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CHAN 9504 cover.qxd 5/2/08 12:29 pm Page 1 Chan 9504 CHANDOS Henri Dutilleux L’arbre des songes (Concerto for violin and orchestra) Timbres, espace, mouvement premier recording Two Sonnets by Jean Cassou premier recording Prière pour nous autres charnels Jehan Alain orch. Dutilleux Olivier Charlier violin Martyn Hill tenor Neal Davies baritone BBC Philharmonic Yan Pascal Tortelier CHAN 9504 BOOK.qxd 5/2/08 12:32 pm Page 2 Henri Dutilleux (b.1916) L’arbre des songes ‡ 25:14 (Concerto for violin and orchestra) Tree of dreams 1 I Librement – 5:08 2 Interlude – 2:40 3 II Vif – 2:00 4 Interlude – 1:59 5 III Lent – 6:31 6 Interlude – 1:21 Malcolm Crowthers 7 IV Large et animé 5:35 Two Sonnets by Jean Cassou † 7:03 8 I J’ai rêvé que je vous portais entre mes bras 4:48 I dreamt that I carried you in my arms Extrêmement calme 9 II Il n’y avait que des troncs déchirés 2:11 There was nothing but torn trunks Véhément et agité Henri Dutilleux Timbres, espace, mouvement avec interlude 19:56 10 I( = 72 environ) 8:28 11 Interlude – 3:44 12 II ( = 56 environ) 7:38 3 CHAN 9504 BOOK.qxd 5/2/08 12:32 pm Page 4 Jehan Alain (1911–1940) orch. Dutilleux 13 Prière pour nous autres charnels †* 5:35 Henri Dutilleux: L’arbre des songes etc. Prayer for us mortals Très librement récité – Animato – Plus librement – Sans lenteur Henri Dutilleux was born in Angers, in the west orchestral scores – two symphonies and music of France, although three years later the family for the ballet, Le loup – followed in the 1950’s. TT 58:08 moved to Douai, where he received his early The indication that he had now discovered his education. He grew up as the youngest of four most eloquent mode of expression – the one in Olivier Charlier violin‡ children in a household in which, as he recalls, which his fertile imagination and highly Martyn Hill tenor* ‘one was surrounded by music’. Though he developed sense of colour would find the Neal Davies baritone † does not claim to have been unusually greatest stimulus – has been confirmed by the BBC Philharmonic precocious, he was already composing at the high proportion of orchestral works which he Andrew Orton leader age of thirteen, and entered the Paris has composed subsequently. Yan Pascal Tortelier Conservatoire in 1932. There his success in When Dutilleux relinquished his position at winning several prizes culminated in the award French Radio he was able to devote far more of the Prix de Rome in 1938, but the outbreak time to composition, but his habitually of war foreshortened the subsequent period of fastidious approach to his art has meant that study in Rome to which he was entitled. Upon new works have appeared only infrequently. The his demobilization he found work as a harmony most important of these are Métaboles and teacher, as temporary chorus-master at the Timbres, espace, mouvement (both orchestral), Paris Opéra, and as an arranger of music for a Tout un monde lointain (cello and orchestra), night club. In 1943 he joined the staff of L’arbre des songes (violin and orchestra), Ainsi French Radio, and this was to prove a much la nuit (string quartet), and Mystère de l’instant more long-term association as he progressed to (strings, percussion and cimbalom). Unlike many Head of Musical Illustrations, a position which of his contemporaries, Dutilleux has not he held from 1945–63. adhered rigidly to any classifiable musical Dutilleux’s earliest published works include system, but has steadfastly followed his own chamber music and songs, but the Piano Sonata instinct, constantly refining his musical of 1948 was an important landmark, a more language, and producing a series of works of ambitious and individual work, and, as the rare distinction and often strangely exotic composer acknowledges, the one in which he beauty. truly found his own voice. Three major While both his works for solo instrument 4 5 CHAN 9504 BOOK.qxd 5/2/08 12:32 pm Page 6 with orchestra may be loosely described as Enlarging upon the dependent relationship L’arbre des songes was composed in Saumur. Although his creative life was so brief, concertos, Dutilleux avoids technical display for between soloist and orchestra the composer response to a commission from Radio France, Alain occupies an important position in French its own sake. Characteristically, a spirit of has written, ‘At the end of the second interlude, and completed in 1985. Isaac Stern, its music. His highly individual musical language, fantasy and poetry is predominant in each he [the soloist] grafts himself onto the dedicatee, gave the first performance later that strongly modal and of great rhythmic freedom, work. As the composer has explained in orchestra as if he were its double. This role of a year with the Orchestre National de France anticipates Messiaen in its timeless quality, connection with L’arbre des songes (Tree of double is very apparent in the middle part [slow under Lorin Maazel. while its imagination and fantasy are dreams), ‘Personally, I felt incapable of writing a movement] where the oboe d’amore and solo Although the music which Dutilleux wrote in characteristics which provide a strong bravura piece, even though I have closely violin reflect each other’s images in a play of the 1940s has been naturally overshadowed connection with Dutilleux’s own music. studied Paganini’s Caprices, Ysaÿe’s Sonatas mirrors. The same is true of the cimbalom by his mature compositions, the settings of Timbres, espace, mouvement (Timbres, and some pages by Enesco. Thus I tried a more interventions, which though more discreet, are some of Jean Cassou’s Trente-trois sonnets space, movement) was inspired by Van Gogh’s interior approach… by making the solo important for the touches of colour they (‘composés au secret’) are of particular La nuit étoilée, a visionary painting which instrument closely dependent upon the impart.’ He has also drawn attention to the interest, as they are virtually the only Dutilleux has described as ‘an enormously orchestral environment and vice versa, a like organic role of the ‘ringing’ percussion examples of his vocal music. The composer powerful and disturbing masterpiece’. pulsation animating them both.’ From instruments – chimes, vibraphone, piano/ particularly admires these sonnets, which were Commissioned by Rostropovich for the Métaboles onwards, Dutilleux has generally celesta, combined at times with harp and conceived while the poet was a prisoner-of- National Symphony Orchestra of Washington dispensed with the conventional separation of antique cymbals: ‘Their function is of a war, believing that they transcend the and completed in 1978, it received its premiere movements by pauses, which, he believes, tend structural nature in the sense that they state, in circumstances in which they were written. His later that year. As the composer has explained, to impede ‘music’s power to enchant’. Thus the a distorted manner, a melodic contour that runs powerful setting of Il n’y avait que des ‘For a long time I had wanted to translate into four principal movements of L’arbre des songes through the entire score – like a central core of troncs déchirés (There was nothing but torn music the feeling of exultation, or perhaps even are linked by three contrasting interludes which the solo part itself.’ As the piece develops, their trunks), marked ‘Véhément et agité’, perfectly delirium, in this picture.’ He recalls the are closely integrated within the overall plan of importance becomes more obvious until they expresses the violent emotion of the text, ‘emotional impact’ he received when, having the work – ‘the first pointillistic, the second finally occupy a prominent position towards the while J’ai rêvé que je vous portais entre known the painting for a long time only from almost entirely monodic, the third virtually end of the work. Although the composer mes bras (I dreamt that I carried you in my indifferent reproductions, he first saw the static’, as the composer describes them. The considered alternative titles for this work, the arms) is contrastingly calm and spacious. original at the Museum of Modern Art in New third of these interludes includes a section image of a tree was always central. As he Dutilleux’s enthusiasm for the music of Jehan York. Of the picture’s content, Dutilleux has which is extraordinary in two ways: it is not explains, ‘the formation of a tree always Alain (1911–40) was demonstrated in a most said, ‘ ‘Movement’ and ‘space’ are both there. only aleatoric (a device which Dutilleux had fascinated me’; in continuing, ‘trees have a practical way when he orchestrated the The action of the picture is nearly all in the sky, never previously adopted), but is also highly lyricism whose ramifications keep multiplying beautiful Prière pour nous autres charnels between the monstrous, outsized stars, and to a original in content in that a strikingly and are constantly renewed’, Dutilleux finds the (‘Prayer for us mortals’ – a setting of words by smaller extent on the ground, with the little imaginative and poetic effect is created from most poetic and apt analogy for the process of Charles Péguy, originally for two male voices church and then the immense cypress tree, the usually mundane sounds of tuning and continual growth and variation which is and organ) only a few months after Alain had which follows the line of the church spire, warming up. essential to his music. died heroically in action during the defence of giving the impression of aspiring towards the 6 7 CHAN 9504 BOOK.qxd 5/2/08 12:32 pm Page 8 infinite – a mystic, vertiginous sensation, such Martyn Hill is established as one of the Based in Manchester, the BBC Philharmonic Hailed as one of the most exciting as you can feel when you’re alone in the leading tenors of his generation and during his has established an international reputation, conductors to emerge from France in recent countryside or by the sea.’ The music powerfully active career he has worked with many of the having travelled extensively to the USA, Far years, Yan Pascal Tortelier has been evokes the intense whirlpool effect of Van world’s leading conductors.