Product Description
Preface:
In the early 1890s, Debussy composed the opening of a
lyrical piece in E major for violin and piano, perhaps as a shorter
companion piece for the violin Nocturne he was planning for the Belgian
violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. After Debussys death in 1918, his second wife
Emma often gave away sketch pages to performers or composers as
memorials to her beloved husband , and this particular page was given to
the Cuban born pianist and composer Joaquin Nin (1879-1949). It came
up for sale in the catalogue of the British antiquarian dealer Lisa Cox
in 2010 and although it might possibly be an early song for contralto
and piano, the more dynamic idea in bar 12 strongly suggests the violin,
especially as it begins on an open D string. Moreover, there is no
text and in pieces of this length, Debussy usually wrote at least one
word in, if only to remind himself where he had got to in any song.
So
my starting point was a complete 12-bar melody gently undulating in the
violins lowest register over a sensual accompaniment, rising to a
climax in bar 12 and giving me a contrasting idea that I could use as a
link between sections and in the cadenza. As the B section (bars 14-26)
derives directly from Debussys opening theme by metamorphosis, my own
additions were restricted to the central section (bars 27-57) -
comprising a new scherzando idea (C) and the more lyrical D (bars
36-46). C returns at bar 47, followed by the opening sections in
reverse order, so that the Sérénade begins and ends with Debussys
material and is cast in arch form (ABCDCBA).
Robert Orledge
Brighton, 19 June 2019
Robert
Orledge was born in Bath in 1948 and educated at Clare College,
Cambridge, where he gained his doctorate for his study of the composer
Charles Kœchlin in 1973. Between 1971 and 1991 He rose from Lecturer
to Professor in the Music Department of the University of Liverpool,
publishing books on Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, Charles Kœchlin and
Erik Satie, as well as numerous articles, editions and reviews. As a
historical musicologist, Professor Orledge specialized in the way
composers composed, ,and since taking early retirement in 2004, he has
concentrated on completing and orchestrating Debussys unfinished works,
and especially his theatre projects. His completion of Debussys opera
The Fall of the House of Usher (1908-17) was successfully premiered at
the Bregenz Opera Festival in Austria in August 2006 and has since been
performed in America, Portugal Germany and Holland, as well as being
broadcast throughout Europe. A DVD of the Bregenz premier is available
on Capriccio 93517, produced by Phylida Lloyd and conducted by Lawrence
Foster. His completion of the Chinese ballet No-ja-li ou Le Palais du
Silence (1914) was also premiered in 2006 in Los Angeles and other
completions include La Saulaie and the Nocturne and Poème for violin and
orchestra as well as Debussys other Poe opera Le Diable dans le
Beffroi.
Préface en français :
Au debut des
années 1890, Debussy a composé le debut dune pièce lyrique en Mi majeur
pour violon et piano, peut-être pour accompagner la Nocturne pour
violon que Debussy a destinée pour le violoniste belge Eugène Ysaÿe.
Après la morte de Debussy en 1918, sa deuxième femme Emma avait
lhabitude doffrir ses pages desquisses aux intérpètes et compositeurs
en souvenir de son regreté mari. Cette page desquisse a été offerte
aux compositeur et pianiste cubain Joaquin Nin (1879-1949). Cette page a
été mise en vente dans la catalogue de lantiquaire britannique Lisa
Cox en 2010 et malgré que cette esquisse est peut-être le début dune
mélodie pour contralto et piano, lidée dynamique dans la douzième
mesure suggère la violon, surtout quelle commence sur la
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