Faure Gabriel (1845–1924)
In the face of loneliness and mixed feelings, the bitter and sweet scenes of the past come to mind one after another, what kind of music is good to listen to in this scene? Bach's rigorous works can quickly restore rationality; Rachmaninoff's drowning romance is prone to falling into the abyss of passion. Choosing to listen to Fury's Nocturne may be a good choice: delicate, sharp, elegant, with unexpected emotional appeals. The regret of creating people, through the notes of tulle, becomes beautiful and nestled, and the poetry of "looking back suddenly, but the man is in the middle of the light" can finally be reached.
Frey was born on 12 May 1845 in the rural Pamiers of Ariege, France, the son of an elementary school teacher who was later promoted to assistant superintendent and the daughter of a veteran officer. Fury ranked sixth, was given to others to raise for four years from an early age, and failed to experience the warmth of family affection in childhood. His earliest musical experience was playing the foot organ in the church next to the school. At the age of nine, on the advice of a blind old woman and an archivist, his musical talents were discovered and he was offered the opportunity to study for free at the Louis Niedermeyer school in Paris. The school focuses on church music and also studies literature. Fortunately, during his time at school, he had a close relationship with his teacher, Saint-Saën, who was ten years older than him, and thus realized the essence of the music of Bach, Schumann and Liszt.
After graduating in 1865, he published the song collection Cinq Melodies Op.1-8," a song in which the gentle beauty and emotion intertwined, foreshadowing the lyrical style of his mature works. In 1866 he was a pipe organist in the Rennes region; Frey spent several months in the Infantry Regiment during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870; played the organ in several churches in Paris from 1871 to 1873 and returned to teach at his alma mater; and in 1876 he wrote the gentle, enthusiastic and imaginative Violin Concerto No. 1 in A major (Op. 13). Although the song was approved by Saint-Saën, it could not find a publisher and was later published without paying royalties at the intervention of his Friend Clerc, a Friend of the Normandy Business. He wanted to add a violin concerto while the iron was hot, but only wrote fragments of a single movement.
Around 1871, through the introduction of his teacher Saint-Saën, Frey became acquainted with many of the elites of Parisian fashion society: Flaubert, Turgenev, Georgessan, etc., including the famous Salon actress Pauline Viardot. Fury falls in love with her daughter Marianne. After five years of love, the two became engaged in July 1877; unexpectedly, only three months later, the woman asked for dissolution. The reason was that she feared Fury more than she loved him. The divorce incident was the biggest blow to Fury in his life, and he was depressed for ten years. At the end of the decade, he wrote a masterpiece, Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor (Op.15), which is a piece of music with strong emotion, elegance and thoughtfulness, and transparent form; although it adopts C minor, it does not incorporate too many personal tragedies, fully embodying the belief of Foley, "Expressing the heart in a clear and perfect way and sincerely is the ultimate goal of art." ”
From 1879 to 1881, he traveled to Germany several times to listen to Wagner's music and was fascinated; but Wagner's influence on him was not as great as that of Chabrier and Dandi, and only enriched and expanded his harmonic feelings.
In 1883, Fury finally made up his mind and married Marie Fremiet, a sculptor's palm pearl. Mary is a bitter, difficult person to get along with, unable to satisfy Fury's desire for looks, and the occurrence of an affair is inevitable.
Around 1887, Fury published his main work, The Requiem (Op. 48). The song was conceived for twenty years, and he said that he wrote it for his own pleasure, not for the sake of a particular person. It is very different from other similar works, does not emphasize dramatic contrast, but calmly and simply conveys sadness, replacing tragic portrayal with deep meditation, and the scale is similar to chamber music. Fury believes that death is the liberation of pleasure, the desire for happiness at a distance from the grave, not the experience of suffering.
"Requiem" is Fury's most popular and famous track. The orchestral piece Pavane OP.50 (Peacock Dance) of the same period was also often performed, dedicated to the Parisian high society lady Countess Greffulhe, who occasionally joined the chorus.
In 1890, the famous Five Melodies (Venice) (Op.58), a commemorative work invited by the rich American princess Edmond de Polignac, was invited to Venice for a holiday, with lyrics by Paul Verlaine. In 1893, Fury composed an interlude for Maeterlink's play Pelias and Melissander, with the help of student Koechlin, which was later expanded to op. 80, which is now known to fans. In 1897, Fury published the easier four-handed piano song Dolly (Op.56), a skit written for the birthday of Dolly, daughter of her friend Emma Baradac, which was later adapted into an orchestral suite. Imma was a soprano who later married Debussy and gave birth to a daughter, Qiu Qiu. Debussy's famous piano song collection "Children's Corner" was written for Qiu Qiu.
Fury's work for Irma also includes nine songs, Numbered Op.61, "La Bonne Chanson," based on the poet Verlaine's pursuit of his sixteen-year-old wife at the age of twenty-five. The piano is not only accompanied, but also involved in harmony development and vocal line correction. The lyrics are a man greeting a woman, but sung by a soprano.
From the 1880s to the 1890s, Fury also wrote many piano works: improvisational, boat songs, nocturnes, etc., which were obviously influenced by Chopin and Schumann and had immediate appealing power. Of course, Fury's personal color is still very strong, not to be confused with the works of Chopin and Schumann. Themes and Variations (Op. 73), No. 6 No. 1, and Boat Song No. 5 are all masterpieces that cannot be missed. The famous American composer Copeland believes that these works can make people call Fury "the Brahms of France".
In 1896, Frey was promoted to principal organist of the Church of Madeleine and professor of the Conservatoire de Paris, and in 1905 he was promoted to president of the Conservatoire. Administrative and teaching work takes up a lot of his creative time. He is committed to expanding the curriculum of the conservatory and hopes that students will become all-round musicians with a broad vision. His teaching was well recognized, and notable students included Ravel, Schmitt, Nadia Boulanger, and others. He was also concerned with modern music, and in 1909 became president of the Independent Music Society.
After 1910, his hearing gradually deteriorated, and for fear of losing his presidency, the deafness was not made public by his son until seven years after his death. After the separation of hearing from the outside world, Fury's music has undergone considerable changes in the balance of sensibility and intellect, and the coordination of spirit and carnal desire. In his later years, his works "Piano Quintet No. 2", "Violin Sonata No. 2", two "Cello Sonatas" and "String Quartet" are all quiet music with simple thoughts, contours, temperament away from the hustle and bustle, and clear texture. Among them, "Violin Sonata No. 2 in E minor" (Op. 108), which is forty years apart from No. 1, is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, and is still so gorgeous and exquisite. The Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor (Op. 117) was enlarged to commemorate Napoleon.
In addition, one of his operas, Penelope (composed in 1913, at the age of sixty-six), is based on Homer's epic Odyssey. The singers of this opera require that their intelligence and sound quality be close to the way art songs are sung, which is very different from the singing style of the protagonists of ordinary operas; the drama of the opera is also such as internal experience rather than external exaggeration.
From 1907 to 1922, Fury completed four consecutive sets of songs, "Ode to Eve," "Le Jardin Close," "Mirage," and "L'Horizon chimerique," all of which are masterpieces of unadorned art. Interpreting these works requires endless subtle variations and deeply clairvoyant, thoughtful wisdom.
In his later years, Fury held a high status in the literary and artistic circles, was known as an academician of the Academy of Fine Arts, received government commendations, and received the highest rank of the Medal of Honor, and Fury always maintained a humble attitude towards these honors. After retiring from the conservatory in 1920, he often wandered with friends in Annecy's villa.
Fury died on November 4, 1924, at the age of seventy-nine, after suffering from sclerosis, breathing difficulties, and deafness.
His music blends the spirit of ancient Greece with the advanced music of the present, reviving the concept of aesthetics and arguably the classical music school of the twentieth century (although he was born in the middle of the nineteenth century). He firmly believes that the existential value of music and art lies in elevating human beings as much as possible and transcending the stereotypes of daily life. The cheerful power, continued intensity and excellent display of diversity in Fury's music in a single whole is his eternal contribution to twentieth-century music.
Frey was recognized abroad very late and is currently recognized as one of the greatest French composers. He is a master of consecutive songs, a piano poet, and the deepest chamber music cultivator.
Penguin Samsung Daihua's version is a recording of excellent quality, safe and reliable:
Two violin sonatas, Gromio/Crossley, Philips 426384-2
Two piano quartets Domus, Hyperion CDA 66166, Gramophone Record Awards disc
Song collection Jenna Baker/ Parsons, Hyperion CDA 66320, twenty-eight songs including "Ode to Eve"
As for the piano work, you can choose Pascal Roge's selection (Decca 425606-2), which pops up a very authentic French color. "Requiem" recommends Giulini's interpretation (DG419243-2), which is slow, sincere in expression, transparent in detail, and full of breath-taking charm.