Donald Macleod and Anastasia Belina explore the lives and music
of Augusta Holmès and Henri Duparc.
Imagine creating a grand spectacle that demands 1,200 performers,
along with the most lavish sets and costumes. You might think
that the figure behind such an extraordinary achievement would
have staked a claim on immortality, yet despite achieving
considerable fame in her own lifetime, this is not the fate that
befell Augusta Holmès. Over the passage of time her name has
disappeared into obscurity, whilst that of her direct
contemporary, Henri Duparc has grown and prospered. These days
he’s regarded as one of the leading figures of French song, yet
it’s still the case that relatively little is known about his
life.
In Duparc’s case his is a reputation built on the slenderest of
musical means, some seventeen mélodies. By contrast, Holmès’
l’Ode Triomphale, which was written to mark the centenary of
France’s 1789 revolution, is the largest of a generous collection
of large scale orchestral works, to which you can also add four
operas, the last of which was mounted at the Paris Opera in 1895,
as well as considerable catalogue of songs.
To shed light on Holmès' music, several of her works have been
recorded by the BBC Performing Groups, as part of the Forgotten
Women Composers project, which was developed by the BBC in
association with the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Helping Donald Macleod uncover more about the little known
Augusta Holmès and Henri Duparc, is Anastasia Belina, a music
historian with a particular interest in nineteenth century music
and women composers.
Music Featured: Duparc: Chansons triste Duparc: Aux étoiles
Holmès: Trois petites pièces for flute and piano Holmès: Rolando
Furieux Duparc: L’invitation au voyage Holmès: Molto lento
Duparc: Sérénade, Le manoir de Rosemonde,Soupir Holmès: À Trianon
Duparc: Sonata in A minor for cello and piano Holmès: Ouverture
pour une comèdie Holmès: La Haine (excerpt) Duparc: La Vague et
la cloche Holmès: Memento mei deus Duparc: Lénore, symphonic poem
Duparc: Au pays où se fait la guerre Holmès: Irlande Duparc:
Sérénade Florentine Duparc: Extase Holmès: Pologne Duparc: Le
Galop, Romance de Mignon Holmès: La vision de la Reine Duparc:
Phidylé Holmès: La Nuit et l’Amour (from Ludus pro Patria)
Duparc: Élégie Holmès: Le château du rêve Duparc: Danse lente
Holmès: Andromède Duparc: La via antérieure
Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC
Wales
For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Holmes & Duparc, where
you can also find links to the documents mentioned
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kn8f
And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
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