Reynaldo Hahn - Works for Ensembles (Ensemble Initium; Orchestre des Pays de Savoie)

Information

Composer: Reynaldo Hahn

• Le Bal de Béatrice d’Este
• Concerto provençal
• Sérénade
• Divertissement pour une fête de nuit

Ensemble Initium

Orchestre des Pays de Savoie

Nicolas Chalvin, conductor

Date: 2015

Label: Timpani

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

It might seem clichéd to say that Hahn, like his one-time lover, was in search of lost time, but his music, which has genuine charm, is at once retro and timeless. Few of the modernist developments of the 20th century seemingly impinged upon his style, which owes much to Massenet (his teacher) and something to Duparc, though the taut, closely woven Sérénade, written during his wartime exile in Monaco, nods in the direction of neo-classical astringency.

Elsewhere, though, a playful fondness for allusion and formal experimentation is very much in evidence. The Divertissement – strikingly scored for wind, piano and string quartet – and Le bal de Béatrice d’Este evoke the atmosphere and music of Vienna and Renaissance Italy respectively. Concerto provençale places the structure of a Baroque concerto grosso at the service of an über-Romantic depiction of trees in the south of France. The performances are all wonderfully idiomatic. The Concerto’s slow movement is breathtakingly done, though the farandole finale could do with a bit more spark. Balance, however, is sometimes a problem, with the Concerto’s soloists too far forward and the Divertissement’s string quartet, formed by the Savoie orchestra’s section leaders, sounding distant. But it’s a fine achievement overall, sensuous and elegant in equal measure. Very enjoyable.

— Tim Ashley

-----------------------------------------------------------

Reynaldo Hahn (9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer best known for his elegant art songs. Moved to Paris as a child, he studied at the Conservatoire under Jules Massenet and later served as music critic for Le Figaro before becoming director of the Paris Opéra in 1945. Hahn composed operettas, ballets, incidental music and piano works, with Ciboulette (1923) among his most successful stage works. Inspired by literary figures such as Marcel Proust, he created music admired for its lyricism and refinement. His song Si mes vers avaient des ailes remains a concert favourite.

***

Ensemble Initium is a wind octet founded in 2005 at the Paris Conservatory (CNSM) under the guidance of Maurice Bourgue. Trained by leading figures of the French wind tradition, the ensemble specializes in both classical masterpieces and innovative transcriptions spanning the Romantic and modern eras. Prize-winning at the FNAPEC European Ensemble Music Competition (2006) and awarded First Prize in Chamber Music at the CNSM (2009), Initium has performed at prestigious festivals and venues across Europe. Their critical acclaimed recordings include works by Onslow, Koechlin, Caplet, Ibert and Hahn .

***

Founded in 1984, the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie is a French chamber orchestra comprising 23 permanent musicians and led by Music Director Arie van Beek since September 2025. Established through the joint initiative of the Savoie and Haute-Savoie departments, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and the French Ministry of Culture, the orchestra has built a distinguished artistic legacy under successive renowned music directors. Presenting around 80 concerts each year, it tours extensively throughout the region, France, and internationally, engaging diverse audiences through high-quality performances.

-----------------------------------------------------------