For many years the
sole catalogue representation of Ropartz’s
six symphonies was the 1986 Pathé-Marconi
recording of the Third in E major. This
work dates from 1906. The recording
on HMV (LP: EL270348; cassette: EL270348-4;
CD: CDM7646892) was made by Françoise
Pollet (sop), Nathalie Stutzmann (alto),
Thierry Dran (ten) and Frédéric
Vassar (bass) with Michel Plasson conducting
the Toulouse Capitol Orchestra and Orféon
Donostiarra.
With Ravel and Debussy
as the French composers of the
early twentieth century the record-buying
and concert-going public tend not to
think first about France as a source
of symphonies. Of course there are exceptions
in Dukas, Magnard, Chausson and d'Indy.
Scratch the surface further and many
more examples exist: Milhaud wrote twelve.
Ropartz wrote six. There are other examples
by Jolivet, Charpentier (Jacques), Messiaen,
Dutilleux, Koechlin, Schmitt, Landowski,
Sauguet and Vierne.
Associate of poor Magnard,
and pupil of Franck and Massenet, Ropartz
was long-lived and prolific. As director
of the Conservatoire at Nancy for twenty-five
years he introduced many international
works there for the first time. He followed
this with ten equally stimulating years
at Strasbourg.
After years of neglect,
Radio France in 2004 broadcast a complete
cycle of the Ropartz symphonies. In
Nancy on 22 and 24 September 2004 the
symphonies 1 and 4 were given and 5
and 6 followed on 2 and 3 October. These
were given at the Salle Poirel by the
same artists as here.
The First Symphony
was written when he was a young man
of 31. It is an ambitious and serious
symphony heavy with the redolence of
Franck. The music bears an uncanny resemblance
at times to the dark romance of Rachmaninov’s
Second Symphony and Isle of the Dead.
Another echo is with Brahms’ First Symphony
in its moments of suffocating catastrophe.
Very much a gothic symphony there are
also linkages with early Miaskovsky
and with Tchaikovsky’s Manfred
(9:04, I) and Pathetique (start
of III). Especially impressive on first
and later hearings are the fast chanting
fortissimo French Horns at 14:40 in
the first movement. Contrast this with
the more relaxed feeling of second movement.
The dark clouds part for the jocular
and romping good spirits of 3:40 I II
and the danse villageoise spirit
of the introduction to the finale (also
at 7:10). It is not long however before
the spectral guest momentarily darkens
the proceedings at 3:50. There are some
oceanic intimations also (6:12) - pre-echoing
La Mer. This is still fairly
romantic and dense by comparison with
the light and air he was to let into
scores such as the Prélude,
Marine et Chansons of 1928.
From the outset the
Timpani recording proclaims a big hall
acoustic with a grand spatial signature.
This is even more evident in the ample,
broad and sunny seascape of the Fourth
Symphony - especially in the sumptuous
pre-Hollywood melos of the Allegro
Moderato. The cor anglais against
slowly shifting that opens the second
movement prefigures various film noir
scores. This contrasts with the rompingly
jovial second subject at 3:10. Then
over the warmly lapping susurration
of the strings at 9:03 strands of woodwind
melody provide a benediction. The finale
returns us to the tortured romantic
riptide of the first movement but a
triumphant growled and thundered out
emphasis. The wonderful yelping horns
at 4.02 call out in brazen heroics.
However this symphony is not destined
to end in vaulting climaxes but instead
a valedictory Delian heat-haze.
I have compared this
version of the Fourth Symphony with
an ancient off-air tape of a broadcast
made by Charles Bruck with the Strasbourg
Orchestra. Bruck does give the
work more bite and attack but Lang-Lessing
has a better handle on the work’s idyllic
side and frankly his sense of expansive
drama is strong enough to convince.
Timpani will release
the second volume of the symphonies
(numbers 2 and 5) in March 2006. They
record the Symphony No.2 in December
2005. No. 5 has been in the can for
at least a year. The Third Symphony
will be recorded in July 2006 to be
released in Autumn 2006 together with
the Ropartz "Petite Symphonie".
The Fifth Symphony
is another fine late-romantic work broadcast
on Radio France in the 1950s in a version
conducted by Jacques Pernoo with the
ORTF orchestra. More recently Leonard
Slatkin has tackled the work with the
Orchestra National de France on 18 January
2001 at the Théâtre des
Champs-Elysées. We should not
forget Slatkin whose adventurous way
with repertoire also included a rare
foray into Florent Schmitt’s Second
Symphony during his time in Paris.
All of the planetary
signs are in conjunction for this CD.
It is a grand success bringing out into
the light two fine romantic symphonies
that will appeal to those who enjoy
their Delius, Louis Glass, Rachmaninov
and Korngold. This is a major addition
to the catalogue. Get it soon and if
this is anything to go by snap up the
next volume when issued.
Rob Barnett
ROPARTZ WEBSITE
http://www.ropartz.org/
OTHER ROPARTZ CD REVIEWS ON MUSICWEB
Timpani - opera Le Pays
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Jun02/LW_Ropartz_LePays.htm
Timpani chamber music incl. String Quartet
No. 4
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Apr02/Ropartz.htm
Arion solo piano music
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Dec01/ropartzpf.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Nov01/Ropartz.htm
Timpani - La Chasse and various song
cycles
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Aug03/Ropartz_Arthur.htm
Timpani - Petite Symphonie and other
orchestral
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/May02/Ropartz_petite.htm
Marco Polo - Masses and Motets
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/July01/Ropartz.htm
Marco Polo/Naxos
Le Miracle and other choral-orchestral
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Aug01/Ropartz.htm
Orchestra Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy/Sebastian
Lang-Lessing 
