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October 08, 2010
More music of Claude Ballif, an unjustly-neglected composer
More music of Claude Ballif, an unjustly-neglected composer
It's high time I passed along to you some of the gifts that visitors to my previous blog sent my way with the understanding that I would spread the wealth. Mr. Randolph Pitts of New York City responded to my post of an out-of-print ADDA CD of chamber music by Claude Ballif (1924-2004) by sending me a companion disc from the same label. Ballif claimed his music was equal parts Satie and Webern – as I said the first time around, I don't quite get his point, but I certainly love his music. So much so that I feel it's my duty to propagandize a bit and indulge in some idiotic canon-tweaking ... I'll go out on a limb and saw myself off and say that Ballif (pictured at left) is fully the equal of Jean Barraqué and Betsy Jolas in the pantheon of French modernists. Rather than wait and wait for another significant work from Mr. Boulez, why not dive in and enjoy Ballif's haunting and lyrical music? There is more to modern music than the stark non-choice between Boulez and John Adams – Claude Ballif is one of the many musicians who responded positively to the challenge of the Second Viennese School with complicated works of pure and simple beauty.The ADDA CD contains 'A cor et a cri' (1962 - ONRF, Lukas Vis, conductor) – the Third String Quartet (1957 - with a very young Kronos Quartet) – 'Haut les rêves' (1984 - Clara Bonaldi, violin, with the Nouvel ONRF conducted by Michel Tabachnik) and the Sonata for flute and piano (1958 - Pierre-Yves Artaud and Christian Ivaldi.)
Ballif was an incredibly prolific composer. He wrote six piano sonatas as well as several collections of piano miniatures. A CD on the Grave label collects the complete 'Airs Comprimés', 'Bloc-Notes', 'Pieces Detachées' and 'Passe-temps' for piano (there is indeed a touch of Satie in Ballif's titles.) Philippe Keler is the pianist on this out-of-print collection.
I first heard Ballif thanks to the Avant Garde Project's Ballif program – in two parts! – which features the Mallarmé 'setting 'Un coup de dés' for five choirs, two double basses, two timpanists, two percussionists and tape. My own earlier post included sonatas for violin, cello and piano (the Fifth.) Thanks again to Randolph Pitts for his enthusiasm and generosity.
Claude Ballif – Four works on ADDA – FLAC and scans PART ONE PART TWO
Claude Ballif – Piano music on Grave – FLAC and scans
IMPORTANT NOTE: I uploaded the wrong booklet with the ADDA CD. Here is the CORRECT ONE.
Originally from , ReBlogged by newmusicrebloggers on Oct 8, 2010 at 05:12 AM Posted by newmusicrebloggers at 05:12 AM