Indy - Tableaux de Voyage, Opus 33

≈ Painting ≈ "Abbey in the Oakwood" by Caspar David Friedrich. ≈ History ≈ Grove Dictionary & All Music Guide French composer Vincent d'Indy (1851-1931) joined Franck's organ class at the Conservatoire after serving in the National Guard during the Prussian siege of Paris in 1870-71 and later won the 1885 Grand Prix de Paris in recognition of his talents. The composer was an active public figure in his time, mentoring Chabrier and Faure, working as musical adviser to the Circle XX and serving during WWI on cultural missions. While D'Indy had not reached a status of a well-established composer, the foundation of the still working Schola Cantorum in 1894 remains his greatest legacy (d'Indy would go on to become its full director in 1904). The policies of the Schola included the abolition of prizes, a wide social mix of students and full admission of women. We approach D'Indy with a piece which, in consideration of the obscurity of d'Indy himself, could be called "lost". An 1889 pilgrimage to hear "Die Meistersinger" and "Parsifal" in Bayreuth prompted from the composer the musical travelogue "Tableaux de voyage" (Op. 33) -- a collection of thirteen brief piano pieces from which d'Indy orchestrated six numbers to make the eponymous suite (Op. 36) premiered at Havre on January 17, 1892. ≈ Music ≈ D'Indy is not a readily accessible composer, as his music is primarily notable for its wealth of orchestral coloring which frequently accompanies material of impressionistic value but quite little immediate melodic interest, such as the quite handsomely set but distinctively monochrome Diptyque mediterraneen. The presented excerpt of the Tableaux - "Le Glas" or "Bell" - displays amply the strikingly elegant orchestral painting which D'Indy employs to enrich a structurally (ABAB) and melodically (two linked phrases) straightforward piece into a moving lament. The opening part of the main theme, a gentle musical idea of great simplicity and striking pensiveness, is stated by the altos/clarinets over a subdued string line, while the second section is transferred to the violins/oboe (0:20). Both sections are repeated with a distinctively different orchestral sound. The first phrase is relegated to a foreboding combination of bassoon/clarinet which is set against both a suspended counter-melody in the violins and a gradual crescendo in the timbales (0:40), while the second is initially played by the whole orchestra forte with an accent on the horns and then completed by a piano violin line over the diminishing signs of the orchestra (0:55). It is in the B section where we encounter the titular bell toll which is represented by three (!) groupings of instruments: flute/first violins against second violins/altos/cellos (1:14), horns/trumpets against bassoons (1:18), both repeated twice, and, finally, a unified crescendo rise in the higher winds/harp against an ornamental descent in the lower strings (1:31). Both the A and B sections are then repeated in full but how different are they from what we heard before! The first statement of the main theme is given to the first violins over the caressing figures of the remaining strings (1:47), the oppressive bell heard once more in the bassoon/oboe (2:04). Its appearance provokes another crescendo in the final two bars (2:11) which overflow into an oppressive rendition of the first phrase by the bassoons/altos/cellos/bass over the familiar counter-melody in the higher winds/violins (2:20) and, finally, a brief joint rendition by the entire wind section of first two bars of the second phrase (2:35). Once more, there is no symphonic development, denied to us by a diminuendo with the first violin seemingly unable to complete the phrase as it had before (2:45). The B section is repeated with different effects symbolizing the bells: flute against altos/cellos (2:52) and clarinets/horns/violins against bassoons/trombones/harp (2:56), the muted repeat of former serves as a gentle closing of...

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Symphonic hallmarks ~ Vincent D'Indy ~ Tableaux de voyage, Op. 33 (1892) ~ iii. ...