Pianophilia

I borrowed Migot's largest piano work: "Le Zodiaque" (115 pages!!!) - but finally decided not to copy and scan it, simply because I found the music extremely boring, or, to put it more mildly, written in a typically french aesthetics I am unable to appreciate....sorry!

Yes, it is a huge score. I have listened to Lemelin's recordings over and over again and I can't say that I am sold. However, I keep my faith because I believe there is something in it. There are a few good moments in it though. It's quite an acquired taste, either one likes it or adamantly not.

I was at BNP and found that Ropartz also wrote quite a bit of piano music when he was young. Most if not all of those early works are out-of-print, as Durand-Salabert only stocks his later works.

naturlaut wrote:Yes, it is a huge score. I have listened to Lemelin's recordings over and over again and I can't say that I am sold. However, I keep my faith because I believe there is something in it. There are a few good moments in it though. It's quite an acquired taste, either one likes it or adamantly not.

I also have the Lemelin Migot recording and am not sold either. Migot's music (for me) doesn't reach the artistic level of Charles Tournemire's 'Préludes-Poemes' or many of Jehan Alain's small but intriguing works for the instrument.

naturlaut wrote:Yes, it is a huge score. I have listened to Lemelin's recordings over and over again and I can't say that I am sold. However, I keep my faith because I believe there is something in it. There are a few good moments in it though. It's quite an acquired taste, either one likes it or adamantly not.

I was at BNP and found that Ropartz also wrote quite a bit of piano music when he was young. Most if not all of those early works are out-of-print, as Durand-Salabert only stocks his later works.

You might know already, but there's quite a bit of Ropartz piano music on IMSLP, and some of it isn't blocked. There's a bigger selection of works (including a good few piano works) on Walter Cosand's site.
On the subject of Tournemire's Preludes-Poems, they're surely one of the great unknown French masterpieces for piano. The last movement is quite overwhelmingly beautiful I think. There's an excellent scan of the work floating around: Fred or Rob (if I remember rightly) was very kind to upload it on this site a few months ago when I asked.

Here are some Migot! Enjoy (or not)!

4candles wrote:

naturlaut wrote:Yes, it is a huge score. I have listened to Lemelin's recordings over and over again and I can't say that I am sold. However, I keep my faith because I believe there is something in it. There are a few good moments in it though. It's quite an acquired taste, either one likes it or adamantly not.

I also have the Lemelin Migot recording and am not sold either. Migot's music (for me) doesn't reach the artistic level of Charles Tournemire's 'Préludes-Poemes' or many of Jehan Alain's small but intriguing works for the instrument.

I've always blamed it on myself for not being able to appreciate Migot. There are some nice moments, but they are scarce...

Richard0428 wrote: You might know already, but there's quite a bit of Ropartz piano music on IMSLP, and some of it isn't blocked. There's a bigger selection of works (including a good few piano works) on Walter Cosand's site.
On the subject of Tournemire's Preludes-Poems, they're surely one of the great unknown French masterpieces for piano. The last movement is quite overwhelmingly beautiful I think. There's an excellent scan of the work floating around: Fred or Rob (if I remember rightly) was very kind to upload it on this site a few months ago when I asked.

If I remember correctly, there ara a couple of earlier works that are not on IMSLP. I have scribbled down the titles somewhere, let me look for my notebook.
I really like Ropartz. The other composer that I adore is Vierne. I am thoroughly enjoying the new Barenreiter album! The unpublished works in the album were not yet found when Delvalee made his recording back in 1994/5.

An interesting piece by HENRI BUSSER , his "petite suite (divertissement Watteau)" op 12 transcribed for piano by Jeanne Leleu

Nice music. Thanks.
Jean-Séb

Dear Pianophilia menbers,
Thanks for nice scans of Migot scores!
I've been interested in Migot's piano music very much.
Some say Migot's music seems like as if everything is written in upside-down, but I think his music is highly original, and there's nothing like his piano music in french piano literature, indeed.
There are some extraordinaly beautiful moments (opening bars of 'Les Gemeaux' from Le Zodiaque, for example).

I've been looking for one of his scores for many years.

[Sonate (Polonia) (Leduc, 1947)]

Will someone please upload this Sonata?
As far a I know, no muic library in Japan have this score.
This is only published piano sonata by Migot.
http://www.georgesmigot.info/
(though, according to official web site, there are many unpublished piano pieces include more piano sonatas)

Norihiko Nagata, Japan

Another little gem by Berthe Marx-Goldschmidt (1859-?).......bio details given earlier in this thread. Zapateado after Sarasate....whom she performed in concert with on a number of occassions. Malcolm