#compositeursfrançais

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Sheku Kanneh-Mason plays a beautiful Élégie by Gabriel Fauré. The key is C Minor, from Opus 24, and this piece was arranged by Parkin. As many in the comments’ section have noted, Kanneh-Mason puts a world of feeling into his playing, and is a delight to hear. 

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Another medieval composer who is new to me as of today, a Jehan de Lescurel- Abundance de felonnie. If that translates the way it sounds, then one can hardly be surprised, since de Lescurel was also a thief and suspected murderer (though this may be inaccurate). Jokes aside, this entertaining piece is offset by wonderful illuminated calligraphy. 

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A new medieval composer I discovered today by virtue of the Youtube Autoplay function. Gace Brulé (ca. 1160- after 1213). Apparently he was a prominent poet and landowner from Champagne. This is Li consirrers de mon païs. 

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Messe de Nostre Dame, by Guillaume de Machaut

Although Guillaume de Machaut (1300- c.1377) wasn’t the first composer to complete settings for the Mass, he may have been the first to compile all parts into one. This is therefore the earliest known setting of the Ordinary Mass to music. In this great work (filled out by Gregorian Chant by this particular choir), Machaut combines isophony, polyphony, chant, and dissonance. 

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A collection of famous works by Guillaume de Machaut (1300 - c.1377). Machaut was not only a composer, but a poet, writing vast works concerning moral teachings, Christian allegory, and courtly love. 

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Guillaume de Machaut, Ma fan est mon commencement et mon commencement est ma fin. 

This clever rondeau involves a theme which is then sung backwards in isorhythm. Evidently, the art of writing musical palindromes preceded Bach by centuries! 

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I don’t usually listen to Maurice Ravel. In fact, the only piece of his that I truly know is his Tzigane. This wonderful piece from his Piano Concerto in G, Adagio Assai, demonstrates why I should broaden my horizons by studying his music. 

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Ravel’s Boléro is astonishingly brought to life using the glass harp by Robert Tiso. I don’t have much to add here: it’s so beautiful I was distracted from working. 

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Guillaume de Machaut - Se j'aim mon loyal ami

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Guillaume de Machaut- Christe, qui lux es/ Veni, creator spiritus/ Tribulatio proxima est. Another Latin motet from poet-composer Guillaume de Machaut. Working in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims with his brother Jean de Machaut, Latin music was part of the daily services. 

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Guillaume de Machaut’s extraordinary Latin Motet: Felix Virgo/Inviolata Genitrix/Ad te suspiramus. The dissonances here are quite inventive. This was one of the pieces that solidified my fascination for Machaut’s work. 

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Guillaume de Machaut- Nes que on porroit les estoilles nombrer. One may be interested to note that the English great, Geoffrey Chaucer, greatly admired Machaut’s verse and styled his own works after the great French poet-composer. 

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Guillaume de Machaut, Doulz amis, oy mon complaint. 

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Guilhem Figueira, 13th c. France: D’un sirventes far.

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Leonidas Kavakos playing the 5th movement from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. 

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Coming off the back of several posts promoting the work of the French Baroque composers and their output for the organ, here is François Coupérin with: Tierce en Taille, Cromorne en Taille, Messe de Paroisse, Isoir.