# Albéric Magnard



## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I've known about his symphonies for a while, but haven't given them a listen really. It sounds like quality stuff based on a cursory listen of no. 3. What do you think/know? He has been referred to as the French Bruckner. The orchestration and harmonic content seems solid, but I'm still a bit skeptical about the thematic content and architecture. Based on the number of symphonies and the semi obscure notoriety, he reminds me a bit of Schmidt.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Although late romantic in structure I personally can't hear anything of that Brucknerian cosmic monumentalism in Magnard's symphonies - with their specific gravity and seriousness they strike me more like the symphonies that Max Reger didn't write.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> Although late romantic in structure I personally can't hear anything of that Brucknerian cosmic monumentalism in Magnard's symphonies - with their specific gravity and seriousness they strike me more like the symphonies that Max Reger didn't write.


I think the string orchestration can be really nice. He's much lighter on the brass than the likes of Bruckner, and in generally kind of lush and not with that cathedral of sound thematic building that is so signature to Bruckner.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Decca promoted a Magnard Third with the Philharmonia as "Ansermet's Last Recording" and I always liked it -- but his other works never crossed my path and I never bothered to seek them out.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

His Piano trio and violin sonata never disappoints me, wonderful music.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/CPO/7777652


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## KJ von NNJ (Oct 13, 2017)

Magnard symphonies 3 and 4 are absolute masterpieces. The first two symphonies show a deeper debt to d'Indy, his teacher and already show Magnard's fertile musical mind. I can understand the Bruckner references in context to the nobility in Magnard's music. This nobility is on display in the Hymn de la Justice, The Chant Funebre and symphonies. Nobilty is always there. A certain reverence and longing, not too much unlike Mahler or Bruckner. But it's all Magnard.
His chamber music is impressive. My favorite is the Quintet for Winds and Piano. It is a gem. One of my favorite chamber works, barring none. The sonata's for Violin and Piano, Violin, Cello and Piano and Cello and Piano are wondrously composed pieces, worthy of the pens of Faure, Debussy and d'Indy.
In opera, it is my opinion that Guercocuer is a masterpiece. It has all of this composer's extraordinarily single-minded musical traits. The opera was pulled together by Magnard's good friend, Guy Ropartz after two acts of the piece were destroyed in the incident that took Magnard's life. Wagner and Berlioz are evident in inspiration.
His piano promenades are lovely works. Everything Magnard wrote has his personal stamp, not too much unlike Beethoven, you always know it's HIM. His tragic death was a more devastating blow to great music than most people will ever know or understand. Magnard, my friends, was a great composer in the making, struck down before he could make his greatest musical utterances. What he left behind, is all one needs to know in order to realize what was lost.
Alberic Magnard is one of my favorite composers and always will be. There are works that I have not mentioned that should spark interest in any lover of classical music, French in origin or otherwise.


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