Although she held the prestigious job of professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory and was admired by both Berlioz and Schumann, the music of Louise Farrenc was ignored until performers began to explore the music of women composers at the end of the 20th century. Even now, she is known mostly for her piano music, which she wrote for herself, and for chamber music that often involved her flutist husband; the list of performances of the two symphonies heard here is short indeed. So this outing from the Solistes Européens ...
Read More
Although she held the prestigious job of professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory and was admired by both Berlioz and Schumann, the music of Louise Farrenc was ignored until performers began to explore the music of women composers at the end of the 20th century. Even now, she is known mostly for her piano music, which she wrote for herself, and for chamber music that often involved her flutist husband; the list of performances of the two symphonies heard here is short indeed. So this outing from the Solistes Européens under conductor Christoph König is especially welcome. Symphonies by French composers, gender aside, were not common at this point, yet these are both accomplished works. The Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35, is more Mozartian; the Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36, written in 1847 and two years younger than the D major work, leans toward Mendelssohn. They are far from being academic exercises, and each work has digested Beethoven in small doses rather than imitating him in big...
Read Less