Mélancolie

Profil Hänssler &Naxos

Release Date-Spring 2016
Recorded at RBB Saal 3, Berlin Germany 

"above all do not analyze my music… love it! " —Francois Poulenc

My first encounter with Poulenc's music was when I was asked to play his violin sonata several years ago. I was completely captivated by this music- exquisite melody lines were suddenly interrupted by abrupt inserts of ironic or humorous outbursts, at times even grotesque. I performed this work repeatedly over the last years. His music gave me almost a feeling of shock, it was like meeting Picasso's painting for the first time after seeing series of works by Monet and Renoir in a room at an art exhibition. The violin sonata gave me a taste to explore further into the background of Poulenc's music and his time in Paris. I immediately decided to explore his solo piano music for my new recording project.

Poulenc was mainly a self-taught composer and his style was original. It is said that he hated rubato. In his music Poulenc indicates frequently the marking, "sans rubato" (without rubato). It's almost humorous to see in most tempting melodic sections of the piece, Poulenc indicates strictly not to use rubato. This gives his music an unique originality. Discovering Poulenc's compositions led me also to explore other composers of the group named Les Six and opened doors for me to see an absolutely fascinating world of Paris in the 1920s.

In 1920 Jean Cocteau and Eric Satie founded the group Le Six, a group of six young Parisian composers selected to represent the music opposing impressionistic and Wagnerian music. Their music had hints of popular idioms of the time-cafe music, jazz, voudeville, circus, Moulin Rouge, everything that Paris in the 20s offered. The composers in the group were Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Georges Auric, Louis Durey and Germaine Tailleferre. The group had already began to get together in 1918 and prior to the official announcement in 1920, Satie introduced each of the six musicians to the audience, describing their individual talents. However the group did not last long. Louis Durey was the first to leave the group, there were basic differences among the composers opinions. On five occasions spread over thirty-two years, at least some members of the group worked together on a piece. L'Album des Six, which I recorded for this CD is the only work in which all six composers collaborated.

1920s Paris was dazzling. The middle class could finally have access to leisure the same as wealthy people. The Parisians went out often; they went to Music-hall shows, operettas, theatre, circus, but also to the cinema which was becoming more and more popular. For women, their status changed after the war. They were not looked upon as housewives anymore. They had the freedom to express their fashion-they could wear makeup, perfume and smoke in public, dressing in accordance with their liking. Thin silhouettes were fashionable as well as short dresses, high heels and bare legs. Women abandoned corsets and big hats that symbolized the pre-war reserve. Women of the 1920’s wanted to get rid of the constraints and at the same time remain elegant, what was made possible by the greatest fashion designers of the time, like Jeanne Lanvin and Coco Chanel.

 "Enough of clouds, waves, aquariums, water-sprites and nocturnal scents; what we need is a music of the earth, everyday music …music one can live in like a house." - Jean Cocteau

Jean Cocteau was a writer, playwright and filmmaker. He was an important figure in Paris cultural scene at that time particularly because of his circle of friends and associates who were influential figures. Those included Coco Chanel, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Igor Stravinsky and Eric Satie. Cocteau was a master at bringing people and ideas together. Cocteau frequently dined on Saturday evening with the six young composers of Les Six. After dinner the Saturday night they would go to the Médrano Circus to enjoy the mime shows of the Fratellini brothers. The evening would end at Darius Milhaud's or the Gaya Bar, where they listened to Jean Wiéner play "negro music." Cocteau would read his latest poems while Milhaud and Auric, joined by Arthur Rubinstein, played a six-handed version of Milhaud's Le Boeuf sur le toit.

We, the classical musicians today are constantly looking to narrow the gap between today’s trend and the classical music of the past. In an attempt to appeal classical music to the younger generation, we bring it to night clubs and bars. Cross-over has become increasingly popular too. As I prepared for this CD recording, I started to realize that what we are doing today was in fact already challenged by these courageous Parisian composers and artists almost 100 years ago.

My message to the audience listening this album this album is not an academic one, but an invitation to share my journey. For me this recording project was like discovering an gems in the jewelry box. This selection of music brought me vivid images of what Paris must have been like at that time: the glamorous night life, the lights, the noise in the city and even the scent of the perfume. I hope you will enjoy this journey into 1920’s Paris with me.

February 2016, Miki Aoki