Magnard, Albéric

Albéric Magnard – Quintette en ré mineur pour flûte, hautbois, clarinette, basson et piano op. 8 (1894)

(b. Paris, 9 June 1865 — d. Baron, Oise, 3 September 1914)

I Sombre (p. 1) – Animez jusqu’à la rentrée (p. 13) – Large (p. 15) – Mouvement du début (p. 16)
II Tendre (p. 25) – Largement – Vif et rythmé – Largement (p. 27) – Premier mouvement (p. 28)
III Léger (p. 34)
IV Joyeux (p. 49) – Largement – Vif et rythmé – Largement (p. 70) – Mouvement du début (p. 71) –Large – Mouvement du début (p. 76)

Preface

Being the son of Francis Magnard (1837-1894), the editor of Le Figaro, Lucien Denis Gabriel Albéric Magnard was initially destined for a solid professional career, to which end he studied law from 1884 to 1887. But in 1886 he visited to Bayreuth, and in the same year he enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire, followed by private lessons in composition from 1882 to 1892 with Vincent d’Indy (1851-1931). His opus 1, Trois pièces pour piano, and his first orchestral work, Suite dans le style ancien in G minor (op. 2), both date from 1887-88. They were followed by his first song cycle, Six poèmes en musique, op. 3 (1887-89), his First Symphony in C minor, op. 4 (1889-90), and a one-act drama Yolande, op. 5 (1890-91), for which he wrote his own libretto. Before turning to chamber music he produced a set of seven piano pieces entitled Promenades, op. 7 (1893), and his Second Symphony in E minor, op. 6 (1892-94). He is best known for his orchestral music, especially the four symphonies, which placed him alongside his contemporaries Albert Roussel and Charles Tournemire among France’s leading symphonists (the Third, in B-flat minor, op. 11, was written in 1895-96, the late Fourth, in C-sharp minor, op. 21, in 1912-13). He also created two operas on his own librettos in the style of medieval mystery plays: the three-act tragedies Guercœur, op. 12 (1897-1901), and Bérénice, op. 19 (1905-08). All of his symphonies and most of his chamber music were written in minor keys, revealing a predilection for the dark side of human expression. The same predilection is reflected in his dramatic death: having been rejected for volunteer military service in the First World War, he actually thought it appropriate to open fire on a German cavalry unit from his house in the village of Baron (Département Oise), after which the building was burnt to the ground. It is not known whether he was shot or perished in the flames.

Magnard’s first piece of chamber music, the Quintet in D minor for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and piano (op. 8), originated in 1894. The following year he returned to the orchestra, composing Chant funèbre (op. 9) and Ouverture (op. 10) in preparation for his Third Symphony. The years from 1897 to 1901 were devoted entirely to the completion of his first opera. Immediately thereafter he quickly wrote the Sonata in G major for violin and piano, op. 13 (1901), followed by Hymne à la justice for orchestra, op. 14 (1901-02) and Quatre poèmes en musique for baritone and piano, op. 15 (1902). He spent a full year composing what is perhaps his most important piece of chamber music, the great String Quartet in E minor, op. 16 (September 1902-September 1903), followed by Hymne à Vénus for orchestra, op. 17 (1903-04). On a par with the String Quartet is the Piano Trio in the same key, op. 18 (1904-05). The next four years were devoted exclusively to the creation of his second opera. He then composed his final piece of chamber music, the present Sonata in A major for cello and piano, op. 20 (1909-11); his final orchestral work, the Fourth Symphony; and his final song cycle, Douze poèmes en musique, op. 22 (1913-14).

Magnard’s output of chamber music thus includes no more than five of his twenty-two works, to which should be added a song of 1890-91 without opus number (À Henriette, written for Le Figaro musical). But these works are all the more substantial and momentous in their stature. Moreover, unlike his symphonic output, no genre is represented by more than a single work: wind quintet (op. 8), violin sonata (op. 8), string quartet (op. 16), piano trio (op. 18), and cello sonata (op. 20).

The Quintet for Wind Instruments and Piano, Magnard’s first piece of chamber music, is fresh and almost insouciantly playful in character, its largely consistent Tempo continuo making it far more classical in spirit than the chamber music he wrote much later. Its scoring is unusual: rather than employing the standard format, it discards the horn and adds a flute to create a purely woodwind quartet. This naturally leads to a leaner and more delicate sound, as well as quite different problems of balance. Today it is Magnard’s most frequently played composition, there being few substantial works in such an exquisite format in which members of a wind quintet can appear with a piano. Magnard wrote the Quintet between January and July 1894. It received its première on 3 April 1895, when it was performed in the Concerts de La Libre Esthétique, Brussels, by Théophile Antony (flute), Guillaume Guidé (oboe), Gustave Poncelet (clarinet), Boogaerts (bassoon), and Théo Ysaÿe (piano). Its publication had to wait until spring 1904, when the work was self-published by Magnard with a dedication to Octave Maus (1856-1919). Following Magnard’s death, the rights to it were acquired by Salabert.

Translation:Bradford Robinson
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