# Jean Françaix



## brianvds

Anyone heard of Jean Francaix? Any fans here?

Here's a Wiki article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Françaix

I discovered his work a week or so ago on YouTube while looking for something unrelated. Thus far, everything by him I heard turned out absolutely delightful and a joy to listen to.

Some examples:


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## Portamento

Yes, Francaix is a nice 20th century composer that made some seemingly old-fashioned music. Admittedly, I haven't heard much of him, but everything I listen to is tuneful and well-structured. Would add his 2nd wind quintet to your list:


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## Vasks

A very fun composer. His music is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Please make sure you hear his "Serenade" for small orchestra


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## Heck148

Vasks said:


> A very fun composer. His music is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
> Please make sure you hear his "Serenade" for small orchestra


Yes, for sure - Francaix has written for all manner of solos and ensembles - he is a major composer of woodwind literature - both solo and ensemble - very much in the 20th century French style - colorful, witty, with lightness and agility....
further along the lines of Poulenc, Milhaud, Auric, etc...His WW music is technically difficult, and quite tricky rhythmically.

His Serenade for small orchestra is a real gem, a masterpiece...it is esp notable to bassoonists, as it is a considerable challenge...several tricky technique spots, IIRC, and also a major solo that ascends to a high "F" [top-line, treble clef]....then repeats again, with the ABA form of the movement. 
A. Brusilow/Phila Chamber Orch made a spectacular recording of this back in the 60s, for RCA - unfortunately, never, TMK, made it to CD.


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## Vasks

Heck148 said:


> A. Brusilow/Phila Chamber Orch made a spectacular recording of this back in the 60s, for RCA - unfortunately, never, TMK, made it to CD.


While I have a Hyperion CD (Fischer-Ulster Orch), my favorite is my Epic LP with Louis Lane & Cleveland Sinfonietta.


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## Pat Fairlea

I haven't heard a lot of Francaix, but all that I have heard I have enjoyed. Maybe a little more conventional than Les Six but chirpy, positive music that makes full use of the instruments.


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## Heck148

Vasks said:


> While I have a Hyperion CD (Fischer-Ulster Orch), my favorite is my Epic LP with Louis Lane & Cleveland Sinfonietta.


I know the Lane/Cleveland....believe me, the Brusilow is a bit better...the original LP was great - little known chamber orchestra works of Ibert [Suite Symphonique, Capriccio], Francaix, along with Ravel Tombeau de Couperin....real showpiece stuff.


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## Pugg

I like his clarinet concerto very much.


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## Portamento

There's a thread in the main forum, but I thought I would start one here. At least this one has that lovely cedilla! :lol:


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## Pat Fairlea

Not a great composer, but reliably enjoyable.


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## Eschbeg

His concertante works are a joy. A few of them are scored in fun and charming ways: there's a guitar concerto, a harpsichord concert (my favorite of the bunch), a concertante work for harp and orchestra, and a bass concerto, among others.


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## Portamento

Pat Fairlea said:


> Not a great composer, but reliably enjoyable.


That's a good assessment. Two exceptions are the Piano Concertino, which is very fine, and _L'Apocalypse selon St. Jean_ - a masterpiece.


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## Taggart

Threads merged and put into guestbooks section.


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## eugeneonagain

Jean Françaix has been providing me with a lot of this pleasant listening throughout this year. He's one of those composers whose music is easily dismissed as lightweight fare. I'm not going enter into that argument, apart from saying that anyone with that opinion, and with command of an instrument, should have a go at playing it. They will learn a valuable lesson.

I've listened to Françaix on-and-off for some years. His string trio was the first piece of his I heard at a performance in the Manchester Free Trade Hall, some 28 years ago, before the council sold this _public building_, built on the site of the Peterloo Massacre to a private developer... In the mid-1990s I heard his 2nd Wind Quintet, which wasn't all that old at the time, he composed it in 1987.
There were very few recordings of his work available and no world-wide-web to go looking things up. I recall going to Manchester Central Library and finding a rather tiny entry about Françaix in a large book and I don't remember turning up any scores.

In any case I've made up for it since then. I've caught the odd live performance of his music and heard many recordings. In the last few months I've been listening to his 'Divertissement' (Bassoon and string quintet) and Clarinet Quintet along with many other single movement works, miniatures and the like.

His music is considered: 'happy'. That's largely true, but this seems to be confused with 'lacking substance'. Françaix was a skilled orchestrator and his writing for ensembles has a brilliance and clarity. He was a pupil of Nadia Boulanger (supposedly her favourite) and started composing at a young age. He kept it up for 65 years and notably both his first and very last compositions were songs. In between these is orchestral work; a lot of chamber music - particularly for winds; keyboard works including piano concerti and one for harpsichord; string music; 15 ballets and about 5 or 6 operas; film music.

Here's some music:

The string trio (1933). A splendid performance:






2nd movement of the Clarinet Quintet - Scherzo:






Divertimento for Horn and Piano (1953). The sound is a smidge below par, but the performance is very good:


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## Kivimees

I like Jean's music - despite much of it being 'happy'. Hyperion records provides some nice CDs for those interested:

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C203


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## fluteman

I'm a big fan, having played several of his chamber music pieces. And I would call his music "witty" rather than "happy", and witty in a sophisticated way. In other words, French. Pass the dry champagne.


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## eugeneonagain

fluteman said:


> I'm a big fan, having played several of his chamber music pieces. And I would call his music "witty" rather than "happy", and witty in a sophisticated way. In other words, French. Pass the dry champagne.


Yes, 'witty' is a far better description.


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