Late Romantic music from Belgium

[Symphonic Addict]

Once in a while some rediscoveries turning out to be important revelations of sorts. Today occurred that with Daniel Sternefeld's Symphony No. 2 'Brueghel'. The work (from 1981-83, one of his last compositions) was inspired by four paintings of Peter Brueghel the Elder. Each of its four movements depicts a painting and are as follows:

Dance of Peasants and Bride in the Open Air
Winter Landscape - Skaters and Bird-Snare
Parable of the Blind
Triumph of Death






The result is nothing short of genius! The first movement feels roguish, so animated and playful. In some parts it reminded me of the vitality of The Rite of Spring, especially when it reaches the ending. The delightful second movement exudes quirkiness and fun, there's a sort of lightness that makes it irresistible. The use of the woodwinds, celesta and xylophone, particularly, is rather wonderful. The arc-like third movement has the form of a passacaglia, featuring a mysterious atmosphere that intensifies as it progresses and then gets more calm and melancholy as in the initial minutes. Touches of wizardry and of a malevolent nature permeate the final and longer movement. This is piquant big time! But not all of it sounds like that, from 7:10 to 10:24 a serene oase emerges wherein the saxophone and the harp have prominence, they add some magical moments. The work ends in a very exhilarating way with percussion and the rest of orchestra at full throttle.

Sternefeld had great ear for orchestration and it shows (or sounds) with succesful brilliance. It is just impeccable, accurate, inventive, almost miraculous. An orchestration lesson in full display. The recording below is the only one available (it includes other of his orchestral works), which was made in presence of the composer and he approved the performance (according to the booklet notes). It is very committed, certainly. However, the sound quality could have been better.

All in all, this is a blazing masterpiece in my view. One of the best Belgian symphonies I've come across. If you know and like his powerful Symphony No. 1, this should be right up your street.

[pjme]

You can witness an -extremely rare - performance of Sternefelds second symphony, next year june , in Antwerp.

[André]

Thanks for the heads up on symphony no 2, Cesar ! I'll try to locate a copy.

His opera Mater Dolorosa and symphony no 1 are excellent pieces and available from Marco Polo.

[Symphonic Addict]

You can witness an -extremely rare - performance of Sternefelds second symphony, next year june , in Antwerp.

Do yourself a favor and don't miss that concert for any reason!

[Symphonic Addict]

Thanks for the heads up on symphony no 2, Cesar ! I'll try to locate a copy.

His opera Mater Dolorosa and symphony no 1 are excellent pieces and available from Marco Polo.

Regarding the First Symphony, this is my go-to performance:

[pjme]

Do yourself a favor and don't miss that concert for any reason!

I do have tickets.

"....One and the same painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder inspired two composers to create an orchestral work. Erik Desimpelaere translated the sultry atmosphere of The Triumph of Death into his apocalyptic Danses Macabres. He lets the death bells ring and incorporates typical rhythmic patterns into his exuberant dances of death. A world premiere by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, which is happy to create space for new Flemish heritage.
Many years earlier, Daniel Sternefeld also provided Brueghel's scene with evocative and moving music. Like Denise Tolkowsky, Sternefeld was an Antwerp Jewish composer who had to go into hiding during the Second World War. Both helped shape Flemish musical life after the war. Tolkowsky's Piano Concerto remained under the radar for far too long, but now the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is giving this undiscovered work the attention it deserves."

https://www.woutervalvekens.com/
https://www.conservatoriumvanamsterdam.nl/en/study/studying-at-the-cva/faculty/classical-music/karel-deseure/
https://www.svm.be/componisten/tolkowsky-denise?language=en
https://www.erikdesimpelaere.com/nl/home

[André]

Regarding the First Symphony, this is my go-to performance:

Thanks, but 75% of this disc duplicate the one I already have (symphony 1 + the Mater Dolorosa interludes). The other pieces (that I've never heard) are about 20 minutes long. Decisions, decisions...🫤

[Roy Bland]

Feldbusch composer

https://ericfeldbuschfondation.org/nl/media/recordings/

Late romantic at Liegi

http://popups.ulg.be/1371-6735/index.php?id=2493&file=1&pid=2490

[vandermolen]

Have been greatly enjoying Godfried Devreese's Symphony No.1 'Gothic' and have found out some more about the composer himself:
https://www.svm.be/componisten/devreese-godfried
Cover painting is by one of my favourite artists - the Anglo-Belgian James Ensor.

[pjme]

Georges Lonque (1900 - 1967) Studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ghent. Second Prix de Rome (1929). Teacher at conservatory in Ghent.

"This hypersensitive and highly original figure attempts to express in his music what lies hidden in his own being and moves his innermost being. He is not a modernist, because his very unstable temperament prevents him from expressing himself sincerely in such a language. His entire culture is irrefutably French-oriented; his style is directly influenced by Franck and Debussy, to evolve in later works (such as the 1948 Violin Concerto) to Ravel and Prokofieff. Especially in terms of melody he connects with Debussy.

In all this, his oeuvre may be the confirmation of an infallible technical mastery that manifests itself in a sober and clear form and a colourful orchestration. Finally, Georges Lonque's music is so characteristic of him because of that mobile harmonic background which, growing out of the melodic structure, unequivocally recalls the veiled intimacy of Fauré. From the totality of all this and supported by a rich and mild inspiration, Georges Lonque has created his own language which leads to colourful beauty." (Source Cebedem 1967

Lonque traveled widely and contacted (studied?) with Richard Strauss and Gabriel Pierné. From 1914 till 1932 he was solo-violinist at the Ghent opera.

Important works
Impressions d'Hemelryck; Aura; Saxon porcelain; Viennese waltzes, Poème de la mer, Idoles for clarinet trio, Images d'orient, Prelude and aria for cello and orchestra.
This violin concerto is definitely very late romantic for 1948, but sounds  expertly written to me and well orchestrated. Clemens Quatacker is a fine, committed soloist.
Hans Ryckelynck recorded several pianoworks for PHAEDRA.

[Kalevala]

Georges Lonque (1900 - 1967) Studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ghent. Second Prix de Rome (1929). Teacher at conservatory in Ghent.

"This hypersensitive and highly original figure attempts to express in his music what lies hidden in his own being and moves his innermost being. He is not a modernist, because his very unstable temperament prevents him from expressing himself sincerely in such a language. His entire culture is irrefutably French-oriented; his style is directly influenced by Franck and Debussy, to evolve in later works (such as the 1948 Violin Concerto) to Ravel and Prokofieff. Especially in terms of melody he connects with Debussy.

In all this, his oeuvre may be the confirmation of an infallible technical mastery that manifests itself in a sober and clear form and a colourful orchestration. Finally, Georges Lonque's music is so characteristic of him because of that mobile harmonic background which, growing out of the melodic structure, unequivocally recalls the veiled intimacy of Fauré. From the totality of all this and supported by a rich and mild inspiration, Georges Lonque has created his own language which leads to colourful beauty." (Source Cebedem 1967

Lonque traveled widely and contacted (studied?) with Richard Strauss and Gabriel Pierné. From 1914 till 1932 he was solo-violinist at the Ghent opera.

Important works
Impressions d'Hemelryck; Aura; Saxon porcelain; Viennese waltzes, Poème de la mer, Idoles for clarinet trio, Images d'orient, Prelude and aria for cello and orchestra.
This violin concerto is definitely very late romantic for 1948, but sounds  expertly written to me and well orchestrated. Clemens Quatacker is a fine, commited soloist.
Hans Ryckelynck recorded several pianoworks for PHAEDRA.

Was the violin concerto released on CD (or LP)?  And do you know by whom?

K

[pjme]

Was the violin concerto released on CD (or LP)?  And do you know by whom?

No, afaik, this concerto was never issued on LP or CD. This is radio recording of ca. 1965-1975.

the soloist is Clemens René Quatacker (Sint-Amandsberg, 27 February 1932 - 2003), a Belgian violinist.

After his first studies with his father, violinist Oscar Quatacker, he studied with Julien De Loof, Henri Gadeyne and Yehudi Menuhin. He excelled at the Ghent Conservatory, where he won several prizes. In 1951 he was awarded the Government Medal.

In 1953 he became a laureate in the Henri Vieuxtemps Competition (Liège-Verviers) and in 1955 he finished as tenth laureate in the Queen Elisabeth Competition for violin. This was the start of an international career.

He founded the Quatacker String Quartet. He also became a teacher, until 1996, at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. In 1993 he was a jury member of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. For many years he was concertmaster of the BRT orchestra.


Conductor of the RTB Chamber orchestra is Edgard Doneux ( Liège1920 – Brussels/Anderlecht 1984).Doneux received his entire musical formation at the conservatoire of his native city, and made his conducting debut at the Opéra Royal de Liège, in 1940, aged only 20.In 1946, he was named principal conductor at the Monnaie opera house in Brussels, and in 1949 chief conductor at the Belgian Radio-Television, retaining the latter post until his death.

The VRT (formerly NIR, BRT or BRTN) and RTB (formerly INR , RTBF) archives have many  unissued recordings with Quatacker as soloist or as leader of the radio orchestras.  The radiio orchestras as such no longer exist.

[Roy Bland]

[Kalevala]

No, afaik, this concerto was never issued on LP or CD. This is radio recording of ca. 1965-1975.

the soloist is Clemens René Quatacker (Sint-Amandsberg, 27 February 1932 - 2003), a Belgian violinist.

That's a shame.  Thanks for posting it.  Quite enjoyable.

K

[pjme]

Not late Romantic at all...very gnarly in a dark, expressionistic way. I like it! 

Baervoets, Raymond, Belgian composer; b. Brussels, Nov. 6, 1930; d. Rome, Aug. 19, 1989. He studied with Jean Absil, richard de Bourguignon, and René Barbier at the Brussels Cons., and then with René Defossez at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome (1961–62). His music followed along classical lines, with contents evolving in an ultra-chromatic coloristic idiom with occasional use of quarter tones.

The soloist is Georges Octors, (Gamboni (Belgisch-Congo), 2 april 1923 - Brussel, 18 juni 2020) violinist and conductor.

[pjme]

[pjme]

Here's more Belgo-violinistic music - from Late Romantic lushness to Bartokian power.

This concerto was written for Carlo Van Neste in 1948.

[Roy Bland]