Tal & Groethuysen - 1915 (2015) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist
---------
01. Six épigraphes antiques for Piano Four Hands, L. 131: I. Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'été
02. Six épigraphes antiques for Piano Four Hands, L. 131: II. Pour un tombeau sans nom
03. Six épigraphes antiques for Piano Four Hands, L. 131: III. Pour que la nuit soit propice
04. Six épigraphes antiques for Piano Four Hands, L. 131: IV. Pour la danseuse aux crotales
05. Six épigraphes antiques for Piano Four Hands, L. 131: V. Pour l'Égyptienne
06. Six épigraphes antiques for Piano Four Hands, L. 131: VI. Pour remercier la pluie au matin
07. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: I. Decrets indolents du hasard
08. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: II. Les soirs d'albi
09. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: III. Souvenir-Avenir
10. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: IV. Danse de l'amour et du chagrin-V. Le demi-sommeil embaumé
11. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: VI. L'anneau perdu
12. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: VII. Danse du doute et de l'espérance
13. Le Ruban Dénoué, 12 Waltzes For Two Pianos: VIII. La Cage Ouverte
14. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: IX. Soir d'orage
15. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: X. Les baisers-XI. Il sorriso
16. Le ruban dénoué, 12 Waltzes for Two Pianos: XII. Le seul amour
17. En blanc et noir for Two Pianos, L. 134: I. Avec emportement
18. En blanc et noir for Two Pianos, L. 134: II. Lent. Sombre
19. En blanc et noir for Two Pianos, L. 134: III. Scherzando
20. Pour bercer un convalescent for Two Pianos: I. Andantino sans lenteur
21. Pour bercer un convalescent for Two Pianos: II. Andantino non lento
22. Pour bercer un convalescent for Two Pianos: III. Andantino espressivo

In January 1915, exactly 100 years ago, Reynaldo Hahn (1874 – 1947) composed three “lullabies” for a badly wounded soldier. These delightful miniatures, full of esprit and intimacy, are an example of French musicians' intensive and highly individual involvement with the topic of “war”. Hahn himself was called up and was sent to the front line, where - despite a martial daily routine – he found time and leisure to compose an extensive suite of waltzes entitled “Le ruban dénoué” (the untied ribbon). It is a remarkable cycle, in which, however, no trace of the turmoil and sufferings of war can be detected. Instead the music alternates gently between dreamily sentimental dances and seductively lyrical ones and presents a contrast to the reality of the times rather than a reflection of it. Reynaldo Hahn, who is known – if at all – as a composer of songs and chansons, developed an extremely complex and idiosyncratic piano style, which sounds simple and obvious only on the surface, but which in its detail is full of surprises and sometimes even mysterious (for the performer).

By way of contrast, Debussy's gems, which are stylistically far more avant-garde, feel more straightforward. The enigmatic triptych “En blanc et noir”, a “wartime work” par excellence, is a complex piece, filled with countless intellectual and conceptual elements in the form of (musical) quotations, verbal mottos, contradictory directions for the performer, written accompanying notes, etc., etc. The cultural and political background to this work is Debussy's declaration of war on everything German in general and in particular on Richard Wagner as the country's chief artistic proponent.

In their freedom from conventional musical language, the “Six Épigraphes antiques”, which are far removed from any reality, go one step further and create a strange blend of description and abstraction.

A glance at the precise titles of the movements and the attached texts (see below) opens up a view of a space full of poetry that adds to the already sensual soundscape an additional rush of inspiration and stimulus to the imagination.

DOWNLOAD IsraCloud [flac]

DOWNLOAD IsraCloud [Hi-Res]