Charles Koechlin: Music for Flute

Featuring

Fenwick Smith
Martin Amlin
Leone Buyse
Jayne West
Charles Koechlin

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Composition History

Koechlin dedicated two entire albums, Op. 139 and Op. 149, to Lilian Harvey, a film idol who, unfortunately, was largely uninterested in his efforts.

Compositional Technique

One piece, 'Le voyage chimérique' ('The Dream Voyage'), sketches an imaginary trip to Hollywood, complete with a train flying over rooftops, plunging into the ocean, crossing Arizona, and arriving in California with a grandiose paraphrase of 'The Star-Spangled Banner'.

Compositional Technique

Koechlin's musical culture was broad, encompassing styles from Gregorian chant to the new Viennese school, allowing him to write in diverse and seemingly incompatible styles while maintaining his unique voice.

Recording & Production

This recording includes the first-ever recordings of Koechlin's Sonata for piano and flute, Op. 52, L'Album de Lilian, Op. 139 and Op. 149, and Morceau de lecture, Op. 218.

Performer Biography

Fenwick Smith, the flutist on this recording, is a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and built the Powell flute he plays himself, having worked as a flutemaker for ten years.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Charles Koechlin, the composer, was fascinated by the "insolent beauty" of early sound film stars, particularly Lilian Harvey, which inspired several of his works.

Compositional Technique

The 'Pleurs' ('Tears') movement from L'Album de Lilian, Op. 139, features angular, hyperchromatic sequences and a shrieking piccolo, suggesting an unexpected influence from Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire.