“Can you picture how drop-dead gorgeous this city is in the rain? Imagine this town in the ’20s. Paris in the ’20s, in the rain. The artists and writers!” —Midnight in Paris
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French culture has always been a symbol of romanticism in the U.S., and it was during the beginning of the 20th century that the France we know and love began to take shape. The center of all Western culture, Parisian salons were filled with what are still household names: Monet, Hemingway, van Gogh, Stravinsky, Picasso, Cole Porter… the list goes on and on. “A golden age!” cried Hemingway. It was an age of booming industry, it was the age of machines, yet we see the Paris scene being one of intellectuals, of arts, and most importantly, of music. In a way, this was also an age of conflict: academism vs. impressionism in art; romanticism vs. impressionism in music; symbolism vs. impressionism in theater. It was in such an environment that the birth of the many French masterpieces came to pass.
To us, music is the purest form of expression, yet some of the most conflicting stories and connections in the French music scene stand behind it. Saint-Saëns, a child prodigy who was called a genius by Ravel and Fauré, was extremely suspicious of the impressionist movement, especially Ravel. But Ravel was Fauré’s student, who was in turn Saint-Saëns’s student.
Nonetheless, one can see deep connections between the three. Fauré’s understanding of musical structures and harmony was a true gift from his master, and one can clearly see Fauré paying homage to Saint-Saëns in his second piano quartet. Saint-Saëns’s influence on Ravel was perhaps even more extraordinary. Ravel’s knowledge of music history is thoroughly displayed in his neoclassical works such as Le Tombeau de Couperin as well as La Valse, a condensed ballet that tells the history of the waltz. Later, when composing his Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Ravel diligently studied Saint-Saëns’s left-hand etudes for months as a means of establishing a technical understanding of the left hand. Such connections are everywhere in this playlist, and holding this knowledge brings delight that one can’t possibly acquire from just listening to the music without it.
Stories aside, the music for this playlist was picked after long debates and considerations between the two of us. In the end, it was simply impossible to write about just 10 compositions, so we made an extension of the list for those who are interested. This is a playlist for your imagination. Do not be constrained by the titles of these works, but look for what sparks in your mind. Ravel the magician, Debussy the painter, Fauré the poet, Saint-Saëns the scholar…
Jeux d’Eau (1914): Maurice Ravel (Martha Argerich)
Daniel Xu ’17: Absolute magic. “River god laughing as the water tickles him,” reads the epigraph, and the piece itself doesn’t relent, its elegant arpeggios hovering between the lines of virtuosity and melody from beginning to end. It’s a spectacle to watch as well, and I can’t begin to imagine how ridiculous Lang Lang would look performing it.
La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) and Feux d’artifice (Fireworks) from Preludes (1910/1913): Claude Debussy (Krystian Zimerman)
DX: Debussy’s preludes are the epitome of impressionist piano music, and I encourage anyone interested to listen to all of them: there is an excellent Zimerman recording available on Spotify, YouTube, and the iTunes store.The two suggested pieces are both brief but renowned, and for good reason. The Girl with the Flaxen Hair has an iconic opening melodic line that you have most certainly heard before, and is a wholly soothing experience. Fireworks provides contrast with sharp cracks and vivid imagery from one hand while the other remains flowing and sustained as one would expect from Debussy.
Sonata for Piano and Violin in G minor (1917): Claude Debussy (David Oistrakh/Frida Bauer)
David Sheng ’18: While Ravel and Debussy, the two giants of impressionist music, shared great mutual respect for each other, Ravel became rather critical of Debussy’s late neoclassical approach to composition. One of his late works, part of the unfinished cycle of six sonatas, this piece bears little resemblance to his early works, but is nonetheless a gem that shines in the sea of works by Debussy. This piece is now a staple in the modern violin repertoire, and is there for a reason. The beauty of the first movement, the playfulness of the second movement, and the dynamism of the last movement come together and form an absolute masterpiece.
Africa (1891): Camille Saint-Saëns
DS: Saint-Saëns may be famous for being a composer, but what is not known to the modern audience is that he was a philosopher, an astronomist, a traveler, a linguist. He was a man of multiple talents, succeeding as a musician (well-known as an organ and piano virtuoso), a well-respected music-history scholar, and last but not least, a teacher. Africa, a fantasy written for piano and orchestra, is a reflection of his multifaceted life as a traveler as well as a musician. This work has rarely been performed, like many of Saint-Saëns’s later works, but that in no way devalues it. The piece is well-structured, cleverly balanced, and full of intricate elements.
Embryons Désechés (1913): Erik Satie
DX: If Satie is known for anything, it’s his weirdness (the polite term is “avant-garde”) and Gymnopedie, and the former was a much larger factor in creating a reputation during his time—we now know him solely for the latter, but his other compositions, such as this one, are even more fascinating. The title “Dessicated Embryos” may sound mildly disgusting, but fear not; it is actually about crustaceans. The piece consists of three two-minute movements that are remarkably attractive to the ear despite their dissonance and odd progressions, and the title will always conjure up odd images regardless of when or with what mindset you listen to the piece.
Piano Quartet No. 2, mvmt. 1 (1886): Gabriel Fauré (Rome Beethoven Quartet)
DS: To me, Fauré is a hero. His music is sublime and possesses a unique purity; his harmony stands out like an oddball yet it touches my heart. This work opens with a deep, energetic theme, and takes you on a journey filled with surprises… how can one not love it! I simply can’t put it into words. The music demands you to listen, and you shall!
La Valse (Orchestral, 1926): Maurice Ravel (Claudio Abbado/London Symphony Orchestra)
DS: “Boring” is perhaps the most commonly used adjective used to describe a waltz, or even classical music in general. While there is little to no truth in that, I have to admit that a certain Strauss may have been the cause (a genius, but slightly overused in pop culture). This piece, however, is nothing like a typical Viennese waltz: it’s dark, it’s cool, it’s energetic, it’s Ravel! While multiple versions of this piece exist, to me this is the most Ravelian, and possibly the most interesting. Ravel was often dubbed the “magician” of orchestration, and his genius is fully demonstrated in this piece, as the different timbres of the various instruments add a different dimension. One must listen to this as an introduction to Ravel.
“Ibéria” from Images pour Orchestre (1905-1908): Claude Debussy (Pierre Boulez/The Cleveland Orchestra)
DS: For those who don’t know what “Ibéria” refers to, it is simply the French name for the Iberian Peninsula on which Spain and Portugal are located. Spain has long been fascinating to other Europeans, especially because of its long history as part of multiple Islamic empires. Spain was almost synonymous with the exotic East, and one can hear this very impression (ha!) in this piece. Debussy was fascinated by Asian music, especially that of Java and India, having first encountered them during the Paris World’s Fair in 1889. Some of these influences can be heard in this piece, creating a strong imagery of the exoticism that fascinated thousands in France.
Nocturne in C Major (1929): Francois Poulenc
DX: I found this gem on YouTube while searching for some lesser-known composers to feature in this playlist, and it captivated me from the first few bars. It was refreshing to hear something so beautiful and serene come from an “avant-garde” composer. The influence from Chopin and friends despite its date of composition is another welcome component; it does not hurt that this was written under the label of Nocturne, possibly the genre most associated with romanticism. And all this in under three minutes.
Dolly Suite (1893–96): Gabriel Fauré
DX: Dolly Suite was titled thus in dedication to the daughter of Fauré’s mistress, who shares in a French tradition of strange nicknames for little girls (ever hear what Debussy called his daughter?). Each of its six movements is, simply put, a pleasant experience. Whimsical, capricious, and without a care in the world, this little suite is a delight that exudes such charm as to whisk me away to some far-off fantastical place whenever I listen. Maybe I’m just projecting. But this is definitely one of my favorite compositions for piano, and likely my favorite duet.
Material for further listening:
Boléro (Ravel)
Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saëns)
Deux Arabesques (Debussy)
Cello Concerto No. 1 (Saint-Saëns)
String Quartets (Fauré, Debussy, Ravel)
Piano Quartets No. 1 & 2 (Fauré)
Piano Concerto in G Major (Maurice Ravel)
Sonate pour Piano et Violoncell (Debussy)
Requiem (Fauré)
Violin Sonata (Franck)
Symphony in D (Franck)
Images pour Piano (Debussy)
Pelléas et Mélisande (Fauré)
Daphnis et Chloé (Ravel)
La Muse et le Poète (Saint-Saëns)
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Debussy)