Alain Planès, the pianist on this recording, and Roger Germser, the narrator, have been friends since their time at the Conservatoire over fifty years ago.
Composition History
The cycle La Belle Maguelone by Johannes Brahms is based on poems that the writer Ludwig Tieck added to the end of each chapter of his novel, rather than the novel's prose itself.
Interpretation
The performers on this album chose to use an adaptation of the original 1453 Middle French legend for the narrative interludes, rather than Ludwig Tieck's German novel, which Brahms used.
Album & Artwork
The album's cover art, created by illustrator Gabriel Mafféïs, depicts a Provençal seascape with Pierre and Maguelone, surrounded by characters from the story.
Compositional Technique
Johannes Brahms, in keeping with the Schubertian tradition of the Lied, wrote the piano part for The Beautiful Maguelone cycle as a duo of soloists, not merely an accompaniment.
Cultural Impact
The legend of Pierre and Maguelone, which forms the basis of this work, has been circulating since the 12th century, first orally and then through numerous written versions.
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