STEREC SHI 415 B MUSICAL TREASURES OF PLAYABLE ON MODERN ~ MONAURAL i EQgtPMENT cme PROVINCIAL FRANCE RA VS L———] INTERNATIONAL

PHILIPS PHI 415 Musical Treasures of Provincial France

Bretagne: 1. Laride (Danse du pays d’Auray) (Dance Of The Auray Country)—Bagad Provence: “Quic en Groigne” 1. La coupe sainte (The Sacred Cup)—L’Escolo Mistralenco 2. Les cordelles 2. La violette (The Ropes)—L’Escolo Mistralenco (The Violet) (Bullini/ Mortelli)—Groupe folklorique “Quic en Groigne” Savoie: 3. Silvestrig (Mélodie du Trégor) (Tregor 3. Les allobroges (The Stout Fellows) (J. Desaix/arr. Sainkop)—Chorale Melody)—Herquelee ‘“‘Quic en Groigne” Maurice Saint Limousin: d’Annecy, Dir. A. F. Morand 4. Mazurka des grand-méres (Grandmothers’ Mazurka)—Michel Meilhac et ses Ménétriers 4. La maion (Champion Rope-maker) (arr. Morand)—Chorale Saint Maurice d’Annecy, Dir. A. Auvergne: F. Morand 5. Obal obal ol found del prat (Dancing in the Meadow) (arr. R. Rédon)— Alpes: 5. Le téméraire (The Reckless Groupe folklorique ‘‘Dansers et chanteurs de I|’Ecole Auvergnate”’ D’Aurillac One) (Furgeot)—Fanfare du 13éme Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins, Dir. Adjudant-Chef Vertongeren 6. Lous esclops (Les sabots) (The Wooden Shoes )—Groupe folklorique Alsace: 6. Cher echo ‘“‘Danseurs et chanteurs de I|’Ecole Auvergnat”’ d’Alsace (Beloved Echo of Alsace) (W. van Dorsselaer)— D’Aurillac—Solist: André Maury Ensemble Corse: 7. Farandole de la Loyala Kapall de, Colmar, Dir. Willy Dorsel (Maistrale & H. de Bozi)—Marfisa—guitars: Matelot Ferre et 70 Jean-Marie Pallen “ 8. Valse du chaudron (Valsu di U Paghiolu) (Waltz Of The Kettle)—Groupe des | —_—— } Violoneux de Sermano 9. Federi—Groupe | folklorique (Fo/klore Group) ‘‘Cantu di Cirnu” avec ahs Magy Satsvaleiy Ne Zanni et Félix Avazzeri {oe

It is one of those mysteries of human nature, that while probing the limits of outer space, man still worth saving, even if too searches for links with a forgotten or nearly discarded past. recent to be true folk-song. Both endeavors Michel Meilhac et ses Ménétriers (minstrels) play ‘‘Mazurka are inevitably marked by Trial and Error, and that is true of this record, des Grand-méres.” Their in- for it struments are the violin, the vielle (lyre) and the “cabrette,” tries to give an impression of the rich folk-music of France, and a heavy bass drum. errs in its inability to offer more The imitation of the sound than a few examples of the many kinds of music from the different regions. of nature occurs in folk-music the world over. The cuckoo is the most popular of birds, as the ‘Groupe Listening to this music, we come to realiizie| that although folklorique, Danseurs et Chanteurs de I’Ecole Auvergnate a political unity, France is by no d’Aurillac” prove again means a musiCal one, and searching for the real in ‘“‘Obal, obal of found del prat’”’ (On the far side of the meadow). folk-music, the observer notices a much greater Same group The difference between the indigenous Sings a song of wooden shoes: “‘Lous Esclops.”’ music of the various regions than appears in the specially com- posed “‘folk-music”’ Corsica is represented by three examples of the spurious of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which in many folk music which appeared in the countries passes nineteenth century, passed from bourgeois for the real thing. circles to the laboring and agricultural population, and was finally rediscovered by Folk-music in France, as in many other countries, is no the intelligentsia after everyone else had done with it. This Farandole longer a thing of the people who has clearly been invented, and originally sang it, danced or worked to it. They have long since it is sung in the tradition of the art song by Marfisa. In the “Waltz discarded it as something that was of the Copper Kettle,” the difficulty all very well for grandma and grandpa, but nothing to compare of singing in the tempered scale to instruments which have with the music of the juke box. their own natural scale It was the professional people, the lawyers, the produces a rather disagreeable sound, which is all too easily country doctors, the idealistic schoolmasters who the hall taken for formed the folk-music societies of the nineteen twenties mark of authenticity. If it is ugly, it must be folk-song. and thirties. They did their work during the A land of wild fantasy, evenings, when little went on in their villages, and now, the results hot colors and bragging men, but a beautiful one: La Provence. Could of their efforts greatly benefit a anyone hear the name without hearing tourist industry, which wants visitors not only to feel themselves back the tumbling line of the “‘galoubet,”’ the fife with three holes in the past, but to hear the that can play seventeen notes? L’Escolo sounds of the past too. The souvenir trade has, so to speak, Mistralenco plays ‘‘La Coupe Sainte,” and we remember acquired a band stand, on which, every that Provence looks Saturday and Sunday night, folk-music is performed. out on a warm blue sea. In “La Maion,”’ we hear the same group song of the champion rope maker. singing the Of course this rule has its exceptions. There is Brittany, the fist France thrusts into the sea. In the Savoy choirs abound. It is a granite fist, and the people who live on it look to the The human voice can be taken up a mountain without any extra sea for a living) They are fisherfolk, and touble; and high up in their dances are robust and vigorous. The two-pipe the clear air, the sounds echo and re-echo in endless merry-go-rounds. ‘“‘biniou” (bagpipe) executes its own melodic Let us and rhythmic patterns, while not inquire whether ‘‘Les Allobroges”’ (the stout fellows) is the ‘‘bombardes” accentuate the beat. Listen to the ‘‘Bagad Quic en folk-song; it clearly is not; but Grogne”’ playing ‘‘Laride,” a dance it sounds magnificently martial—like the Garde Républicaine riding out from the Morbihan, the mountainous region near the Southern morning—and through Paris on a Sunday coast. we are strongly asked to believe that after all “La France, c’est La Savoie.”’ One of the instruments found Why has that furious paced, devil-may-care march ‘‘Le Téméraire” all over France among folk musicians is the ‘‘vielle” (lyre). It tion? been added to the collec- is the favorite instrument of the “bard” Perhaps a side of France is represented in this music that defines to accompany his songs. When the accordion is added, French the character of the it becomes clear that we are people: “Le Téméraire’—the reckless hero. It is as if we no longer hearing folk music in the true sense, but music written were watching a parade of a folk style, and in Chasseurs Alpins, horns raised high, each Clearly individual, played on traditional instruments, or on conventional instruments in an yet all forming a magnificent whole. of the imitation __ The Finale takes us to Colmar, the town archaic manner. That is the case in “Violette,” played by the of the storks. If we are really folklorists, we will not Groupe folklorique ‘‘Quic en bring up the fight over an Grogne.” Fife and drums give a salty flavor to Alsace frangaise or an Alsace allemande, because within France “Silvestrig,’”’ making us think of sailors and the there are so many differences itself sea, but the vielles put us firmly back on land. between the various regions, that only geography has put them out of From bounds as political or strategical pawns. Brittany this record takes us to the Auvergne, which is a region of extinct volcanoes. We do notice however, that something The inhabitants are regarded with some amusement by the rest of France, for as obviously invented as ‘‘Cher Echo d’Alsace,’’ would their what is considered fit any other region, either in France or in Germany, quaint speech. They are the descendants of a fierce Celtic tribe which challenged because there is nothing of really indigenous on the ancient Caesar Character in it. lava slopes. How then could a dance of Polish Origin like the Mazurka represent region, this When you listen to the “Ensemble de la Loyala other than as a remembrance of comparatively recent events? Here Kapall de Colmar,” you are coming to the we have one of the many end of your Tour de France; but folklore groups formed in France during the twenties, trying you are only beginning to dip into the great hidden treasury of to save whatever could be considered folk-song in all its infinite variety.

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Musical Treasures of Musical Treasures of Gypsy Music From Ruma- Songs and Dances From Israel: the spirit Souvenirs of Italy: A col-- A Visit to Greece: Tradi- Folk Music From of an Hungary: A gypsy or- nia: Music to eat, drink, Yugoslavia: Argen- Musical Treasures From Krontjong Music From Japan: Spirited folk lection for the paisano who tional and new. A A collection of folk ancient, yetmodern people, chestra plays nomadic marry and make-up musical tina: Traditional zambas_ Brazil: Carnival, religious Indonesia: to. rhythms filled with the joy enjoys rich, vibrant melo- tour of a fascinating Indonesian in- music born in the history of reflected in song aa melodies. PHI 422 PHI 424 land. and a variety of guitar song and dance melodies struments combined of dance. PHI 425 dies antipasto. PHI 426 PHI 427 with Japan. PHI 437 artistry. PHI 434 from Brazil. PHI 435 exotic harmonics. PHI 436

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