I just acquired the 5CD set on Chandos of orchestral works of d'Indy... what wonderful works... enjoying the CD#5 in the series... Symphonies sur un Chant montagnard francais... which is really a piano concerto in some regard.
There are some wonderful (and more French-touched) recordings from the 1970-90s on EMI, conducted by Pierre Dervaux, Georges Prêtre, Serge Baudo and Michel Plasson. They have all been reissued on CD. In my opinion D'Indy's "Symphonie Cévénole" (the one with piano) is not an unsung piece anymore. I also recommend his opera "L'Etranger" (on the label Accord) and the 3 volumes of his piano works on the German label Genuin.
I suppose the "Symphonie Cevenole" is as close to a "sung" piece by D'Indy that there is but it's still rarely performed in the U.K. It hasn't been heard at the London Proms since 1951 when Kathleen long played it. There's a fantastically exciting if rather brash recording/performance by Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer, Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony on RCA. It will knock your socks off!
From a British perspective I'd say anything by d'Indy (who he?) is unsung.
Very interesting are the recordings Pierre Monteux made for RCA of d'Indy's Symphonie cevenole and Symphony No. 2 during the 1940s, because Monteux was a close friend of the composer. There is a recording of Istar by Monteux, too, but I do not know this.
this Chandos series features the Iceland Symphony Orchestra... which records as a top-class orchestra, however, young they appear in the market.
The conductor on these recordings is British conductor Rumon Gamba studied at the Royal Academy of Music
Im finding i like early d'Indy rather than later d'Indy.
What about the great 2nd Symphony (1902-3)?
Here's the second movement under Gamba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWgn4QLL3Mc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWgn4QLL3Mc)
The Second Symphony is just great. The old EMI CD has it coupled (under Plasson) with the Symphonie Cévenole (under Baudo).
I consider "Istar". "Dyptique méditerranéen" and "Poème des rivages" among his most notable works.
These three works have also been excellently recorded by Emmanuel Krivine on Timpani - in my opinion much better than by Gamba.
Of course, Naxos has also produced various D'Indy CDs in the past...
I also like D'Indy's opera "Fervaal" (which was broadcast last year from Montpellier and has still not been issued on CD). See "Downloads".
His "Third Symphony" and "La Légende de Saint-Christophe" are testimonials of D'Indy's strong chauvinism and anti-semitism.
Here an interesting study:
https://repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de/wp-content/uploads/vorworte_prefaces/4120.html
I have listened to Symphony No2 and i thought it was so more advanced compared to his 1st. I think it needs more than one airing to appreciate the piece, so i want to reserve any opinion on my liking or disliking. Its was the Gamba recording that i listened to.
Gamba's not bad at all, nor is Tingaud, but Plasson's old recording for EMI is still my go-to in spite of the somewhat muffled sound. I'm curious as to the Timpani recording with Krivine, but it's not listed on Timpani's D'Indy page (http://www.timpani-records.com/dindy.php).
As for the first symphony, I was mightily impressed with Bringuier with the Orchestre de Bretagne on Timpani. The coupling with the rarely-heard Concert for piano, flute and cello with string orchestra, Op. 89 is attractive too.
I became a fan of d'Indy through his chamber music, myself.
Here the infos, Ilja
https://www.allmusic.com/album/vincent-dindy-orchestral-works-po%C3%A8me-des-rivages-istar-diptyque-m%C3%A9diterran%C3%A9en-mw0001847761?1586275412317
Sorry Adriano, I interpreted your post to mean that Krivine had also recorded the 2nd Symphony - my mistake. This recording I know quite well and as you say, it's excellent.
A work that hasn't been mentioned sofar and may be my favorite d'Indy opus is La Foret enchantée, a "légende-symphonie" after a ballad by Ludwig Uhland, Op. 8. It's among his first works (1878) but already very accomplished. There are wagnerianisms here and there, but mostly it is already recognizably d'Indy. There are recordings by Dervaux and Gamba. To me, the Dervaux (with the Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de Loire) is the vastly superior of the two.
I fully agree with you, Ilja :-)
Dervaux does it with the necessary esprit françaix; and so do Baudo and Plasson.
I also like "La forêt enchantée" very much, it's actually the first D'Indy piece I would hear in my 20s.
Yes the Enchanted Forest is wonderful.
Literally historical in the d'Indy discography is a recording of "La mort de Wallenstein" (last panel of the early symphonic tryptich "Wallenstein") conducted by the composer himself . I have it on a vinyl of the rather esoteric Canadian label "Rococo" (no credits for the orchestra or time of recording).
Alberto, this was a 2x10" 78rpm on the Pathé Label of 1931.
Catalog Number X-8806.
The orchestra is not even mentioned on the original shellacks.
Rococo was a bootleg label. They issued a lot of historical discs and also contemporary live concerts.
Here a nice page on D'Indy with work list and pictures:
https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/i/indy_vincent.htm
... and his disc features d'Indy's most unsung orchestral pieces:
https://www.amazon.com/dIndy-Symphony-Italienne-Concerto-Strings/dp/B00103E368
Quote from: alberto on Wednesday 08 April 2020, 14:07
Literally historical in the d'Indy discography is a recording of "La mort de Wallenstein" (last panel of the early symphonic tryptich "Wallenstein") conducted by the composer himself . I have it on a vinyl of the rather esoteric Canadian label "Rococo" (no credits for the orchestra or time of recording).
Fortunately, this recording (
Les Autographes Vocaux) is on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/6QM9xcAev2eSeg2ewROM7Y?si=4yZU0oyIRhuJnbZ2DdYzxw), and contains the voice and the music (conducted by the composer) of d'Indy, Hüe, Büsser, Inghelbrecht, Widor, Ropartz, Roussel and Schmitt.
Edit: I see that this recording contains the
first movement of
Wallenstein (
Wallenstein's Camp) rather than the last.
The concerto for piano, flute, cello and string orchestra quoted by Adriano in post 19 was released in 1982 by Erato with Rampal, Duchable, Lodeon, J.F.Paillard and his orchestra.
It has just now been released as Cd in a box dedicated to J.F.Paillard.......of 134 Cds! I remain satisfied with the Lp.
I have an LP somewhere of the suite Op.24, the Concert and I think also the Prélude to Karadec...
The Lp above contains the Triple Concerto, the Suite en RE dans le style ancien, and the incidental music for Karadec op.34 (Prèlude-Chansone-Noce Bretonne). Some recordings of the last exist.
alberto said " La mort de Wallenstein" I have it on a vinyl of the rather esoteric Canadian label "Rococo"
I don't see this piece on any of the 5CD set of Chandos.. perhaps there will be a volume 6??
There already is a volume 6 (CHAN10585, released 1st March 2010) and "Wallenstein" is on that.
Of the "Wallenstein" trilogy there are also recordings of Dervaux, already mentioned, and Thierry Fischer (Hyperion). Of the last panel "La mort de Wallenstein" existed (also on Cd) an old Supraphon by Zoltan Fekete, coupled to "Istar" and two Berlioz overtures.
QuoteThere already is a volume 6 (CHAN10585, released 1st March 2010) and "Wallenstein" is on that.
I guess I didn't see that when I ordered the 5 CD set.... just ordered Vol 6 Thanks !!
Many thanks to Adriano for the link to the commentary on La Légende de Saint Christophe. I had no idea of D'Indy's antisemitism.
La Foret Enchantée, is my favourite work by D'Indy, thanks to Radio 3 broadcasts many decades ago.
Would someone like to comment on his chamber music? It's time I revisited his Sextet.
[Apologies for late responses - I'm running a few days behind everyone else, despite Aus. being ahead on time difference!]
My pleasure, semloh :-)
If Meyerbeer hadn't been of German origin, would D'Indy's anti-semitism have been less fanatical? It's the eternal French-German hatred, which had also caused wars!
Additionally to that, Meyerbeer had been extremely successful. And he was an offspring of a very rich family of bankers and sugar manufacturers. The D'Indy's were noble, but perhaps less rich. Anti-semitism is often grounded on purely personal envy and national hatred. And those, who theoretisize their anti-semitic feelings in pamphlets and books (see Wagner etc.) prove that they really have a personal problem!
Here a contemporary, very valuable study:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/737849?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
An interesting quotation: "D'Indy's most conspicuous fault is without doubt that of overbalance in the intellectual aspect of his art. His preoccupation in behalf of the architectural and stylistic elements often leads to a neglect of the emotional, and a consequent reproach that is music is 'cérebrale' "
This is perhaps quite apt as far as many of D'Indy's works are concerned, but the author of the study then makes a silly comparison with Brahms...
Again, I recommend a listening of D'Indy's (non-antisemitic) opera "L'Etranger": The theme (the libretto is by the composer) is that of a rich, but generous and helpful "foreigner", causing a lot of trouble in a fisherman's village. A sort of "Flying Dutchman" situation, but set into a more naturalistic milieu. This is, in my opirion, D'Indy's best opera, a very powerful work.
If Meyerbeer had been of German origin? You mean if he'd been, say, born in Tasdorf, near Berlin? No, can't imagine ...
Of course he was, eschiss, my formulation was put in the wrong form; I've corrected it. My G*d, how careful one has to be in here with every word...
given that you went off on a long rant very recently indeed aggrieved by something I did not say, let's say I am not entirely sympathetic.
And, with that, back to d'Indy, please.
And, gentlemen, please let's not quarrel. We are all friends on this forum... or ought to be. I am sure no-one ever really means to give offence. It's just that the written word does not convey the tone of voice, facial expression, etc of the speaker, so it is easy for a wrong impression to be given.
Now d'Indy, I must confess, is someone I have never really got to grips with. But only in the sense that I have not heard much of his music. Apart from the Symphony on a French Mountaineer's Song, that is. Could someone, more knowledgeable suggest a good place for me to start? There are certainly no dearth of recordings...
Gareth, try out the Istar Variations, Poème des rivages, la Forêt enchantée and Tableaux de voyage. And perhaps his Piano Sonata op. 63 :-)
Don't forget his L'Etranger - a satisfying opera if you ask me.
Thank you very much for the suggestions.
I'm sure it's not the best but I've been very satisfied with the Kodaly Quartet's recording of d'Indy's first two (of 3) string quartets.
I recommend the 2-CD recording of his 3 quartets and sextet by Quatuor Joachim. They range from his Franckian period (1 and 2) to his neo-classical period (3 and sextet). I'm not sure the physical CDs are still available, but it can still be downloaded.
Yes, jdperdrix, I enjoy the JoachimQt recordings, too. What do you think about the Sextet?
I know that question was directed at jdperdrix but I have a question about the sextet. I may be thinking of someone else's but fairly sure it's d'Indy's finale whose variations finale is for want of a better phrase quite magical, neoclassical in its use of a fugue and concluding quodlibet but not classically especially "restrained", or does it strike others otherwise?
May I inquire if the recording of L'étranger that was made of the 2010 Montpelier Festival broadcast is still available? I have looked for it through the usual channels and can not find it anywhere. I thought that the performance of Fervaal available through the Download site, was very interesting- and beautifully cast, a fine presentation. Thank you.
L'étranger can still be downloaded from Qobuz for example.
Eric - I'll have a listen, with your comment/question in mind, and get back!
The 2010 recording of "L'étranger" will be broadcast (https://www.swr.de/swr2/musik-klassik/vincent-dindy-letranger-swr2-oper-2020-05-10-100.html) on German Radio SWR 2 this Sunday 10 May at 8.03 pm CEST.
"L'Etranger": In he textbook of the Accord CD, on pages 38-39 they erroneously reproduced on the right side the original French again, so that page 39 has no English translation. The recording is very good and I like the singers.
Eric said. of the Sextet:
I may be thinking of someone else's but fairly sure it's d'Indy's finale whose variations finale is for want of a better phrase quite magical, neoclassical in its use of a fugue and concluding quodlibet but not classically especially "restrained", or does it strike others otherwise?
The third movement sounds restrained to my ears, Eric, but perhaps more accurately 'relaxed', though not without some sparkle. Indeed, my impression of the Sextet as a whole is that it is the work of someone who is at peace with the world and happy with his life (whether or not that was actually the case, I don't know, but the ending surely suggests it).
I love it! :)
I guess you're right - I think I know what I meant (a different sense of the word) but should not ask people to be telepathic as it were :) (I get irritated when I find others doing so, after all!...)
Anyhow. There are many different ends toward which "neo-classicism" in the broader(est) sense (not to be confused with Stravinsky's fairly specific kind) can arguably be applied, whether (I imagine partially for period effect? please correct me, I don't yet know the whole opera!) it's the appearance of the "Jolly Miller" in a Henry VIII opera by another well-known French composer almost a century before Havergal Brian wrote variations on the theme (sorry :D), or - well, helping to achieve the (various, not the same, I know) overall effects of works like d'Indy's early suite or late chamber works and concert, etc. (and 3rd symphony too?...)
I did not notice that Vol 6 of the Chandos series was a super audio CD until I put it in the player... and wow...Wallenstein is a wonder. Of the total 6 CDs in the set, only Vol 6 is the super audio.
...doesn't matter to me. I can't play the SACD layer on any of my devices; in any case I'm probably too old to hear the difference.
Quotein any case I'm probably too old to hear the difference.
I can't even hear the difference between 320 MP3 and lossless FLAC *shrugs*