Georges Enesco au Conservatoire de Paris (1895-1899)

Featuring

Julien Szulman
Pierre-Yves Hodique
George Enescu
André Gedalge
Martin Pierre Marsick

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Composer Biography

George Enescu began learning the violin as a self-taught musician in Romania and was so precocious that he entered the Vienna Conservatory at the age of seven, with an age exemption.

Interpretation

The pianist, Pierre-Yves Hodique, used a piano part for Enescu's Second Sonata that belonged to Céliny Chailley-Richez, which contains handwritten notes believed to be from Enescu himself.

Composer Biography

George Enescu, a composer, violinist, pianist, and conductor, is considered an integral figure in the history of music from the first half of the 20th century.

Composition History

The album features works composed by or for George Enescu during his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris between 1895 and 1899, including his first two Sonatas and pieces dedicated to him by André Gédalge and Martin-Pierre Marsick.

Composer's Artistic Vision

George Enescu felt his Second Sonata for piano and violin, Opus 6, marked a significant development in his compositional voice, stating, "I felt that I was rapidly developing, becoming a composer in my own right."

Interpretation

The handwritten notes in Céliny Chailley-Richez's score for Enescu's Second Sonata indicate that the piano part should sometimes evoke orchestral instruments like 'harp,' 'horn,' or 'bassoon,' and the finale's initial theme represents 'un gosse de Poulbot' (a street urchin).

Composition History

André Gédalge, a composer and future professor at the Conservatoire, dedicated his First Sonata for piano and violin to the sixteen-year-old George Enescu in 1897, confirming the strong impression Enescu made as a young virtuoso.