Hidden treasures ~ Édouard Lalo ~ Concerto russe for Violin & Orchestra (1879) ~ II. Chants russes

≈ Painting ≈
The painting - "Red sunset" by Arkhip Kuindzhi - can be found on Wikimedia Foundation (it is credited to shooting_brooklyn of Flickr).

≈ History ≈
(based on materials from the Grove Dictionary of Music & Tchaikovsky Research)
Edouard Lalo (1823-1892) studied the violin/cello at the Lille Conservatoire in his youth, but at the age of 16, dissuaded from a serious musical career by his father, left home for Paris, studying for a brief period under Habeneck at the Paris Conservatoire. Success did not come to Lalo overnight: indeed, the composer worked in relative obscurity up until his 50s, making his living primarily as a violinist (1). The formation of the Société Nationale in 1871 by Bussine and Saint-Saens, and the support of contemporaries (in particular, the famous Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate for whom many of the composer's violin works were intended (2)) proved essential in the establishment of Lalo as a serious orchestral composer. Works, such as the seminal Symphonie espagnole (1875) and the Cello Concerto (1877) formed the base for Lalo's popular renown which was ultimately raised to general acclaim with the premiere of the opera "Le roi d'Ys" in 1888, considered by the composer as his masterwork. The "Russian" concerto which is highlighted in this case was written and first performed in 1879. It was composed with Sarasate in mind but for unknown reasons the performer did not premiere the piece with the honor falling to the Belgian Martin Marsick.

(1): This part of Lalo's career is mainly notable for his participation in the creation in 1855 of the Armingaud Quartet (where Lalo played viola/second violin) which aimed to make better known the string quartets of the classical period.
(2): Lalo went as far as crediting Sarasate directly in a personal letter with the launch of his active compositional period: "Your entry into my life awoke me".

≈ Music ≈
The Concerto russe, less immediately appealing than its justly famous Spanish counterpart in its preference for melancholic suspensions of the violin's long lines over a subdued orchestral background, presents the listener with a rather overstretched lyrical tableau in a style somewhat reminiscent of Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov with relatively brief moments of bravura, a notable exception being the genuinely colorful closing Vivace. I originally intended to post the latter brilliant movement but ultimately found myself won over by the central Lento with its languid main theme. The section is designated as the first "Chant russe" of the work. Whether or not a true Russian motive was used by Lalo remains dubious, and, in any case, it is not important, as the piece offers, instead of national authenticity, remarkable restraint in orchestral coloring and genuinely affecting melodic treatment which lend it rare poignancy. The movement opens with an exchange between the trombones/bassoons (0:08) and the strings (0:16) of strong extended chords which form the background line of the movement's principal section where it is alternatively taken by the flute/oboe/clarinet (0:40, 1:08, 1:42 etc.) and the strings (0:57, 1:17, 1:33 etc.). No constant number of chords is established. The violin enters with a stunningly reserved lyric melody (0:40) which, though initially reflecting the bass line (0:56), hereinafter refuses to be bound by it, developing the theme in a highly romantic series of elegant figurations, at times briefly pausing in a pensive manner (1:22, 1:50). Seemingly to prevent a feeling of sameness, Lalo introduces a sudden dissonant dip into the lower register in the violin and a dramatic rise in the bassoon (2:11) which force a transition to an agitated tempo di mezzo (2:12), provoking the strings to take up a running triplet motive which is maintained throughout the section (2:13). The violin itself goes through a series of angular lines only accentuated by extended trills (2:33, 2:41), somewhat akin to a violent cry of despair, genuinely breaking the preceding serenity. However, this brief interlude gradually begins to melt away (3:06) and finally gives way to a welcome return of the main theme, now presented in a high-lying variant (3:16). The movement ends with a traditional romanticized (and somewhat overused in the violin concertos of the period) rise of the violin into the stratosphere over a subdued string accompaniment (4:26). Still, it does not distract from the preceding enchanting tableau.

≈ Score ≈
The complete sheet music of the presented movement can be found in IMSLP (P. 19-21):
http://216.129.110.22/files/imglnks/usimg/7/7f/IMSLP109858-SIBLEY1802.15189.e...

≈ Recording ≈
The 1999 Chandos issue from which the rendition in question heralds unites several of Lalo's less familiar violin works in a highly polished reading by Olivier Charlier (Violin) and the BBC Philharmonic under Yan Pascal Tortelier.

Hope you'll enjoy =).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Edouard
• Lalo
• Concerto
• Violin
• Romantic
• Saint-Saens
• Orchestra

[MaisSimples]

Simply wonderful!

Thanks a lot!

[Sisyanor]

splendide! 

[Teonareine]

Beautiful concerto and great performance. Thanks !

[chad75ful]

Make that hauntingly beautiful. Thank you for the hidden treasures

[chad75ful]

Hauntingly eautiful.