Clémence de Grandval: au cœur du romantisme français (4-disc set)

[eschiss1]

Thanks. I think it was more that I read Ilya's comment and thought "ok, it's true that Maderna's 3 are from the 1960s, but surely composers not Romantic, if not Modern either (so- Scott, Rawsthorne, RVW, Holmboe) put a word in too..." (e.g. Harald Saeverud's 1938 oboe concerto, earlier still, and Wikipedia reminds me of similarly "neo-classical" Gordon Jacob's (first concerto originally written as a quintet in 1933, e.g.)

But yes, back to Mme Grandval, of course, apologies!...

[John Boyer]

But yes, back to Mme Grandval, of course, apologies!...

Yes, of course, old man!  Quite right.  Anyway, the samples I've heard of her chamber pieces are exactly as Ilja described: looking toward the 20th century with more than a hint of the impressionistic.  And this from a composer born seven years before Saint-Saens, who wouldn't go on to write music like this until the wind sonatas of his final year.  Intriguing!

[eschiss1]

I disagree a little about Saint-Saëns, who was already moving towards a leaner style in others of his late works (certainly a couple of years before in 1919 with his 2nd string quartet, but perhaps even as early as 1899 with his 1st quartet, and a number of works of various sorts between the two...)

[John Boyer]

I disagree a little about Saint-Saëns, who was already moving towards a leaner style [...] perhaps even as early as 1899 with his 1st quartet [...].

You are again quite right (said John, veering yet again off topic).  The change in style was indeed already there by the '90s, as you point out.  In fact, now that I think on it, it appears as early as 1896 in the Fifth Piano Concerto.  Think of the atmospheric, even dreamy writing of the first movement, or the bravura exoticism of the second.  He has his eye on the 20th century by the time he composed it.

[eschiss1]

With apologies for encouraging the further tangent, I was thinking even of the (imho quite memorable, Op.102, and also 1896) 2nd violin sonata, contemporary with the 5th piano concerto (I'm not even sure I know the concerto as well as the sonata, but that's happenstance - I have a fine Erato recording of the violin sonatas I've listened to much more often.) Anyhow, agreed! I wish I knew his operas practically at all the better to be able to track his development over time there, but there's a project for the future; I know that he quotes - as I know I keep mentioning - "The Jolly Miller" in his ballet music to Henry VIII (1883!) (quoted in one of those 1000 Themes books, and recognized by me because of Havergal Brian's overture on the same theme.)

I notice on Wikipedia that Grandval wrote a fair amount of choral ("liturgical" and "other") music, some of it dramatic. This set contains the 1870 Stabat Mater and the Villanelle that Wikipedia includes in the Other Choral though it's more of a vocal duet; also her 2nd piano trio and violin sonata. Will have a lookout for it...