April 20, 2015

  • Gorgeous Jongen Release

     Jongen: Pages Intimes
    Nathan Braude, viola.  Liege Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Jean-Pierre Haeck
    Musique en Wallonie 1575
    Total Time:  63:00
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    The Belgian composer Joseph Jongen (1875-1953) is a name that rarely appears in musical discussions unless you are an avid audiophile.  Then most likely you will pull out the latest demonstration class release of his 1926 Symphonie concertante for organ and orchestra.  His other organ pieces have a tendency to appear from time to time as well and so this new release of music for viola and orchestra is of great interest.  The label here, Musique en Wallonie, prides itself on releasing rare works composed between 1914-1918 exploring artistic expressions during World War I.

    In most cases, these are really the only available recordings of these orchestral pieces.  The first of the pieces here is the four-movement Tableaux Pittoresques, Op. 56.  Jongen had taken to staying in England from April to October and Bournemouth would become his favorite spot.  It was here were these pieces were composed in 1917.  The opening movement (“Le main dans la champagne”) features some of the blend of romanticism and impressionistic color that one might find in Delius with interesting shifts harmonically that are more Debussy when all is said and done (not too dissimilar to American composers Deems Taylor, or Charles Tomlinson Griffes).  The orchestration is a bit fuller, though not without its share of solo colors, and it is a wonderful pastoral depiction.  “Danses” is a beautiful modal piece that has a long opening with gentle harp under a lyrical flute melody.  This gives way to an exciting central dance section that then moves the piece forward.  “Paysage de montagnes” features a beautiful cello idea as this slow reflective piece opens.  The music continuously unfolds with different instrumental colors all interwoven intriguingly (and reminiscent again of Debussy).  The final “Fetes populaire” brings us back to a more rustic celebratory mood with a variety of interconnected colors as it moves along.  It brings this wonderful suite of sorts to a close.

    The Sarabande Triste, Op. 58 (1918), originally for piano, was orchestrated for strings by Jongen the same year.  It becomes more of a funeral march here taking its melodic inspiration from the plainchant Te Deum.  What desolation in the torn apart world lies at the feet of this music with the armistice yet to be signed, it serves as s semi-memorial perhaps for what has been lost though seems to bear some hope.

    Braude has made one previous recording of the Suite, Op. 48 in its chamber version for piano and viola.  The two-movement work was composed upon the urging of another musical misplaced musician, Lionel Tertis who had appreciated a recent quartet by the composer.  The piece was begun in 1915 after nearly a year without much creative activity on Jongen’s part.  Evidently once completed, the work was sent to Sir Thomas Beecham, but circumstances led to it being all but forgotten.  After the war, Jongen would rededicate the piece to the French violist Maurice Vieux who would premiere it in Paris.  A lone horn opens the first elegiac movement with the warm viola soon coming in with a moving unfolding line.  Different motifs are introduced often by little flourishes in the orchestral accompaniment and then developed more fully by the soloist.  The finale moves along at a better pace and the orchestra fills out slightly as the viola essentially moves through a variety of the ideas presented in the piece, elaborating on ideas introduced in the orchestra.  It allows for some technical display whereas the first movement allows the soloist to demonstrate their more expressive capabilities.  The result is a fairly well balanced piece for viola that deserves a place in the instrument’s standard repertoire.

    The program closes on a lighter note with three Pages Intimes, Op. 55.  These were composed between 1917-1918 as pieces for children though the orchestration obviously meant their higher purpose for some distraction from the war.  They may be compared to Ravel’s Mother Goose in terms of their general intent but the music is closer aesthetically to Debussy at its heart.  The three movements are equally evocative.  The final movement (“Le Bon Chival”) is a joyous conclusion to the suite.

    Jongen’s music certainly deserves more attention with its excellent orchestral writing and often brilliant demonstrations of instrumental color.  The semi-impressionistic style is equally accessible and makes the music quite captivating at times.  The orchestra is captured here in a warm acoustic that helps further highlight the richness of the textures.  This is a disc worth tracking down for discovering many surprises.   The performances are gorgeous and captivating throughout.