On the threshold of the 40th anniversary of death of the prominent 20th century French composer André Jolivet, Firma Melodiya presents a set of works by the French master.

“I want music to have its original ancient sense back, when it was an expression of a magical and invocating element of a religion which united people”, Jolivet wrote.

He was born in Paris to a family of an artist and a pianist, and became known as a member of the composers’ group La jeune France (Young France), which also included Olivier Messiaen. Edgard Varèse, one of the biggest master of musical avant-garde, was Jolivet’s teacher. Arnold Schoenberg’s works also had a certain influence on the young composer.

Jolivet’s works combined diverse features of 20th century art – on the one hand, new musical means (polytonality, atonality), echoes of jazz and non-European musical cultures and, on the other hand, choral polyphony of the renaissance era, and also clarity and accuracy of statement not devoid of theatrical affectation so characteristic of French art.

André Jolivet’s works are performed by well-known Soviet and Russian musicians such as Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Alexander Korneyev (flute), Valery Popov (bassoon) and others.

Contents:
CD 1
- Concerto for flute and string orchestra (1949)
Alexander Korneyev (flute), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra / Andre Jolivet
Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1966

- Concerto No.2 for cello and string orchestra (1966)
Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra / Andre Jolivet
Recorded in Paris in 1969

- Concerto for bassoon and chamber orchestra (1954)
Valery Popov (bassoon), Ensemble of soloists of the USSR State Symphony Orchestra / Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Recorded in Paris in 1976

- Concerto for piano and orchestra (1949/1950)
Valery Kastelsky (piano), State Symphony Orchestra of the Latvian SSR / Vassily Sinaisky
Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1981

Total time: 70.50

CD 2
- Symphony No.1 (1953)
- Five Ritual Dances for orchestra (1939)
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra / Andre Jolivet
Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1966

- Rhapsody for Seven for winds, strings and percussion (1957)
Alexander Musaelyan (violin), Grigory Khersonsky (trombone), Lev Volodin (trumpet), Rifat Komachkov (double bass), Valentin Snegiryov (percussion), Valery Popov (bassoon), Vladimir Sokolov (clarinet)
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra / Valery Polyansky
Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1982

Total time: 69.51