The Symphony on a French Mountain Air (), Op. 25, is an orchestral composition written in 1886 by Vincent d'Indy. As indicated by the title, d'Indy took the principal theme from a folk song he heard at Périer overlooking the Cévennes mountains (hence the work's alternative name, Symphonie cévenole).
Originally conceived as a fantaisie for piano and orchestra, the symphony is unusual in that it is scored for a prominent (but never dominant) piano part together with orchestra, and has acquired the label sinfonia concertante from some critics.
It consists of three movements and lasts just under half an hour:
The symphony begins with an evocative melody played first by a cor anglais. The main themes of subsequent movements are based on this melody, and as the symphony progresses each subsequent variation becomes more and more like the original version.
The work was dedicated to Marie-Léontine Bordes-Pène, who was the soloist at the premiere in Paris on March 20, 1887.Eric Blom, ed., Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed, 1954, Vol. I, p. 814
Discography
1950 – Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Karel Šejna with Hélène Boschi, pianoLP Supraphon LPM 90 1953 - Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conducted by André Cluytens with Aldo Ciccolini, piano 1958 - Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy with Robert Casadesus, pianoSony Masterworks Portrait MPK 46730, 1991 1959 – Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Munch with Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer, pianoLP RCA SB.2053 1976 – Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Serge Baudo with Aldo Ciccolini, pianoEMI HMV-ASD 3480 1977 – Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Tamás Pál with Gabriella Torma, pianoLP Hungaroton SLPX 11789 1991 - Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Charles Dutoit with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano 1992 – Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conducted by Marek Janowski with Catherine Collard, pianoCD Erato 2292-45821-2
References
Further reading Deruchie, Andrew. 2013. The French Symphony at the Fin de Siècle. New York: University of Rochester Press. . Chapter 5.
External links Program notes by Paul Serotsky