Henri Rabaud, whose Solo de concours is on this album, was director of the Conservatoire for nearly twenty years and famously declared, 'Modernism is the enemy'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Camille Saint-Saëns, a composer featured on this album, disliked the innovations of Debussy and his generation, turning instead to the simplicity of 18th-century style galant.
Performer Biography
Noriko Ogawa, the pianist on this album, is recognized as a Debussy specialist and is the Cultural Ambassador to the National Autistic Society (UK).
Performer Biography
Michael Collins, the clarinetist on this album, was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's Instrumentalist of the Year Award in 2017 and an MBE for his services to music in 2015.
Historical Context
Four of the French works on this album (by Debussy, Widor, Messager, and Rabaud) were written as examination or competition pieces for the Paris Conservatoire.
Historical Context
After France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, French artists sought to cultivate a national 'voice' independent of German influence.
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