Florent Schmitt
(1870-1958) was born in Blamont in north-eastern France and studied with Massenet
and Fauré at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1900. During
the 1890s he became friendly with Frederick Delius, who was also living in
Paris. Other influences were Richard Strauss,
Debussy and Fauré as well as Stravinsky. His compositions include vocal, chamber
and piano works, music for two ballets and orchestral works that include three
symphonies. He later became director of the Lyon Conservatory.
Also amongst his
orchestral works are the incidental music to Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra and an Edgar Allan Poe inspired work Le Palais hanté both of which appear on
a new release from Naxos www.naxos.com featuring the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
https://bpo.org conducted by JoAnn Falletta www.joannfalletta.com
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| 8.573521 |
Initially performed as ballet scenes between the acts of a
new production of Shakespeare’s play Anthony
and Cleopatra at the Paris Opera in 1920, Florent Schmitt drew two concert
suites from the music.
Suite No. 1, Op. 69a from
Antoine et Cléopâtre – Six épisodes symphoniques
en deux suites d’après le drama de Shakespeare (1920) opens with Antoine et Cléopâtre where the music rises
up slowly in voluptuous waves of orchestral sound with Schmitt using a constantly shifting harmonic palette.
There is a passage of quiet, delicate orchestration where the influence of Debussy
can be heard (think of La Mer) in the
ebb and flow. Later he adds an Eastern flavour with a theme for oboe and string
ensemble, later taken up by other wind instruments with a tambourine adding
rhythm and colour. There is often a tense, subdued passion and energy before
the music rises to a passionate peak leading to a beautifully scented, lush
coda.
A brass fanfare opens Le
Camp de Pompée (At Pompey’s Camp)
before the music falls back. A side drum can be heard as well as an echo of the
fanfare in the brass. JoAnn Falletta keeps a real tension until the brass rise
up again through some tremendous passages. The brass section of the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra is superb. Eventually the music falls back with muted
brass for the quiet conclusion.
La Bataille d'Actium
(Battle of Actium) launches a rhythmically forward moving theme swelling to
some fine outbursts pointed up by timpani and percussion. There are some fine
woodwind passages before arriving at a gentler passage with horns and strings
gently shifting around. Still there is the ebb and flow of the first section
before rising to some fine voluptuous climaxes. The music becomes more volatile
with percussion outbursts, rising to a pitch with cymbal clash before dropping
back, only to rise again at the end.
Nuit au Palais de la
Reine (Night in the Palace of the Queen) opens Suite No. 2, Op. 69b with Schmitt conjuring a gentle, Eastern flavoured
nocturne with celeste and hushed strings out of which an oboe brings a languid
melody. The strings gently glide over the lovely melody as the oboe continues
to weave its charm. Soon the music picks up a steadier pace for oboe and
strings with a flute adding to the texture as well as many other instrumental
details, creating an intoxicating atmosphere. A clarinet subtly brings a recurring
motif as the strings rise up romantically. There are more, lovely woodwind
passages full of oriental flavour around which strings weave. Though the pace
eventually firms up for a time, the music soon slows to a gentle rise and fall
that is pointed up by percussion and celeste toward the coda.
Orgie et Danses takes
off at a rhythmic pace pointed up by timpani as the music brings little surges.
It moves through some wild orchestral passages before a more flowing string
passage occurs between more violent outbursts. Odd little motifs appear out of
the orchestral texture reminiscent of the Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps showing how this music must have made for
some great ballet sequences. The music
rises through some terrific dynamic passages as the music reaches its rhythmic
climax, eventually quietening to a hushed passage for solo violin and
orchestra, with muted trumpet creating a shifting harmony, quite exotic in
flavour. The music flows gently in surges to a final climax before concluding
in a quiet, mysterious coda.
Le Tombeau de Cléopâtre
(The Tomb of Cleopatra) opens quietly but soon rises up to a short climax
before returning to a quieter moment for oboe around which strings ruminate. A
little rising and falling motif is heard before the music develops a quiet
tread in the orchestra. The oboe appears again in a melancholy theme as low
strings ruminate, shifting around mysteriously. Suddenly there is a little
outburst coloured by a harp before the music slowly rises with a romantic
string theme. Brass join as we are led to a climax for full orchestra and
timpani, brass sounding out over the rest of the orchestra. The music pushes
ahead in surges of magnificent orchestral sound until quietening for a
melancholy sequence as the little rising and falling three note motif is heard before
suddenly rising for a final outburst to end.
Stephane Mallarme’s translation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The
Haunted Palace provided the inspiration for Florent Schmitt’s Le Palais hanté, Op. 49 (1904) Étude symphonique
pour Le Palais hanté d’Edgar Poë. A bass clarinet opens before the strings
bring a gentle melody; JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra bringing
some lovely little touches (note how the string entries have a little surge).
The opening is repeated before an oboe leads with the melody around which the
orchestra flows. It rises in passion with horns and brass adding power and
colour as do cymbals and timpani. A climax is reached before the music drops
back through a quieter passage until the oboe winds a quiet yet fast moving
theme, soon taken by clarinet then other instruments. The music rises through
more dynamic passages as well as a quieter, beautiful passage for woodwind.
Eventually a number of violent surges arrive, offset by quieter woodwind led
passages before scurrying strings hurry to a dynamic coda.
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