Schmitt, F.: Antoine Et Cleopatre Suite / Mirages

Featuring

Jacques Mercier
Orchestre National de Lorraine
Florent Schmitt

Did you know?

1/7

Composer's Artistic Vision

Florent Schmitt's five major works, including "Antoine et Cléopâtre," explore the theme of the 'femme fatale' and the hero's downfall.

Composition History

The first piece of "Mirages," "La Tristesse de Pan," was Schmitt's contribution to the "Tombeau de Debussy," a tribute published by the Revue Musicale in 1920.

Compositional Technique

Schmitt's "Antoine et Cléopâtre" is considered a deeply moving poem about love and death, comparable to Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde."

Composition History

The music for "Antoine et Cléopâtre" was originally commissioned as stage music for a new translation of Shakespeare's play by André Gide, performed by Ida Rubinstein at the Opéra de Paris.

Critical Reception

"Antoine et Cléopâtre" is considered a masterpiece of French symphonic music, ranking alongside works like "Daphnis et Chloé" and "Bacchus et Ariane."

Compositional Technique

The final movement of "Antoine et Cléopâtre," "Le Tombeau de Cléopâtre," features a nearly atonal conception with elaborate polyphony, placing it near Schoenberg and Scriabin.

Composer Biography

Florent Schmitt, a remarkable pianist himself, often created brilliant concert transcriptions of his orchestral works and orchestral versions of his piano inspirations.