Though his reputation as a composer has remained rather isolated in the decades since his death, charles koechlin enjoyed a prominent place in the french music scene in the first half of the twentieth century. Kiplings jungle book, translated by louis fabulet and robert d humieres, 18991901. This 1993 recording by the berlin radio symphony orchestra, and david zinman on rca collects most of them on one handy 2. Influenced by jules massenet, gabriel faure, and andre gedalge, under whom he studied, koechlin experimented with the. Jungle books mowgli, bagheera, akela not only about. This piece is a member of a larger symphonic cycle remembered as koechlins masterpiece entitled the jungle book. Charles koechlins jungle book is a work of striking originality and impact, and the reason it is so rarely performed is probably due more to its scope, the large forces it requires and the enormous demands for virtuosity it puts on the players than doubts about the quality. Orchester berlin, david zinman see all versions of this release, 1 available. He was a political radical all his life and a passionate enthusiast for such diverse things as medieval music, the jungle book of rudyard kipling, johann. Perhaps unexpectedly, given his sober, messianic appearance, he also harbored a virtual mania for the cinema, which he translated into a number of works. Les bandarlog is part of koechlins nearly lifelong effort to set kiplings the jungle book to music. Koechlin was fascinated with rudyard kiplings the jungle book. Koechlin orchestral works swr music swr19046 cd mc.
Here is the opening to charles koechlins the jungle book, from this mornings. Prefiguring multiwork literary cycles like american composer david del tredicis alice in wonderland series, koechlin produced seven interrelated works based on kiplings the jungle book. Most of the characters are animals such as shere khan the tiger and baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or mancub mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves. Koechlins complete jungle book returns classics today. Seal lullaby, night song in the jungle and song of kala nag, with texts from the jungle book. Koechlins preoccupation with kiplings jungle books lasted his entire life. Buy koechlin the jungle book by charles koechlin, david zinman, berlin radio symphony orchestra, iris vermillion, from amazons classical music store. Crowning the end of koechlins first decade as a composer, through which he steadily expanded his harmonic technique, these jungle book settings leave the world of the melodie the orchestral. Koechlin s score touches on a range of early 20thcentury styles, from debussyan impressionism to 12note technique, but somehow welds all the tonguein. The seven stars symphony james judd, david zinman on allmusic 2001. The complete sequence, called the jungle book, appears for the first time on the present rca disc. Throughout these jungle book works and all of koechlins music runs the aspiration to color with exquisite orchestration and concision that is, yes, very french.
Kiplings bandarlog are a troupe of monkeys in the forest. The jungle book, symphonic poems berlin radio symphony orchestra on. He was a political radical all his life and a passionate enthusiast for such diverse things as medieval music, the jungle book of rudyard kipling. Charles koechlin, david zinman, james judd, berlin radio symphony orchestra koechlin. The jungle book stories focus a great deal on the issue of. Comments this piece is a member of a larger symphonic cycle remembered as koechlin s masterpiece entitled the jungle book.
Charles koechlin 27 november 1867 31 december 1950 was a french composer, teacher and writer on music. David zinman, charles koechlin, berlin radio symphony orchestra, iris vermillion, johan botha, ralf lukas koechlin. He was a political radical all his life and a passionate enthusiast for such diverse things as medieval music, the jungle book of rudyard kipling, johann sebastian bach, film stars especially lilian harvey and ginger rogers, traveling, stereoscopic photography and socialism. Charles koechlin, baptized charleslouiseugene koechlin 27 november 1867 31 december 1950, was a french composer, teacher and writer on music. His works for orchestra include les bandarlogs which was based on the jungle book by rudyard kipling. They may also be protected by in the usa, unless published before 1925, in which case they are pd there as well. French composer charles koechlin had a bit of an obsession with the jungle book and over many years he produced a range of orchestral and vocal works based on kiplings tales.
I already have jungle book and might get that docteur fabricius disk from haenssler at some point. If however you are captivated by the koechlin work you will need to have this bedford version which is informed by the imaginative energy of a conductor whose sympathy for kiplings jungle book has already been amply demonstrated by various concert performances of percy graingers own quite different jungle book cycle. Buy jungle book by charles koechlin, david zinman, james judd, berlin radio symphony orchestra, berlin deutsches symphony orchestra from amazons classical music store. The first of these the three poems bear the titles. Charles koechlin david zinman, radiosymphonieorchester. He was a political radical all his life and a passionate enthusiast for such diverse things as medieval music, the jungle book of rudyard kipling, johann sebastian bach, film stars especially lilian harvey and ginger. Koechlin was fascinated with rudyard kiplings the jungle book, and he composed a cycle of orchestral works based on it. This tone poem is the last composition in the jungle book cycle, but it. The music, scored during 1904 04, is exotic and evocative. The shimmering berceuse phoque, a setting of the seals lullaby no. Oct 12, 2015 crowning the end of koechlins first decade as a composer, through which he steadily expanded his harmonic technique, these jungle book settings leave the world of the melodie the orchestral.
It was first sketched in 1923 and written out in 1939 and orchestrated in 1940. The songs of charles koechlin from the musical quarterly, vol. So its interesting that among the wide variety of music to be performed at the 2019 proms is charles koechlin s les. That will be enough orchestral music for starters i think, so i dont need the orchestrated songs also. The artist needs an ivory tower, not as an escape from the world, but as a place where he can view the world and be himself. Order from your preferred classical music cd store. Persian mysticism and rudyard kiplings jungle book were just two of his influences, the latter a lifelong obsession that led to this sequence of symphonic poems. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from charles koechlin at the discogs marketplace. Charles koechlin loved rudyard kiplings the jungle book and set different parts of the book to music at various points in his career.
The music describes the monkeys, but koechlin also gives it another meaning. Charles koechlin simple english wikipedia, the free. Born in paris on november 27, 1867, koechlin began formal musical studies at the paris conservatory in 1890. Charles koechlin, composer and teacher who had a strong impact on his own and younger generations of french composers, including the group called les six by critic henri collet. The twelve tone technique is one of the several modern music styles parodied in the jungle book symphonic poem les bandarlog, but koechlin also wrote a few pieces in what he described as the style atonalseriel.
Aug 03, 2016 charles koechlin loved rudyard kiplings the jungle book and set different parts of the book to music at various points in his career. Oct 29, 2016 charles koechlin 27 november 1867 31 december 1950 was a french composer, teacher and writer on music. These monkeys believe themselves to be creative geniuses. Published on jan 23, 2011 charles koechlin 18671950. Charles koechlin, baptized charleslouiseugene koechlin was a french composer, teacher and writer on music. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Charles koechlin s lifelong enthusiasm for rudyard kiplings the jungle book inspired him to write five orchestral works based on themes from the famous novel. Charles koechlin, baptized charleslouiseugene koechlin french. Subtitled scherzo of the monkeys, it is based on kaals hunting from volume 1 of kiplings book. There is much else, also, leaving us still pondering his neglect. This 1993 recording by the berlin radio symphony orchestra, and david zinman on rca collects most of. Les bandarlog is part of koechlin s nearly lifelong effort to set kiplings the jungle book to music. The jungle book, 3 symphonic poems details allmusic.
He was a political radical all his life and a passionate enthusiast for such diverse things as medieval music, the jungle book of rudyard kipling, johann sebastian bach, film stars, traveling, stereoscopic photography and socialism. Charles koechlin s complete music inspired by kiplings the jungle book consists of four symphonic poems the law of the jungle, the spring running, the meditation of purun bhagat, and the bandarlog and three songs with orchestra, all of which occupied. All five are generally classified as symphonic poems, although the first work, three poems, op. Rudyard kipling wrote his series of the jungle book stories in the 1890s, and it grabbed the attention of koechlin. Charles koechlin, however, with his love of the imagination and of freedom, was also.
The appearance of this double cd set means that for the first time the entire jungle book cycle of charles koechlin is available on disc and high time too, for these are wonderfully evocative pieces. Aug 20, 2019 so its interesting that among the wide variety of music to be performed at the 2019 proms is charles koechlins les bandarlog. If you have a taste for music which summons up a mythic world in gorgeous colours, then this disc is for you. After his death in 1950, charles koechlin was remembered as an innovator with a penchant for the exotic and the bizarre. If you have a taste for music which summons up a mythic. Order from your preferred classical music cd store arkivmusic. This eventually materialized in a large canvas of four symphonic poems, preceded by three songs with chorus that he then orchestrated. The jungle book 1894 is a collection of stories by the english author rudyard kipling. Charles koechlin and the law of the jungle kile smith. Oct 15, 2009 koechlin s score touches on a range of early 20thcentury styles but somehow welds all the tongueincheek references into a dazzling whole, says andrew clements. He wrote a very large amount of music, but very little of it was published because he was more interested in helping younger composers than making himself wellknown. Charles koechlin naissance 27 novembre wikipedia en francais. Charles koechlin s symphonic poem les bandarlog inspired by rudyard kiplings jungle book takes us to a completely different realm.
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