Louise FARRENC (1804-1875)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op 32 [31:23]
Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op 36 [33:27]
Insula orchestra/Laurence Equilbey
rec. March 2021, Auditorium Patrick Devedjian, La Seine Musicale, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
ERATO 9029669852 [64:51]
Louise Farrenc was highly talented both as a pianist and, as this CD amply demonstrates, as a composer. Who knows what recognition she might have achieved had her name been Louis Farrenc? Sadly, though Paris was a highly cultured city in the nineteenth century, paths for women to succeed were very limited; cultural circles were male dominated. So, for example, although Louise had some composition lessons from Anton Reicha – and some additional tuition from Moscheles and Hummel – all that training was privately arranged. However, she had three things in her favour. One was talent and another was persistence; these qualities led to her appointment as a professor of piano at the Paris Conservatoire in 1842, the first woman ever to attain such a post. (She remained at the Conservatoire until 1873.) The third key factor was that she had the very good fortune that her husband, Aristide Farrenc (1794-1865), whom she married in 1821, was not only a gifted flautist (and a musicologist and music publisher) but also sufficiently enlightened that he fully supported his wife’s career ambitions.
I was first alerted to the music of Louise Farrenc, and more specifically to performances of it by Laurence Equilbey and her Insula orchestra early in 2018 when I read a review by my Seen and Heard colleague, Colin Clarke of a performance of the Third Symphony given by these artists. The enthusiasm which Colin expressed, both for work and performance, made me keen to investigate Farrenc’s music for myself. Subsequently, I was able to hear the First Symphony in a recording by the Solistes Européens Luxembourg under Christoph König (review) and also their recording of the Third Symphony, coupled with the Second (Naxos 8.573706). The König performances are estimable but his orchestra uses modern instruments so I was keen to hear this new release which is played on instruments of the period.
In an introductory essay Laurence Equilbey expresses her belief in Farrenc’s music. Even without reading what she has to say, these performances demonstrate her commitment – and that of her orchestra – in spades. In both these symphonies the present recordings make the music leap off the page.
In the first movement of the First Symphony, I feel there’s quite a debt to both Beethoven and Schubert. Given that Farrenc’s teachers were all from the German tradition, this should not surprise us, though her music is original in its own right. In the slow introduction I relished the piquant woodwind and horns as well as the grainy timbre of the strings. When the main Allegro is reached there’s fine energy in both music and performance – the timpani and the observance of accents by all the musicians really impel the music forward. Forget any question of gender: this is impressive music and it’s played with élan. The musical material is excellent and Farrenc handles it very well. She also shows herself to be an assured orchestrator.
The slow movement is marked Adagio cantabile and there’s an abundance of cantabile writing for both the strings and the woodwinds. Once again, the hues of the period instruments, the lower strings in particular, enhance the performance significantly. The music is spacious and well argued; I found this movement very satisfying. The scherzo is in the form of a Minuetto; both music and performance are spirited while there’s plenty of charm in the trio. The finale, marked Allegro assai, is vigorous and driving in character; Equilbey and her excellent orchestra deliver this music with brio in abundance. Not everything is vigorous, though; here as elsewhere, Farrenc provides plenty of contrast and in the more relaxed episodes in this movement the woodwind writing is delightful, as is the performance of it. It’s a cheerful, energetic finale and this performance makes the best possible case for it and, indeed, for the symphony as a whole.
The First Symphony is a fine achievement but I’m inclined to think that the Third is even better. The beneficial influence of Beethoven can still be detected but I was also put in mind of Mendelssohn at times. The start is very original: the introduction lasts for less than a minute and indeed, the latter stages of the passage are in effect a speeding up into the main Allegro. However, this highly compressed introduction didn’t leave me feeling short changed. I think that’s because the introduction, brief though it is, is unconventional, including novel phrases for the woodwind. The Allegro is full of energy and purpose. This is strongly profiled music which makes the listener want to listen and to follow the path on which the composer is leading us.
The slow movement is another Adagio cantabile and the music does just what it says on the tin. Right at the start we hear a beguiling melody on the clarinet, backed by horns, bassoons and timpani, which the strings then take on. This lays the ground for a movement of easeful grace and elegance, though there are one or two brief episodes that are made of stronger stuff. I really admired the lyrical breadth of this movement and the glowing performance it here receives. The scherzo receives a sparkling performance. The music has a Mendelssohnian lightness and Equilbey ensures that this is completely realised in this nimble performance. The charming, relaxed trio is a delight. This is a most impressive movement and I greatly enjoyed the present razor-sharp performance. The finale is decisive and well-constructed: Farrenc develops her ideas most convincingly. Equilbey and the musicians of the Insula orchestra bring the music to life, just as they do throughout this CD.
I came to this disc well disposed to the music thanks to the recordings by Christoph König. These performances conducted by Laurence Equilbey have enhanced my admiration for the music significantly. It would be unfair to say that the new recordings comletely supersede the König performances because those Naxos performances are good ones. However, the spirit and conviction with which Equilbey and her gifted orchestra present these two symphonies is irresistible. The clincher for me is that Insula orchestra play on period instruments whereas the Solistes Européens, Luxembourg use modern instruments. The higher pitch and the brighter sound of their instruments may be preferable to some listeners; I can only say that the period instruments of Insula orchestra bring special pleasure to their performances. I certainly shan’t be discarding the König recordings but I think Equilbey is now the clear first choice. It’s excellent news that this disc is planned as the first release in a planned cycle of Louise Farrenc’s complete symphonic music and that future releases will include works by other female composers who were her contemporaries. I look forward to these promised discs.
The recorded sound on this CD is immediate and attractive. The notes by Laurence Equilbey and by Christin Heitmann are valuable.
Louise Farrenc was a composer of genuine worth. Both of these symphonies are enjoyable and expertly crafted. Furthermore, the melodic material is consistently interesting. This is a composer with something to say and the technical accomplishment to enable her to express herself. It’s great that recordings – and some concert performances – are now giving her music deserved exposure. She has been exceptionally well served on this CD.
John Quinn
