Koechlin's passion for early sound films, sparked by seeing 'The Blue Angel' in 1933, led him to compose 'The Seven Stars' Symphony,' an orchestral work portraying seven film stars.
Performer Biography
Michael Korstick, the pianist on this album, has a repertoire of 110 piano concerti and solo works and is known for championing lesser-known pieces.
Composition History
Koechlin often carried a stopwatch and notepad to the cinema to compose more ambitious music for film sequences, as he found most film music superficial.
Composer Biography
Charles Koechlin, born in Paris in 1867, came from a large family of inventors, engineers, industrialists, and artists who had lived in Mulhouse, Alsace, for centuries.
Compositional Technique
Koechlin's 'La Vieille Fontaine' from 'L'Ancienne Maison de campagne' explores quarter-tone music, with the composer noting that raising the two highest notes by a quarter-tone gave the chord a special luster.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Koechlin stated that his composing and life always followed the 'law of opposites,' and he would not change his life for any other, valuing freedom above all.
Composition History
The 'Danses pour Ginger' were inspired by the films of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, particularly 'Swing Time,' which Koechlin saw in 1936.
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