Louis Thirion: Chamber music

[jdperdrix]

Thanks to a 5000 euros contribution by the public, Timpani is able to release in March 2016 a CD containing two unsung works by Louis Thirion, his piano trio by Trio Elegiaque, and his string quartet by Quatuor Stanislas. Both works are from 1908-1909.
More about this (in French): http://www.ulule.com/louis-thirion/

[eschiss1]

Thanks! (1879-1966 btw. Not the same as the scifi author of the same name )
Both works can be seen (in score and/or parts) at IMSLP, in the US only for now, in Canada from 2017, in Europe from 2037 iirc (assuming the copyright laws don't get more restrictive still, as I gather they're in process of doing already.) Here's the link to the category page, which has links to the trio and quartet workpages -

IMSLP Cat.

A recording of his 2nd symphony was available in our downloads section (I think it -may- be available at Amazon now, or am I thinking of Barraine's? I know Barraine's is, on an INA mp3 download. Will have to double-check re Thirion though.)

[Gareth Vaughan]

Can't find the Barraine symphony on amazon, Eric. Have you got a link?

[eschiss1]

That's cause some brilliant person decided her name was actually spelled Baraine. Don't ask me...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZM4OSJ8

It might not be the same performance we have. I haven't checked, come to think! (Still haven't.)
(Still good the piece is available for people to hear beyond our control, as'were. )

[Gareth Vaughan]

Thanks, Eric. Good to know it is available.

[Alan Howe]

Elsa Baraine's Symphony No.2 falls outside our remit, so let's stick with Thirion, please.

[eschiss1]

Does anyone know of other recordings of Thirion's chamber works, e.g. of his cello, violin and piano sonatas (Opp. 16, 14, w/o Op.; pub. 1913, 1912, 1907.)

By the way, just to continue confusion, besides the sci-fi author Louis Thirion, there was a pianist Louis-Claude Thirion - son of the composer, and born 1935. If you check Worldcat, there's what looks like a recording of Thirion's piano music- it's actually a recording of Ladmirault's piano music played by the pianist L.-C. Thirion...


There is finally a Wikipedia article (French) on Thirion - https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Thirion_%28compositeur%29. This contains a list of his symphonic, piano and chamber works with a partial list of publishers and premiere dates

[jdperdrix]

I've not found Thirion's 2nd symphony on the list of concerts recorded at INA. It is posted on youtube, though, by Orchestre National de la RTF under Georges Bigot. The Quatuor Stanislas has posted a video of them playing Thirion's quartet from a public performance in 2013: https://youtu.be/Hh8rgMMosLU
As for other pieces by Louis Thirion, I could not find any more.
The Timpani CD will be issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Thirion's death in 1966.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. It was posted to YouTube in 2014, but the symphony was posted here in 2011. (It says details unknown. However, the work (1913/19) was published in score by Max Eschig in 1922, so in principle there may be a score out there- full score or the duet reduction, also published- from which those movement headers we like so much, could be prised. BNF has the 1923-published duet reduction - they list it here - maybe someone could contact them and purchase a photocopy or something...)

(I notice they tag it with "Galops (piano) - 20e siècle". Galops? Oh, those librarians.)

Intriguingly, a performance of a movement of a Mehul piano sonata, by Louis Thirion (... erm, possibly by his son; BNF claims it's by the composer, though) is in a collection at the BNF. ... Didn't know he was even an amateur pianist. Neat, actually. (Maybe I just have to reread that Wikipedia article. Sorry...) Anyways.

[Alan Howe]

Here's a review of the chamber music CD:
http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/May/Thirion_chamber_1C1237.htm