Auguste FAUCHARD (1881-1957)
3e Symphonie Mariale (3rd Marian Symphony) (1941) [39:01]
Le Mystère de Noël (The Mystery of Christmas)(1940) [16:27]
Emmanuel Hocdé (organ)
rec. Saint-Denys-du-Saint-Sacrement, Paris
First Recording (symphonie)
CIAR CLASSICS CC013 [55:34]
If, like me, this is your first encounter with Auguste Fauchard, then here’s a bit of background. After some early grounding in piano, organ and harmony, he went on to study theology and was ordained a priest in 1903. He was later able to study composition and organ with Louis Vierne in Paris and attended lectures in Alexandre Guilmant's organ class at the Paris Conservatory. His early career took him to Notre-Dame de Mayenne, where he served as curate and organist. He remained there until 1925, with a brief hiatus during World War I when he served as a nurse. Vincent d'Indy and André Marchal put the finishing touches to his studies from 1925 to 1927 at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. The bulk of his career was spent at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Laval, where he was both organist and music director of the diocese. He gave over 200 concerts and inaugurated new organs in addition to teaching. His compositions for organ include four organ symphonies, Le Mystère de Noel (1940), Choral (1950), In Memoriam (1952) and Cinq Chorals sur Vexilla regis (1953).
Fauchard’s 3rd Symphony “Mariale”, completed December 4th, 1941, is here receiving its world premiere recording. Like the 4th Symphony, it’s structured as a cyclical liturgical work, based on Gregorian themes. The composer utilizes material from the three motets or hymns to the Blessed Virgin: Salve Regina (antiphon of the 5th mode), the hymn Ave Maris Stella, a tune from the office of Pontmain (sanctuary of Our Lady of Pontmain, Mayenne) and O Sanctissima. The work is cast in four movements:
I – Andante con moto: Salve Regina (5th tone).
II – Chorale and Fugue: Ave Maris Stella (Tune of Pontmain).
III – Interlude: O Sanctissima.
IV – Symphonic Piece: Salve Regina, Ave Maris Stella, O Sanctissima.
Fauchard carries the listener through various mood pictures: melancholy, joy and confidence, then there’s pain and anguish, before final appeasement, where peace and profound contemplation reside. As a priest Fauchard was intimately familiar with the liturgy. The works brim over with melodic invention and demonstrates an expert command of counterpoint.
Le Mystère de Noël (The Mystery of Christmas) dates from 1940. It consists of a theme and seven variations, and is described in the booklet as “a symphonic poem in the form of various choruses on the Christmas hymn Jesu Redemptor omnium”. It’s a well-crafted score revealing how deftly the composer responds musically to the texts. Variation 2 perfectly captures the shepherds hastening to the manger, whilst the mercurial figures of variation 4 depict the flickering of the stars. The final variation is a brilliant toccata denoting splendour and apotheosis “ to you Jesus, glory in eternal ages”.
These two fine works are very well performed and recorded on the organ of Saint-Denys-du-Saint-Sacrement, Paris. The excellent booklet notes, in French and English, are an added bonus.
Emmanuel Hocdé has already recorded the composer’s Symphony No. Nr. 4 “Symphonie Eucharistique“ (1945) for the Hortus Label, and this release has been positively reviewed by my colleague Rob Barnett.
Stephen Greenbank
