J Guy Ropartz: Nos. 15 & 13 from 'Au Pied de l'Autel' (at the Foot of the Altar)

Back


15 - Adagio (arrangement of a Breton folk song) 13 - Molto lento --------------------------------- The Breton composer and poet (Joseph) Guy (Marie) Ropartz (1864-1955) studied composition with Massenet at the Paris Conservatoire, and later with Franck, and tought at the conxervatoires of Nancy and Strasbourg. He wrote stage works, symphonies, choral, vocal and chamber music. 'Au Pied de l'Autel' is a set of 100 short pieces written in 1916-7 at Nancy for harmonium (or organ manuals) and intended for use as voluntaries in church services. As such, they are never likely to get many performances because - at least in the UK - because few churches use harmoniums these days (they use electronic keyboards instead), and the pieces can sound dull on pipe organ manuals. There are some most attractive pieces in the set, some using Breton folk melodies, and I have sought to adapt them ('on the fly') for performance on piano by such devices as selective octave doubling, some arpeggiation of long held chords, and subtle repetition of tied pedal notes. I may also have used slightly faster tempi than would be used on a sustaining instrument. The piano can at least observe Ropartz' dynamics and bring out the contrapuntal voices in some of the pieces. Given the current popularity in a secular context of comtemplative works by John Tavener, Arvo Pärt and others, one wonders if there could be a new life for other non-vocal liturgical music. For more information on Ropartz, see the site of the Association Guy Ropartz: http://guyropartz.chez-alice.fr/ For an idea of the sound of the sort of instrument that these pieces might originally have been played on, see: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=3-uTDhtWvOQ ---------------------------------------- Played by Phillip Sear (Sussex, UK) http://www.psear.co.uk

Category: Music
Uploaded: October 11th, 2008 @ 10:48 am
Author: PSearPianist

Length: 05:20
Rating: Whole StarWhole StarWhole StarWhole StarWhole Star
Views: 89

Tags: breton classical france french pianist piano sussex

Related Video Links:


» View Video Comments For J Guy Ropartz: Nos. 15 & 13 from 'Au Pied de l'Autel' (at the Foot of the Altar)
» View PSearPianist's Other Uploaded Videos

Video Thumbnails:


Thumbnail #1 Video Thumbnail #1:
Thumbnail #2 Video Thumbnail #2:
Thumbnail #3 Video Thumbnail #3:


Video Embedding Code:


Video Url:


Embed Code:

* Embed this video on your website, social bookmark, myspace, or blog.