September 25, 2017.Rameau and Shostakovich. It is rather unfortunate that Jean-Philippe Rameau, the great French composer, and Dmitry Shostakovich, one of the most important Soviet composers, were born on the same day, September 25th, one in 1683, another almost two and a half centuries later, in 1906.So different were the societies into which they were born, the cultures, the prevailing musical styles that it’s almost impossible to write about them in one post.The only thing that their lives had in common is that both lived in absolutist countries: Rameau, under the benign regimes of Louis XIV and his great-grandson, Lois XV, Shostakovich – under the murderous one of Stalin.
We know surprisingly little about Rameau’s first 40 years.He was born in Dijon.His father was an organist and gave Jean-Philippe music lessons, starting at an early age.Jean-Philippe studied at the Jesuit Collège des Godrans in Dijon.After finishing school, he went on a short trip to Italy, and stayed in Milan.In 1702, he was appointed a music master at the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Doms in Avignon and stayed there for four years.After that, he worked in several provincial towns, before returning to Dijon in 1709 to take his father’s position as the organist at Notre Dame.He eventually moved to Clermont to work as an organist there.We know that during those years he was already composing, most likely motets, but nothing significant has survived.
In 1722 Rameau moved to Paris, the only place in centralized France where a musician could build a significant career.As a composer, he was practically unknown.His first step was to publish Traité de l'harmonie, a work on music theory, which was soon followed by the Nouveau système de musique théorique, another theoretical work that made him famous not only in France, but in England as well.He continued to compose but mostly for the harpsichord, although he was already interested in writing operas (circumstances wouldn’t allow for that to happen till 1733).In the meantime, he was earning his living by teaching.In 1732, he convinced the playwright Simon-Joseph Pellegrin to create a libretto for him.Based on Racine’s Phèdre, it was called Hippolyte et Aricie.The opera premiered on October 1st of 1733 in the theatre of Palais-Royal.André Campra, a major opera composer of the time, said, upon listening to Hippolyte: “There is enough music in this opera to make ten of them; this man will eclipse us all.”At the time, Rameau was 50 and at the beginning of his real career, as a tremendously productive opera composer.Working almost exclusively in that genre, he wrote 32 operas.One of the most successful was Dardanus, but not till Rameau rewrote almost half of it: the first edition was premiered in 1739 and was criticized for a weak libretto; the second, the one that is being staged these days, was created five years later, in 1744.Here’s a suite based on Dardanus.Tafelmusic orchestra is conducted by Jeanne Lamon.And here, to give the impression of the vocal part, is the aria Lieux funestes from the 4th act of the opera.The Scottish tenor Paul Agnew is Dardanus; Antony Walker conducts the Orchestra of the Antipodes.
Even though we have little space left, we can’t not mention Dmitry Shostakovich.In his symphonies, Shostakovich felt obligated to toe the line of Socialist Realism; with his phenomenal ear, he picked up the style and the melodies that, he hoped, would embody Soviet realities and please the Party cultural inquisitors.In most cases it worked, in some he was severely criticized.The smaller form, quartets, for example, were not so visible, and here Shostakovich could allow himself to be less political.Here’s one, Quartet no. 3 in F Major, op. 73.It’s performed by the Fitzwilliam String Quartet.
Rameau and Shostakovich, 2017
September 25, 2017. Rameau and Shostakovich. It is rather unfortunate that Jean-Philippe Rameau, the great French composer, and Dmitry Shostakovich, one of the most important Soviet
composers, were born on the same day, September 25th, one in 1683, another almost two and a half centuries later, in 1906. So different were the societies into which they were born, the cultures, the prevailing musical styles that it’s almost impossible to write about them in one post. The only thing that their lives had in common is that both lived in absolutist countries: Rameau, under the benign regimes of Louis XIV and his great-grandson, Lois XV, Shostakovich – under the murderous one of Stalin.
We know surprisingly little about Rameau’s first 40 years. He was born in Dijon. His father was an organist and gave Jean-Philippe music lessons, starting at an early age. Jean-Philippe studied at the Jesuit Collège des Godrans in Dijon. After finishing school, he went on a short trip to Italy, and stayed in Milan. In 1702, he was appointed a music master at the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Doms in Avignon and stayed there for four years. After that, he worked in several provincial towns, before returning to Dijon in 1709 to take his father’s position as the organist at Notre Dame. He eventually moved to Clermont to work as an organist there. We know that during those years he was already composing, most likely motets, but nothing significant has survived.
In 1722 Rameau moved to Paris, the only place in centralized France where a musician could build a significant career. As a composer, he was practically unknown. His first step was to publish Traité de l'harmonie, a work on music theory, which was soon followed by the Nouveau système de musique théorique, another theoretical work that made him famous not only in France, but in England as well. He continued to compose but mostly for the harpsichord, although he was already interested in writing operas (circumstances wouldn’t allow for that to happen till 1733). In the meantime, he was earning his living by teaching. In 1732, he convinced the playwright Simon-Joseph Pellegrin to create a libretto for him. Based on Racine’s Phèdre, it was called Hippolyte et Aricie. The opera premiered on October 1st of 1733 in the theatre of Palais-Royal. André Campra, a major opera composer of the time, said, upon listening to Hippolyte: “There is enough music in this opera to make ten of them; this man will eclipse us all.” At the time, Rameau was 50 and at the beginning of his real career, as a tremendously productive opera composer. Working almost exclusively in that genre, he wrote 32 operas. One of the most successful was Dardanus, but not till Rameau rewrote almost half of it: the first edition was premiered in 1739 and was criticized for a weak libretto; the second, the one that is being staged these days, was created five years later, in 1744. Here’s a suite based on Dardanus. Tafelmusic orchestra is conducted by Jeanne Lamon. And here, to give the impression of the vocal part, is the aria Lieux funestes from the 4th act of the opera. The Scottish tenor Paul Agnew is Dardanus; Antony Walker conducts the Orchestra of the Antipodes.
Even though we have little space left, we can’t not mention Dmitry Shostakovich. In his symphonies, Shostakovich felt obligated to toe the line of Socialist Realism; with his phenomenal ear, he picked up the style and the melodies that, he hoped, would embody Soviet realities and please the Party cultural inquisitors. In most cases it worked, in some he was severely criticized. The smaller form, quartets, for example, were not so visible, and here Shostakovich could allow himself to be less political. Here’s one, Quartet no. 3 in F Major, op. 73. It’s performed by the Fitzwilliam String Quartet.