This week’s theme: French composers from the generation before Les Six (Poulenc, Milhaud, Honegger, et al), and we are fondly calling our composers Les Cinq Plus. Like Les Six, our composers did not have a great deal in common, and the way they all have been grouped is an historical accident — artists who happened to inhabit a particular locale at a given time. A few of these composers shared some characteristic traits, but they were incidental, and the artists didn’t even care much for each other. Unlike Les Six, Les Cinq Plus grew up listening to the art songs of the 1800s, and each in their way, carried this romantic torch forward. Chabrier, Massenet, Duparc, Chausson, Dukas, and perhaps Satie as “L’Autre.”
Les Cinq Plus
Playlist
Episode 1
Dukas, Paul: Fanfare Pour “La Péri”
Orchestre National De L’ORTF/Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin: Orchestre National de France; Paul Dukas
RCA Victor 9026 68802 2
2:10
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Dix Pièces Pittoresques – 6. Idylle
Alain Planès, piano
Œuvres Pour Piano • Piano Works
HMC 901465
3:27
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Larghetto
David Jolley, horn; Samuel Sanders, piano
Villanelle; French Mastersworks for Horn David Jolley
AR 26724 6678 2
10:04
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Gwendoline: Overture
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/John Eliot Gardiner
Chabrier • Espana
DG 447 751 2
8:32
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Gwendoline: Overture (excerpt)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/John Eliot Gardiner
Chabrier • Espana
DG 447 751 2
0:27
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Dix Pièces Pittoresques – 9. Menuet Pompeux
Alain Planès, piano
Œuvres Pour Piano • Piano Works
HMC 901465
6:09
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Le Roi Malgré Lui: “Fête Polonaise”
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/John Eliot Gardiner
Chabrier • Espana
DG 447 751 2
7:21
Ravel, Maurice: A La Manière de Chabrier
Alain Planès, piano
Œuvres Pour Piano • Piano Works
HMC 901465
2:14
Chabrier, Emmanuel: Espana
Suisse Romande Orchestra/Ernest Ansermet
Chabrier: España
Decca SXL 6168
7:07
Episode 2
Massenet, Jules: Le Cid Ballet: “Aragonaise” (excerpt)
London Symphony Orchestra/Robert Irving
Massent: Le Cid Ballet; Robert Irving, London Symphony
Decca LXT 2746
00:46
Massenet, Jules: Thais: “Meditation”
Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra/Felix Slatkin; Michael Rabin, violin
Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra; Strings by Starlight
EMI 63660
5:21
Massenet, Jules: Werther: Act. I – “Il faut nous séparer” – “Ah! Pourvu que je voie ces yeux”
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Sir Colin Davis
Frederica von Stade and José Carreras
Werther
Philips 416 654
3:46
Massenet, Jules: Piano Concerto, I Andante moderato – Allegro non troppo
Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra/Sylvain Cambreling, Aldo Ciccolini, piano
Massenet: Piano Music
EMI classics 85517
14:26
Massenet, Jules: Manon; Act. II: “Adieu”, “Notre Petite Table”
London Symphony Orchestra/Papano Angela Gheorghiu, soprano; Roberto Alagna, tenor
Duets & Arias
EMI Classics 7243 5 56117 2 7
2:09
Massenet, Jules: Werther: Act. III “Oui, c’est moi!”, “Pourqoi cette parole” “Traduire …Ah!”
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Sir Colin Davis
Frederica von Stade and José Carreras
Werther
Philips 416 654
5:09
Massenet, Jules: Le Cid: Ballet Suite
London Symphony Orchestra/Robert Irving
Massent: Le Cid Ballet; Robert Irving, London Symphony
Decca LXT 2746
17:49
Episode 3
Duparc, Henri: Chanson triste, Op.2/4
Nicolai Gedda, tenor Erik Werba, piano
Lieder-Recital
EMI 65352
2:45
Duparc, Henri: Extase
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski
Stokowski Encores
London SPC 21130
3:05
Duparc, Henri: Extase (excerpt)
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski
Stokowski Encores
London SPC 21130
0:30
Duparc, Henri: L’Invitation Au Voyage
London Symphony Orchestra/André Previn; Dame Janet Baker, mezzo soprano
Ravel: Shéhérazade; Schumann, Chausson, Duparc/ Baker
EMI 68667
4:31
Satie, Erik: 3 Gymnopédies I. “Lent et Douloureux”
Michel Legrand, piano
Erik Satie by Michel Legrand
Erato 4509 92857 2
4:03
Satie, Erik: Sonatine Bureaucratique, I. Allegro II. Andante III. Vivace
Michel Legrand, piano
Erik Satie by Michel Legrand
Erato 4509 92857 2
3:01
Satie, Erik: Sonatine Bureaucratique, III. Vivace (excerpt)
Michel Legrand, piano
Erik Satie by Michel Legrand
Erato 4509 92857 2
0:10
Duparc, Henri: “Au Pays Où Se Fait La Guerre”
London Symphony Orchestra/André Previn Dame Janet Baker, mezzo soprano
Songs With Orchestra • Poeme De L;Amour Et De La Mer
Angel s 37401
5:30
Chaminade, Cécile: Sérénade Espagnole, Op. 150 Rondeau, Op. 97 Capriccio, Op. 18
Nils-Erik Sparf, violin; Bengt Forsberg, piano
Mots D’Amour
DG 471331
10:04
Chaminade, Cécile: “Villanelle”, “Alleluia”, “Attente”
Anne Sofie Von Otter, mezzo soprano; Bengt Forsberg, piano
Mots D’Amour
DG 471331
5:35
Satie, Erik: Sports Et Divertissements: “Le Tango”, “Le Feu D’Artifice”
Michel Legrand, piano
Erik Satie by Michel Legrand
Erato 4509 92857 2
1:15
Satie, Erik: Petite Fille Americaine; Rag-Time Du Paquebot
Utah Symphony Orchestra/Maurice Abravanel
The Complete Ballets of Erik Satie
Vanguard OVC 4030
4:24
Episode 4
Chausson, Ernest: Chausson: Poème, Op. 25
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra/Izler Solomon: Jascha Heifetz, violin
Heifetz / Bruch, Concierto Nº 2 / Wieniawski, Concierto Nº 2
RCA 3L16248
13:22
Chausson, Ernest : Symphony No. 1 I. Lent – Allegro Vivo
Suisse Romande Orchestra/Ernest Ansermet
Orchestral Works
Eloquence 467443
12:39
Chausson, Ernest : Symphony No. 1 II. Tres Lent III. Anime
Suisse Romande Orchestra/Ernest Ansermet
Orchestral Works
Eloquence 467443
22:49
Chausson, Ernest: Chausson: Poème, Op. 25 (excerpt)
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra/Izler Solomon: Jascha Heifetz, violin
Heifetz / Bruch, Concierto Nº 2 / Wieniawski, Concierto Nº 2
RCA 3L16248
0:48
Episode 5
Dukas, Paul: Fanfare pour “La Péri” (excerpt)
Orchestre National De L’ORTF/Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin: Orchestre national de france; Paul Dukas
RCA Victor 9026 68802 2
0:48
Dukas, Paul: Symphony in C III. Allegro Spiritoso
Orchestre National De L’ORTF/Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin: Orchestre national de france; Paul Dukas
RCA Victor 9026 68802 2
10:35
Dukas, Paul: Villanelle
David Jolley, Horn; Samuel Sanders, Piano
Villanelle; French Mastersworks for Horn David Jolley
AR 26724 6678 2
6:03
Dukas, Paul: La Péri
Orchestre National De L’ORTF/Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin: Orchestre national de france; Paul Dukas
RCA Victor 9026 68802 2
3:11
Dukas, Paul: Ariane et Barbe-bleue; Act I; “Prenez-les!- Penchez-vous!” (excerpt)
Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonie, Rundfuk Chor, Gary Bertini, Marily Schmiege, Roderick Kennedy
Paul Dukas; Ariane et barbe-bleue
Capriccio 7112
3:11
Dukas, Paul: L’Apprenti Sorcier
Leonard Slatkin: Orchestre National de L’ORTF
Leonard Slatkin: Orchestre National de France; Paul Dukas
RCA Victor 9026 68802 2
11:42