Louis Théodore Gouvy was born into a French-speaking family in the
village of Goffontaine, in the Sarre, a region on the then
Franco-Prussian border - now Saarbrücken-Schafbrücke, Germany. Given
that this region fell under Prussian control shortly before his
birth, Gouvy could not attain French citizenship until the age of
32. He was thus a man of two cultures - from the historical
standpoint a significant problem at the time. He eventually realised
that his music was infinitely more successful in Germany than in
France where public taste was far more concerned with Italian opera
rather than with chamber or symphonic music, Gouvy's main area of
composition. While to a certain extent he was known and recognized
in his lifetime, he fell into obscurity following his death, despite
being much appreciated in Germany, where he spent the last third of
his life. Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms were his models and his
music developed along the lines one might have expected of the first
two men, had they lived longer.
Virtually all of his works show him to be a gifted melodist, and the
three sonatas for piano duet recorded here certainly corroborate
this. Together with the three composers mentioned above, it was
evidently Gouvy's intention to bring the somewhat neglected
19th-century piano duet to the same level as other contemporary
chamber-music genres. To this end his three essays in the form can
certainly hold their own against anything written by any more
illustrious names at the time. In fact, had they not fallen victim
to the never-ending rivalry of the time between France and Prussia,
Gouvy's works here might well have provided a model for later
composers.
The Belgian Talent label describes itself as 'a label of classical
discoveries', and even though the website and online catalogue don't
appear to have been updated since February 2013, there is already a
real mix of familiar names with those almost on the verge of
obscurity.
The
Sonata No. 1 in D minor is a fully-fledged four-movement
work which engages the listener from the very outset, with its
lyrical Romantic opening which very quickly leads into a
scherzo-like section. Thematic material is skilfully shared between
the players and the high craftsmanship of the writing in general is
immediately apparent in what is a most compelling sonata-form
movement. Shades of Mendelssohn are particularly evident at the
close. The gently serene Adagio slow movement is a lovely creation,
poignant yet never merely over-sentimental. It has some subtle
rhythmic movement in the accompaniment to ensure that onward
progress never appears lethargic. The third movement has a
scherzo-like feel, though with a moderate 2/4 gait, which brings to
mind Schumann in some of his short descriptive pieces. This leads
straight into the finale, which bears the indication 'Epilogue.
Moderato assai quasi Larghetto', and has an almost barcarolle-like
charm. The jury's out though, as to whether it really provides an
effective and substantial enough close to what has gone before, in
terms of tempo balance between the four movements overall.
The
Sonata No. 2 in C minor again opens with a more lyrical
movement, though with some more troubled overtones at times.
Repeated triplet patterns add to the overall dramatic mix, which
then seems to fluctuate between moments of passion and emotional
urgency. Rather like Brahms, Gouvy manages to accommodate all this
romantic freedom within the confines of regular first-movement
sonata-form - the poetic coda adds a nice touch here. There is an
almost operatic feel to some of the melodic lines in the ensuing
Larghetto, particular when set against an accompaniment of tremolo
chords, clearly suggesting a similar effect with strings under a
vocal line. A brief modulation leads straight into the third
movement - a more sedate three beats-in-a-bar Minuet, rather than a
faster one-in-a-bar scherzo. The trio (in the tonic major) has
almost a Viennese-Waltz ambiance, and makes a perfect bitter-sweet
contrast with the more robust Minuet itself. The finale (Allegro
vivace) reminds me more of a fleet-of-foot gallop, though
interspersed with moments of repose along the way. The closing
section accelerates to a most effective and exciting conclusion.
The
Sonata No. 3 in F major is a shorter, more compact work
in three movements, and of a generally sunnier disposition than its
two minor-key partners. This is especially noticeable in the opening
Allegro con brio which looks forward, via Mendelssohn, slightly
to the piano writing of Saint-Saëns, and where the harmonic palette
is also somewhat richer than its predecessors. Once again a charming
little coda rounds the movement off to great effect. Originally
Gouvy planned a long and impressive
Adagio for the slow movement, but wisely decided to substitute a
shorter
Andantino scherzoso, a delightfully light
confection with some modal harmonies. This functions both as slow
movement and scherzo/minuet - possibly the reason why he did not
feel the need for four movements here. The final
Allegro
risoluto sounds remarkably like a bit of Percy Grainger as it
cheerfully struts its stuff. Triplet figurations become important as
the movement progresses, as do a number of pedal points. A calmer
section leads to the close, where triplets are again prominent in
the ultimate build-up, before an almost tongue-in-cheek ending
rounds off this appealing finale, which is never short on virtuosity
or grace.
The question, then, is whether this musical 'discovery' is really
something worth 'discovering'. From the musical standpoint the
answer must be a resounding yes, as Gouvy really does speak with an
individual voice. It is abundantly clear that historical and
geographical conditions did seriously compromise the chances of
Gouvy and his music becoming better known at the time, and receiving
the subsequent credit it duly deserves.
The performance, too, is absolutely first-rate. The De Groote/Kofman
team showing not only great empathy for the style, and clearly
sounding as if they enjoyed every single note, but in pure terms of
balance and ensemble, their playing can simply not be faulted. The
recording has captured the piano sound to perfection and, even if
the sleeve-notes aren't particularly comprehensive or overly
informative, this highly-enjoyable CD of Gouvy's music for Piano
Duet is bound to please.
Philip R Buttall
