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FRENCH
CONCERTOS
From the 19th Century to the Present
A Discography Of CDs And LPs
Prepared by Michael Herman Edited by Stephen Ellis
The
composers included in this discography are those who wrote concertos and other
works for soloist(s) and orchestra that have been issued on CDs and LPs and
who were born in or came to live in France. As France has always been a magnet
for artists of all types, it should be no surprise that many of composers herein
listed were born in other countries. Although
the concerto and other concertante works have never been as central to French
composers as they have been to their German and Russian colleagues, as this
work clearly shows, their production has not been insignificant. Only a few
concertos documented below, by Lalo, Ravel, Poulenc and Saint-Saëns, and
several other concertante works by Chausson, Debussy, Faure, can be considered
as part of or on the fringes of the standard repertoire. While a number of concertos were written in the early-nineteenth century, they
made little impact on a musical culture that was clearly dominated by opera
and ballet. Even when the symphony came into vogue, later in that century, with
the exception of Saint-Saëns
and Lalo, there were still few concertos being produced by France's most
prominent composers. There was some improvement in this situation in the twentieth
century and that accounts for the fact that the majority of works listed below
date from that time. Concertos are still being written now, but, like most other
traditional forms, in greatly diminished numbers.
Recorded is here defined as being available in a physical format that can be (or could
have been) purchased or obtained from either a commercial or non-commercial
source. Tape recordings, DVD's, music available exclusively as downloads from
the internet and formats other than CDs or LPs are not included.
The entry for each composer consists of two sections. First there is a compact
biographical paragraph that notes some essential information such as place of
birth, higher musical education (including schools and prominent teachers),
subsequent musical careers in addition to composing, and details of other concertos
that have not been recorded. Compositional styles are not discussed in these
paragraphs, and readers are referred to the bibliography where various reference
books that cover this subject are listed. The second part of each composer entry
consists of lists of his or her concertos that have been recorded and the various
recordings of each work. A concerto is very broadly defined defined for the
purposes of this discography to include any work that has the word "concerto,"
"concertino" or "concertante" in its title whether or not
a soloist is involved. Also included is any work in which an instrumental soloist
is continually involved, whatever its title may be. For every concerto that
has them, the opus number, key signature and title are noted and the year of
composition (when known) is stated for all. The entries of the concertos that
have had multiple recordings are listed alphabetically by soloists' names. Each
listing of a recording consists of the following components (again, if known):
(1) performers – soloist(s), conductor, orchestra, (2) other works on the recording,
(3) label and catalogue number and year of issue and (4), if the recording is
a reissue, the original LP or CD release, and its year of issue. Please note
that the performers listed are for the entry work and not necessarily for the
work or works that complete the disc. Also, in most instances, when an entry
work is included in a large collection (especially if most of the other works
are not related to the discography's subject), the list of couplings is not
given but is replaced by the title of the collection.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As noted above, Stephen Ellis has edited this work. However, he was much more
than an editor who corrected my errors both inadvertent and egregious, but he
also enlightened me with his vast knowledge of composers of the modern era and
recordings of their works. His contribution was indispensible and greatly appreciated.
Thanks also once again to Len Mullinger for hosting my work on his superb MusicWeb
International website and also to David Barker for straightening out the technical
problems that I submitted along with the document.
PLEASE
NOTE
All recordings
listed are CDs unless specifically designated as LPs.
COMPOSER LIST Because of the conversion of the discography to pdf,
linking to individual composers is not possible. We have kept the list
so that you are able to see who is included.
ABBIATE, LOUIS (1866-1933) AGOBET, JEAN-LOUIS (b. 1968) ALKAN, CHARLES VALENTIN (1813-1888) ALLA, THIERRY (b. 1955) AMELLER, ANDRÉ (1912-1990) AMY, GILBERT (b. 1936) ANCELIN, PIERRE (1934-2001) ARRIEU, CLAUDE (1903-1990)
ATTAHIR, BENJAMIN (b.1989) AUBER, DANIEL-FRANÇOIS (1782-1871) BACRI, NICOLAS (b. 1961) BALLIF, CLAUDE (1924-2004) BARRAUD, HENRY (1900-1997) BAUZIN, PIERRE-PHILIPPE (1933-2005) BEFFA, KAROL (b. 1973) BELAUBRE, LOUIS-NOËL (b. 1932) BERLIOZ, HECTOR (1803-1869) BITSCH, MARCEL (1921-2011) BLOCH, ANDRÉ (1873-1960) BOCHSA, NICOLAS-CHARLES (1789-1856) BOËLLMANN, LÉON (1862-1897) BOIELDIEU, FRANÇOIS (1775-1834) BONDON, JACQUES (1927-2008) BOUCOURECHLIEV, ANDRÉ (1925-97) BOULANGER, NADIA (1887-1979) BOUTRY, ROGER (b. 1932) BOZZA, EUGÈNE (1905-1991) BRENET, THÉRÈSE (b. 1935) BRET, JULIEN (b. 1974) BÜSSER, HENRI (1872-1973) CALMEL, ROGER (1921-1998) CANAT DE CHIZY, EDITH (b. 1950) CANTELOUBE, JOSEPH (1879-1957) CAPDEVIELLE, PIERRE (1906-1969) CAPLET, ANDRÉ (1878-1925) CASADESUS, ROBERT (1899-1972) CASANOVA, ANDRÉ (1919-2009) CASTÉRÈDE, JACQUES (b. 1926) CASTILLON, ALEXIS DE (1838-1873) CAVANNA, BERNARD (b. 1951) CHABRIER, EMMANUEL (1841-1894) CHALLAN, RENÉ (1910-76) CHAMINADE, CÉCILE (1857-1944) CHARPENTIER, JACQUES (b. 1933) CHAUSSON, ERNEST (1855-1899) CHAYNES, CHARLES (b. 1925) CHEN, QIGANG (b. 1951) CONSTANT, MARIUS (1925-2004) CRAS, JEAN (1879-1932) DALBAVIE, MARC-ANDRÉ (b. 1961) DAMASE, JEAN-MICHEL (1928-2013) DANIEL-LESUR, JEAN-YVES (1908-2002) DEBUSSY, CLAUDE (1862-1918) DEFAYE, JEAN-MICHEL (b. 1932) DELANNOY, MARCEL (1898-1962) DELERUE, GEORGES (1925-1992) DEMERSSEMAN, JULES AUGUSTE (1833-1866) DEMESSIEUX, JEANNE (1921-1968) DÉSENCLOS, ALFRED (1912-1971) DUBOIS, PIERRE-MAX (1930-1995) DUBOIS, THÉODORE (1837-1924) DUFOURT, HUGUES (b. 1943) DUKAS, PAUL (1865-1935) DUPRÉ, MARCEL (1886-1971) DURAND, JOËL-FRANÇOIS (b. 1954) DUREY, LOUIS (1888-1979) DUSAPIN, PASCAL (b. 1955) DUTILLEUX, HENRI (1916-2013) EL-KHOURY, BECHARA (b. 1957) ESCAICH, THIERRY (b. 1965) FALK, JULIEN (1902-1987)
FARJOT, JOHAN (b. 2000) FARRENC, LOUISE (1804-1875) FAURÉ, GABRIEL (1845-1924) FLORENTZ, JEAN-LOUIS (1947-2004) FRANÇAIX, JEAN (1912-1997) FRANCK, CÉSAR (1822-1890) FRANÇOIS, SAMSON (1924-70) GAGNEUX, RENAUD (b. 1947) GANDRILLE, JEAN-CHARLES (b. 1982) GARTENLAUB, ODETTE (b. 1922) GAUBERT, PHILIPPE (1879-1941) GODARD, BENJAMIN (1849-1895) GOTKOVSKY, IDA (b. 1933) GOUNOD, CHARLES (1818-1893) GOUVY, LOUIS THÉODORE (1819-1898) GRANDJANY, MARCEL (1891-1975)
GRANGÉ, JACQUES (b. 1925) GRUNENWALD, JEAN-JACQUES (1911-1982) GUILLOU, JEAN (b. 1930) GUILMANT, ALEXANDRE (1837-1911) GUIRAUD, ERNEST (1837-1892) HAHN, REYNALDO (1874-1947) HASQUENOPH, PIERRE (1922-1982) HÉROLD, LOUIS FERDINAND (1791-1833) HERZ, HENRI (1803-1888) HOLSTEIN, JEAN PAUL (b. 1939) HONEGGER, ARTHUR (1892-1955) HOSSEIN, ANDRÉ (AMINOULLAH) (1905-1983) HUBEAU, JEAN (1917-1992) HÜE, GEORGES (1858-1948) HUREL, PHILIPPE (b. 1955)
IBERT, JACQUES (1890-1962 INDY, VINCENT D' (1851-1931) JAËLL, MARIE (1846-1925) JOLAS, BETSY (b. 1926) JOLIVET, ANDRÉ (1905-1974) JOLY, SUZANNE (b. 1914) KOECHLIN, CHARLES (1867-1950) KOERING, RENÉ (b.1940)
LA TOMBELLE, FERNAND DE de (1855-1932) LALO, ÉDOUARD (1823-1892) LANCEN, SERGE (1922-2005) LANCINO, THIERRY (b. 1954) LANDOWSKI, MARCEL (1915-1999) LANGLAIS, JEAN (1907-1991) LAZZARI, SYLVIO (1857-1944) LE FLEM, PAUL (1881-1984)
LEGRAND, MICHEL (1932-2019) LEIBOWITZ, RENÉ (1913-1972) LEJET, EDITH (b. 1941) LEMELAND, AUBERT (1932-2010) LONGY, GEORGES (1868-1930) LOUCHEUR, RAYMOND (1899-1979) MALEC, IVO (b. 1925) MANEN, CHRISTIAN (b. 1934) MANTOVANI, BRUNO (b. 1974) MARCLAND, PATRICK (b. 1944) MARKEVITCH, IGOR (1912-1983)
MARTEAU, HENRI (1874-1934) MARTELLI, HENRI (1895-1980)
MARTIN, FRÉDÉRICK (b. 1958) MARTINET, JEAN-LOUIS (1912-2010) MARTINON, JEAN (1910-1976) MASSIAS, GÉRARD (b. 1933) MASSENET, JULES (1842-1912) MAURICE, PAULE (1910-1967) MERLET, MICHEL (b. 1939) MESSIAEN, OLIVIER (1908-1992) MEYNAUD, MICHEL (b. 1950) MIGOT, GEORGES (1891-1976) MIHALOVICI, MARCEL (1898-1985) MILHAUD, DARIUS (1892-1974) MIROGLIO, FRANCIS (1924-2005) MORANÇON, GUY (b. 1927) MOUQUET, JULES (1867-1946)
MULSANT, FLORENTINE (b.1962) MURAIL, TRISTAN (b. 1947) MURGIER, JACQUES (1912-1986) NAT, YVES (1890-1956)
NAOUMOFF, ÉMILE (b. 1962) NIGG, SERGE (1924-2008) OFFENBACH, JACQUES (1819-1880) OHANA, MAURICE (1914-1992) D'OLLONE, MAX (1875-1959) OUZOUNOFF, DANIEL (1929-2015) PARAY, PAUL (1886-1979) PASCAL, CLAUDE (b. 1921) PEREZ-RAMIREZ, MARCO ANTONIO (b. 1964)
PESSON, GÉRARD (b.1958) PETIT, PIERRE (1922-2000) PETITGIRARD, LAURENT (b. 1950) PHILIPPOT, MICHEL (1926-1996) PIERNÉ, GABRIEL (1863-1937) PINCHARD, MAX (1928-2009) PLANEL, ROBERT (1908-1994)
POLTZ, VERONIQUE (b.1963) POULENC, FRANCIS (1899-1963) RAVEL, MAURICE (1875-1937) RENIÉ, HENRIETTE (1875-1956) RIVIER, JEAN (1896-1987) ROBERT-DIESSEL, LUCIE (b. 1936) ROBIN, JEAN-BAPTISTE (b. 1975)
RODE, PIERRE (1774-1830) ROUSSEL, ALBERT (1869-1937) SAINT-SAËNS, CAMILLE (1835-1921) SANCAN, PIERRE (1916-2008) SAUGUET, HENRI (1901-1989) SCHMITT, FLORENT (1870-1958) SCHŒLLER, PHILIPPE (b. 1957)
SÉJOURNE, ÉMMANUEL (b. 1961) SEMENOFF, IVAN K. (1917-1972)
SIMON, ANTON (ANTOINE) (1850-1916) SOLAL, MARTIAL (b. 1927)
STRASNOV, OSCAR (b. 1970) TAILLEFERRE, GERMAINE (1892-1983) TANGUY, ÉRIC (b. 1968) TANSMAN, ALEXANDRE (1897-1986) THIRIET, MAURICE (1906-1972) TISNÉ, ANTOINE (1932-1998) TOMASI, HENRI (1901-1971) TORTELIER, PAUL (1914-1990) VAUBOURGOIN, MARC (1907-1983) VERCKEN, FRANÇOIS (1928-2005) VIERNE, LOUIS (1870-1937) VITTORIA, MARIO (1911-1986) WEBER, ALAIN (b. 1930) WERNER, JEAN-JACQUES (b. 1935) WIDOR, CHARLES-MARIE (1844-1937) WIENER, JEAN (1896-1982) WISSMER, PIERRE (1915-1992) WOLFF, JEAN-CLAUDE (b. 1946)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
(1) BOOKS
Baker, Theodore and Nicolas Slonimsky. Dictionnaire Biographique des Musiciens (French Edition in 3 Volumes
Adapted and Augmented by Alain Pâris). Paris: Éditions Robert Lafont,
1995.
Clough, Francis F. and C.J. Cuming. The World's Encyclopedia
of Recorded Music (including Supplements) in 3 vols. London:
Sidgwick and Jackson, 1952-57.
Davies, Laurence. César
Franck and His Circle. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1970.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians, 2d ed., in 29
vols., edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. New York:
Grove, 2000.
Ralph Hill (ed.). The Concerto. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1954.
Poulton, Alan J. A Label Discography
of Long-Playing Records,
3 vols. Blandford, England: The Oakwood Press, 1975.
Sadie, Julie Anne and Rhian Samuel
(eds). The Norton/Grove
Dictionary of Women Composers. New York: W.W. Norton and Co,
1995.
Slonimsky, Nicolas. Baker's Biographical
Dictionary of
Musicians, 8th edition. New York: Schirmer Books, 1992.
Slonimsky, Nicolas. Baker's Biographical
Dictionary of 20th
Century Classical Musicians (edited by Laura Kuhn). New York:
Schirmer Books, 1997.
Thompson, Oscar (ed). The International
Cyclopedia of Music
and Musicians, updated 11th edition. New York: Dodd, Mead and
Co., 1985.
(2) RECORD CATALOGS
Diapason: Catalogue Général
de Musique Classique et de Diction (1972)
Gramophone Classical Record Catalogue
(retitled: Gramophone
Classical Catalogue) (1953-1996)
Gramophone Compact Disc Catalogue
(1983-1990)
Schwann Long Playing Record Catalog
(retitled: Schwann 1 -
Record and Tape Guide and Schwann Opus) (1949-2001)
(3) WEBSITES
LIBRARY CATALOGUES
Bibliotheque National de France http://www.bnf.fr/
British Library Sound Archive http://www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/nsa.html
Library and Archives Canada http:www.colectionscanada.gc.
Library of Congress http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First
New York Public Library Research
Catalog http://catnyp.nypl.org/
OTHER SITES
Amazon (UK) http://www.amazon.co.uk
Amazon (USA) http://www.amazon.com
Arkiv Music http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp
Ars Antiqua/Mikrokosmos http://www.mikrokosmos.com/
Many contemporary composers have
their own websites and others can be found on the websites of their publishers.
There are also websites for earlier composers and conductors that are maintained
by societies that promote their music and recordings. These can be found by
typing the composer's name
