Day 161
Joncières: La Toussaint
Orchestra National de Lyon
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider
So far in this blog I have heard of all the composers whose music I have listened to even if I did not know any of their music. But I had not come across Joncières before acquiring the Bru Zane double CD set of French symphonic poems - Aux Etoiles - which has been the source of most of the music I have been listening to in the last few days.
He lived from 1839 - 1903 and seems to have been only moderately successful as a composer. He earned his living as a critic and seems to have taken pleasure in attacking the music of composers who were much more successful than he was.
This short piece is a slow processional for All Saints Day. Some of the reviews I have seen dismissed it as not really worth listening to but I enjoyed it. It was well written with a good sense of line and some piquant harmonies. It is no masterpiece but would make quite a good interlude in a concert which otherwise consisted of louder faster pieces. Bru Zane have recently recorded the composer's opera Dimitri and I am sure that I will get round to acquiring a copy before too long.
No comments:
Post a Comment