Though composed in the XXIst century, the piano works of French composer Corentin Boissier are written in an unashamedly "romantic" style.
For example, his first piano sonata (adequately titled "Sonata Romantica" :) ) and his set of three piano pieces "Romantic Young Ladies" are in a mid-XIXth century idiom, with echoes of Chopin and Schumann at times, while his second piano sonata (subtitled "Sonata Appassionata"), as well as his "Glamour Concerto" and his concert piece "Pandora's Box", are written in a flamboyant late-romantic style "à la Rachmaninoff".
Piano Sonata No. 1 "Sonata Romantica" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JemWfzgR_4A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JemWfzgR_4A)
Piano Sonata No. 2 "Sonata Appassionata" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCX8slOKD88 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCX8slOKD88)
Three Pieces for piano "Romantic Young Ladies" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6n_l-ssVk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6n_l-ssVk)
"Glamour Concerto" for solo piano : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13xCa3QCnt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13xCa3QCnt)A
Concert Piece for piano "Pandora's Box" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SQuomIyuiE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SQuomIyuiE)
Then, what do you think of these works ?
Unashamed pastiches, the lot of them. I absolutely loved them!
Here's the composer's website:
http://www.corentinboissier.net (http://www.corentinboissier.net)
Yep, me too. Yet another guilty pleasure...
Check his youtube channels (references on his website). He has posted a lot of more-or-less-contemporary romantic works, as well as his own.
The "Pandora Selfridge" story is worth reading, too...
I am absolutely impressed. Wonderful music!
The question, though, is: Will the real Corentin Boissier stand up? Is he pseudo-Liszt, pseudo-Rachmaninov, or someone else? This is what differentiates him from, say, the late and much-lamented Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski whose style was equally romantic, but consistent across all his compositions. I enjoy listening to a (good) epigone as much as anyone else, but what about a multi-epigone? There's something peculiarly post-modern about the idea...
Here's a snippet from the recording of Boissier's 'Glamour Concerto' played by Valentina Seferinova, with John McLaughlin Williams conducting the Ukrainian Festival Orchestra in Lviv, Ukraine at the end of February/beginning of March 2019:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujUooaLHa4&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujUooaLHa4&feature=youtu.be)
The coupling is his 'Philip Marlowe Piano Concerto'.
More here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/CorentinBoissierComposer/posts/ (https://www.facebook.com/pg/CorentinBoissierComposer/posts/)
Wonder when the recording will come out? And on which label?
There's a member on here by the name "CorentinBoissier" - is it one and the same?
Indeed it is.
Alan mentioned the recording of Corentin Boissier's Glamour Concerto and Philip Marlowe Concerto a while ago. It is now listed in the Toccata Classics Pipeline as 0569: https://toccataclassics.com/pipeline/ (https://toccataclassics.com/pipeline/). No release date mentioned, but forthcoming.
Toccata Classics will indeed be releasing this soon (perhaps in May?). I am in the process of proofreading the booklet note, which makes for interesting reading, especially a transcript of an interview with Boissier where he talks around the inspiration of his art and of classical music's place in modern times.
Having long known about Boissier's YouTube accounts and some of the wonderful music he has uploaded there, it is encouraging to see this recording of the young composer being realised (he is only about 25 years old!). Although I suspect the music won't be altogether to my personal tastes, I'm sure it will sound very fine and betray a voice of a composer who really knows what he's doing!
Answers to the question about Boissier being a 'multi-epigone' will soon be borne out then - not long to wait! ;)
This'll be an absolute must-buy for me. Thanks for alerting us to it.
I am happy to say that I was responsible for introducing Corentin to Valentina Seferinova and getting her interested in his music. I look forward very much to this CD release.
Oh, well done, Gareth. Great work!
Thank you, Alan. I do my best! :)
Audio excerpts here:
https://toccataclassics.com/product/corentin-boissier-two-piano-concertos-and-a-sonata/
(Slobber, slobber!)
Quote from: 4candles on Thursday 18 February 2021, 14:35
Toccata Classics will indeed be releasing this soon (perhaps in May?).
This recording has emerged from the "Pipeline" on Toccata's site, but 4candles' mention of a May release appears to be right on target - Valentina Seferinova posted this on her website:
"Much regret - but Covid-19 issues push the release date of my latest CD "Corentin Boissier - Two Concertos and a Sonata", on the Toccata Classics label, recorded in Lviv, Ukraine 2 years ago, back to May."https://valentinaseferinova.com/LatestNews.html (https://valentinaseferinova.com/LatestNews.html)
Yes, it's a May 7th release here in the UK:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8906398--boissier-piano-conc
If the new Toccata release doesn't make a mint for Martin Anderson, I'll eat my woolly hat (which is still doing its job here in soggy, cool Britain). This is Addinsell plus - absolutely, gloriously over the top - and then some!
Well, Mr Anderson's certainly getting my money. I love slushy romantic music, and Corentin delivers it by the bucket load, as the excerpts well illustrate, and the CD sounds gorgeous. I think your woolly hat is safe, Alan! ;)
If you go https://valentinaseferinova.com/LatestNews.html - and scroll a little - every single track is teased !!
To see and hear an unsuccessful take (or 'just workin' it out') of Boissier's Glamour Concerto from the recording session in Lviv. Ukraine - about 2 years ago ; go here.
https://youtu.be/Qs5qMSmTQFY
To see and hear a successful take from the same recording session in the Ukraine - go here.
https://youtu.be/3ujUooaLHa4
The whole cd is available to listen to on Spotify
Another video clip from the making of the much Covid delayed CD ;D
1st March 2019 - late into the night recording session of Corentin Boissier's 'Philip Marlowe Piano Concerto' with Ukrainian Festival Orchestra - conducted by maestro and Grammy winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams in Lviv, Ukraine.
To add to the intrigue - this is the dramatic finale of the 3rd movement - before the gunshots are edited in !!
The result of several days of hard work !! 🙂
https://youtu.be/I2QQ0A4yRBA
CD and other formats available on the Toccata Classics label.
MusicWeb review here:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/Jun/Boussier-PCs-TOCC0569.htm
Boissier has only just begun. The extent of the discography he posts on his website is vast, giving some indication of this young man's frame of reference. I think his style is growing into one that will mitigate against his appellation as an "epigone." I believe that as he matures, he will develop his own individual voice.