired Hector Berlioz.
"Et leurs pas, ébranlant les arches colossales, / Troublent les morts couches sous le pavé des salles." The demonic witch dance intrigued artists through the ages and for composers it was after Berlioz 'Symphonie fantastique a real challenge to demonstrate their orchestration arts. In this
stirring up the young De Boeck also honors his teacher and master-orchestrator Gilson. Shortly thereafter he would also write his most popular orchestral work with the Rapsodie dahoméenne.
Another popular and often played work by De Boeck is his Cantilène for cello and piano, which is an adaptation of the compelling aria of Princess Sunshine (see CD 92097 - The Children of the Sea) from his fairytale opera Winternachtsdroom (1901). This version with accompaniment of strings and harp
was performed at the funeral of the composer.
For the piano, De Boeck wrote only small genre pieces and dances, including three waltzes. The Valse dolente (1923) was very successful in the Schott edition and was later orchestrated.
Meditation for violin and piano was the very first composition of Jef Maes (Antwerp, 1905-Antwerp, 1996). He wrote the work in 1927 when he was still studying with Karel Candael (1883-1948). In an interview from 1975 he said about this: 'That is a very romantic, small work. By the way, I am still a romantic, a modern romantic anyway. I have long remained in the romance and lyricism, almost in the conservative. When I played in the opera orchestra as a viola, I wowed with Wagner and Strauss. They were a real revelation for me. You will not find anything in them from my music, but I have learned a lot from them. "Maes orchestrated the short work in 1929.
The Lyrical pastorale voor hoorn (1910) by Lodewijk Mortelmans (Antwerp, 1868 - Antwerp, 1952) was originally conceived with piano accompaniment, but later received a rich orchestral accompaniment. In a three-part song form, Mortelmans sets a heroic, Wagnerian-looking horn theme against a wide, lyrical melody.
Treurdicht (1925), together with In memoriam (1917), Hartsverheffing (1917) and Verlatenheid (1919), forms an impressive four-part with elegies. This mourning music was the direct result of the war years that were particularly tragic for Mortelmans, because he lost his wife and his youngest and oldest son in a short time. Where the first three were originally written for piano and later orchestrated, Mortelmans composed the fourth elegy immediately for orchestra. With the introspective and resigned Treurdicht, written in the form of a song, he concluded this remarkable cycle. Shortly afterwards an echo of his great personal suffering was heard in Three little elegies for string orchestra (1924-1926).
Together with the Lyrical pastoral for horn, the Romanza (1935) for violin Mortelmans' only concertante work. The Romanza was first written as chamber music (there is also a version for viola) and was orchestrated afterwards. In this version, this lyrical and dashing adagio is a complete concert piece.
Jan Dewilde (Study Center for Flemish Music)
credits
released June 17, 2017
Milan Pala, violin
Diechje Minne, Horn
Didier Poskin, Cello
Filharmonie Hradec Kralove
Herman Engels, conductor
Phaedra is the only label with a 100% focus on music from composers of the Low Countries – ancient, classical and contemporary. Our goal is to record, publish and perform this wonderful but little known music and spread it globally.
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