Symphony on a French Mountain Air
* Christos Sipsis
Στην φωτογραφια:Τοπίο από την οροσειρα Cevennes (νοτιο-κεντρική Γαλλία) που έδωσε το όνομα της στην 3η συμφωνια του D'Indy
D'Indy - Charles Münch & Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer (BSO, 1951) Symphonie cévenole
Wikipedia
The Symphony on a French Mountain Air (French: Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français ), Op. 25, written in 1886 by Vincent d'Indy, is virtually the only work by the composer that still receives regular performances today.
The Symphony on a French Mountain Air (French: Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français ), Op. 25, written in 1886 by Vincent d'Indy, is virtually the only work by the composer that still receives regular performances today.
As indicated by the title, d'Indy took the principal theme from a folk song he heard at Périer overlooking the Cévennes mountains (hence the work's alternative name, Symphonie cévenole). Originally conceived as a fantaisie for piano and orchestra, the symphony is unusual in that it is scored for a prominent (but never dominant) piano part together with orchestra, and has acquired the label sinfonia concertante from some critics.
It consists of three movements and lasts just under half an hour:
Assez lent - Modérément animéAssez modéré, mais sans lenteurAniméThe symphony begins with an evocative melody played first by a cor anglais. The main themes of subsequent movements are based on this melody, and as the symphony progresses each subsequent variation becomes more and more like the original version.
The work was dedicated to Marie-Léontine Bordes-Pène, who was the soloist at the premiere in Paris in 1888.[1]
Symphony on a French Mountain Air - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ROMAIN ROLLAND
The popular art that he extols is not an art belonging to the people,but that of an aristocracy interested in the people. He wishes toenlighten them, to mould them, to direct them, by means of art. Art isthe source of life; it is the spirit of progress; it gives the mostprecious of possessions to the soul--liberty. And no one enjoys thisliberty more than the artist. In a lecture to the _Schola_ he said:
"What makes the name of 'artist' so splendid is that the artist is
free--absolutely free. Look about you, and tell me if from this
point of view there is any career finer than that of an artist who
is conscious of his mission? The Army? The Law? The University?
Politics?"
And then follows a rather cold appreciation of these different careers.
"There is no need to mention the excessive bureaucracy and
officialism which is the crying evil of this country. We find
everywhere submission to rules and servitude to the State. But what
government, pope, emperor, or president could oblige an artist to
think and write against his will? Liberty--that is the true wealth
and the most precious inheritance of the artist, the liberty to
think, and the liberty that no one has the power to take away from
us--that of doing our work according to the dictates of our
conscience."
Who does not feel the infectious warmth and beauty of these spiritedwords? How this force of enthusiasm and sincerity must grip all youngand eager hearts. "There are two qualities," says M. d'Indy, on the lastpage of _Cours de Composition_, "which a master should try to encourageand develop in the spirit of the pupil, for without them science isuseless; these qualities are an unselfish love of art and enthusiasm forgood work." And these two virtues radiate from M. d'Indy's personalityas they do from his writings; that is his power.
Romain Rolland
Musiciens d'aujourd'hui.
