André Jolivet - Konzert für Fagott | Mathis Stier | WDR Sinfonieorchester

André Jolivet's Bassoon Concerto, performed by soloist Mathis Stier with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Manfred Honeck at the Cologne Philharmonic Hall on April 17, 2021. Mathis Stier is a two-time prizewinner of the 2019 ARD Music Competition and principal bassoonist of the WDR Symphony Orchestra. André Jolivet - Concerto for bassoon, string orchestra, harp and piano. Mathis Stier, bassoon WDR Symphony Orchestra Manfred Honeck, conductor 00:00:00 I. Recitativo 00:07:41 II. Largo cantabile ► For more on the symphony orchestra, concerts and current livestreams, visit https://sinfonieorchester.wdr.de ► The WDR Symphony Orchestra on Facebook   / wdrsinfonieorchester   ○ Introduction to the work André Jolivet was one of the most original, versatile, and widely performed contemporary French composers after 1945. The curve of success plummeted radically in 1958, when Pierre Boulez declared him a representative of Gaullist cultural politics and ridiculed his "fetish aesthetic," which revolved around concepts such as man, holiness, magic, and cosmos. In fact, Jolivet had invoked the prehistoric human heritage several times in the 1930s, including in his major work "Cinq danses rituelles," based on the recognition that there was no fundamental difference between supposedly primitive and modern man. In the years before, he had been conspicuous for atonal works, and only after 1945 did he turn to neoclassicism. His 13 solo concertos, written largely in this style, still best survived the smear campaign. The 1954 concerto for bassoon, string orchestra, harp and piano is even an outstanding contribution to this genre - admittedly treated rather step-fatherly - in the 20th century. Soloists love it for its lovely French idiom melodies and almost acrobatic difficulties. The form is more reminiscent of the baroque church sonata than of a concerto: two movements, each consisting of a sustained and a brisk section. The opening "Recitativo" develops from a dark, pensive figure in the strings and culminates in excited declamations from the bassoon. In the "Allegro Gioviale" that seamlessly follows, the piano presents a theme that has been attested to sounding "quasi Bach e poco jazzy." The strings and bassoon engage it in an oddball dialogue that becomes opaque in places and does not always seem as "gioviale," or amiable, as the movement title indicates. Kept in minor throughout, the "Largo Cantabile" then provides a restful contrast, contemplative and almost rural in tone, thanks in part to enchanting interjections from the harp. Finally, a "Fugato" which, despite its contrapuntal artistry, comes across as little textbook, but heads for an explosive ending in exhilarated whimsy. (Text: Volker Tarnow)