Description
At 19, while he was still studying at the Paris CNSM, Thierry Escaich was commissioned by Conservatoire Francis-Poulenc at Rosny-sous-Bois, his former alma mater, to write a piece for the students’ orchestra upon the occasion of Bach’s bicentennial. Composed in 1983-1984 and premiered in 1985 under the direction of Pierre Menneret, Choral varie illustrates Thierry Escaish’s determination to extend the repertoire of student orchestras to 20th century music. The piece is meant for performers of various proficiency levels (such as 1st-cycle students, with more advanced instrumentalists being required for the solo parts, of course). As a consequence, individual parts are deliberately kept as simple as possible. The substance of the piece somces from the elaborate counterpoint (as in the first variation, in the form of a fugue, complete with coutersubject, chorale superimpositions, stretta, golden section…) and an obvious determination to create a form that goes beyond the basic theme and variation structure (motives from the introduction bridge the gap between movements). In parallel, Thierry Escaich was also working on the first version of Scenes d’enfants au crepuscule, a more radical composition in which he tried his (already quite sure) hand at superimposing 12-note chords, and played with permutations of rhythm and pitch. Choral varie follows a morer neoclassical compositional vein, with subtle work on modal colors, but also stylistic turns reminiscent of Bach and, more generally speaking, of 18th-century music as revisited by some of Escaich’s favorite composers: Bartók, Ravel or Poulenc. The Cantor’s name is present in the violins’ initial cluster (according to the German music notation system, the name “BACH” translates as Bb – A – C – B natural).
Author: Thierry Escaich
Medium: Full Score
SKU: FSH-576-01586
