FRENCH MINIATURES (French Solo Piano Music)
FLORENT SCHMITT (1870-1958) Soirs: Ten Preludes
(1890-96)
DARIUS MILHAUD (1892-1974) Suite (1914)
CHARLES KOECHLIN (1867-1961) Nouvelles Sonatines
Op. 87 No. 2 (1923-24)
JACQUES IBERT (1890-1962) Petite Suite en Quinze
Images (1943)
JOHN CLEGG (piano)
rec Potton Hall, Suffolk,
England, 19-20 Feb 1998 PARADISUM PDS-CD11 [71.40]
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It is typical of John Clegg that he should venture out into uncharted waters
rather than jostle with the crowds who frequent the familiar. Treat this
collection as an exploration.
Florent Schmitt is, I am convinced, most unjustly neglected and my friend
Claude Michel is setting about a comprehensive recording project (more than
a 'dixaine' of CDs) featuring the complete music for solo, two and three
pianos. In these softly outlined preludes the waters of originality are hardly
ruffled - gently breathed on maybe - sometimes the music seems just a step
across the brook from Macdowell's Woodland Sketches (none the worse
for that either). In Parfum Exotique we are into readier territory
for Schmitt and, though somewhat unrounded, this is an attractively memorable
piece.
Koechlin was influenced by Jean Huré, Maurice Emmanuel and Paul
Ladmirault. In the second of the four Nouvelles Sonatines he is less
involved than usual. The music (in four brief movements; the longest just
over two minutes) is impressionistic, rather like looking through a
smoke-shadowed window into Ravel's Pavane. This carries into the
Menuet but not into the straight-talking joyfulness of the
Allegro; a movement which ultimately peters out rather than concludes.
Milhaud was phenomenally productive and this suite is quite substantial,
playing for circa 23 minutes - but it is also substantial in its serious
approach to the music. The other works (the Koechlin less so) are essentially
entertainment music. The suite is challenging - not too difficult to listen
to - but still requiring concentration. Its first movement sounds uncannily
like a predictive meditation on I Got Rhythm - well who knows, perhaps
Gershwin got the theme from Milhaud! The Ibert is flowingly uncomplicated
- the art that creates simplicity rather than complexity. If the music washes
over us without leaving much behind the warm shower of melody is agreeable.
It says much for Paradisum and their attention to detail that production
features are of high quality. They list the publishers of each of the pieces.
Track timings are meticulously presented and design quality is consistently
high. The notes are in English, French and German unlike the English-only
Rawsthorne.
The insert notes are by Ian Stirling and tend to run to technical detail.
A pleasant and stimulating collection played with effortlessly apt style
and cleanly recorded.
Reviewer
Rob Barnett
