Saint-Saëns, Christmas Oratorio, Tecum Principium Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) wrote his Christmas Oratorio (Oratorio de Noël, Op. 12) early in his career when the composer was only 23 years old. It premiered on Christmas in 1858 at the Church of Saint-Marie-Madeleine (known commonly as “La Madeleine”). … Read more
Duparc, Phidylé Henri Duparc (1848-1933) can be added to the list of composers who studied law before committing to a career in music. I have threatened to compile that list someday, but the list would be long and not particularly useful since none that I … Read more
Mouret, Rondeau This rondeau by French composer Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738) will be instantly recognized by many as the musical theme for the television series Masterpiece Theater. Some of the best television drama, much of it produced by the BBC, aired as part of the series … Read more
Chausson, Le temps des lilas Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) entered the Paris Conservatory in 1879 to study with Jules Massenet. Already 24 years old at the time, this somewhat late move came after he had obtained a law degree and was sworn in as a barrister. … Read more
François Couperin, Leçons de tenèbres François Couperin (1668-1733) is known as “le Grand” to distinguish him from several other members of his family that were important musicians of the time. We featured his uncle Louis Couperin in this series last summer. The Couperin family was … Read more
Messaien, Quartet for the End of Time (V. Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus) French-born Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) is one of the more eclectic composers of the 20th century. He incorporated serialism, complex rhythmic modes, Japanese and Indonesian influences, and birdsongs, but retained a strong sense … Read more
Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) originally wrote the Roman Carnival Overture as part of his opera Benvenuto Cellini, which is a mostly fictional tale about the historical Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571). The opera was not a success, receiving only three performances initially in 1839. … Read more
Poulenc, Gloria When I last featured Poulenc just a few weeks ago, I mentioned my plan to turn to a larger scale work by Poulenc in the near future. I addressed Poulenc’s ability to express serious musical ideas with an unaffected simplicity. Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) … Read more
Fauré, Requiem In program notes for the Fauré Requiem, John Bawden writes: Of the many settings of the Requiem, this is probably the most widely loved. In comparison with the large-scale masterpieces of Verdi, Brahms and Berlioz, Faure’s setting seems gentle and unassuming, yet it is … Read more
Poulenc, Theme and Variations It has been a few years since we featured anything by Francis Poulenc. That was the short French chanson Margoton va t’a l’iau. I noted then French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) developed a reputation for lighthearted and whimsical compositions, and yet … Read more