'In modo di canzona': If it's singing we aim to talk about, how come we're listening to 'Le Tombeau de Couperin'? (Part 2)

With apologies for the sprawl of this post: I kept thinking I should really spin off a Part 3, but that seemed too easy a way out -- and likely would have needed to happen before we got to (ahem) "the point." Still, I probably should have. Sorry! -- Ed.

Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin, arr. Mason Jones

i. Prélude, at 0:00; ii. Fugue, at 3:35; iii. Menuet, at 6:30; iv. Rigaudon, at 10:34.  French Woodwind Quintet: Philippe Bernold, flute; Olivier Doise, oboe; Patrick Messina, clarinet; Julien Hardy, bassoon; Hervé Joulain, horn

Just the "Prélude," in the Jones arrangement

Quintette Les Cinq: Federico Dalprà, flute; Ian Barillas-McEntee, oboe; Letizia Elsa Maulà, clarinet; Georgie Powell, bassoon; Derrick Atkinson, horn (in the Jurriaanse Zaal, De Doelen, Rotterdam, Feb. 17, 2015)

by Ken

As I sort-of-explained last week in part 1 of this post, my path to Albrecht Mayer's 2013 oboe master class began with "a birthday-gift concert of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center," at which Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin (of 1914-18) was played in a version I'd never heard, bracketed -- in a program called Through the Great War -- between a pair of piano quintets I don't think I'd ever heard at all, Dohnányi's Second (1914) and Elgar's (1918).

To my considerable surprise it was not just a terrific concert but one of my great musical experiences, at a time when such an experience was as welcome as it was unexpected. I think I'd still like to write about it, because it struck at a whole bunch of issues that are of considerable importance to me, but it's not easy, since aspects of it are pretty personal, which amps up the difficulty of writing, as well as the personal unease about how much I want to share, especially at a time when I'm finding it hard to imagine that it would be of interest to anyone but me. My best hope is that it'll get a tiny bit easier once I have more confidence that there's nobody out there reading. (And if by chance there is somebody out there reading, can you explain yourself?)

So for now for the most part I'm going to table the concert itself, except perhaps to thank the Chamber Music Society, not just for the concert but for the birthday gift. You see, when I described this as "a birthday-gift concert of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center," what may not have been clear is that it was a gift from CMS -- owing, as best I can tell, to my having once bought a ticket directly from them (probably at a discount at that, if I know myself). I meant to drop the folks there a note of thanks, but somehow I didn't. So thanks, folks!


TOO MUCH TALK! LET'S HAVE MUSIC!

'In modo di canzona': If it's singing we aim to talk about, how come we're listening to 'Le Tombeau de Couperin'? (Part 1)

Hints: It has to do with: (1) a birthday-gift concert of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and (2) the 2013 Carnegie Hall master class of master oboist Albrecht Mayer

Note: Updated with some expansions and Sunday Classics links,
notably in the section on the Brahms First Symphony

What is it?
The oboe is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family. It has a conical bore and a flaring bell, which gives it a clear, penetrating voice compared to other woodwind instruments. A person who plays the oboe is an oboist.

[from the Manning Music website]

by Ken

And not just Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin, which I can reveal was included (in an unexpected form) in the above-hinted-at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center concert, which set off this whole line of inquiry. No, for reasons that will eventually become clear (though perhaps only clearish this week), we've also got music by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Rossini, none of it with any singing -- and never mind (maybe?) that all four of these are composers for whom vocal music was a prime concern.

At least there's no singing in the literal vocal sense. Consider this, however:

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36:
ii. Andantino in modo di canzona


London Symphony Orchestra, George Szell, cond. Decca, recorded September 1962

RIAS Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), Ferenc Fricsay, cond. DG, recorded Sept. 9-10, 1952

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton, cond. Virgin Classics, recorded 1988-91


AT THIS MOMENT, THIS IS MY FAVORITE MUSICAL
DIRECTION: "ANDANTINO IN MODO DI CANZONA"