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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 10

Publication Date: October 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/assrj.1110.17812.

Constantin, B. & Albu, D. (2024). Aesthetic and Interpretive Approaches in French Music for Saxophone. Robert Planel – Prelude et

Saltarella. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(10). 387-401.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Aesthetic and Interpretive Approaches in French Music for

Saxophone. Robert Planel – Prelude et Saltarella

Bogdan Constantin

National Arts University, George Enescu, asi, Romania

and Transilvania University, Brasov, Romania

Doru Albu

National Arts University, George Enescu, asi, Romania

ABSTRACT

Although he knows the saxophone thanks to the leadership of the orchestra, P.

Boulez won't write for sax players because the instrument evokes too much variety

and jazz, and at the Conservatory he will not be close to the sax players of the

"marginal" class (to use his words) of Professor M. Mule. However, the Paris

Conservatoire is an undeniable cradle of composition in terms of works including

the saxophone. The number of composers who liked this instrument, students in

the classes of Nadia Boulanger, mainly, but also of Olivier Messiaen, Darius Milhaud,

Paul Dukas and Andre Jolivet, is impressive, so it is clear how important their

influence is and the number of works dedicated to saxophone.

Keywords: saxophone, Conservatory, Paris, works, composition

INTRODUCTION

The neoclassical music of the group "of six" becomes a French language, which is also agreed

by the academic composers, who have studied at the Paris Conservatoire. In the movement

created by them we find groups and independent composers like Jean Francaix, Jacques Ibert,

Jean Rivier, Georges Migot, all attached to a certain French tradition. Concerts are held at Triton,

a venue for the broadcast of contemporary music, were Darius Milhaud, Henri Tomasi, Jean

Rivier, etc. can be listened. In parallel with these trends, there are opinions that support a music

that is more accessible, such as Paul Bonneau or Manuel Rosenthal [1].

The School of Arcueil is formed around Erik Satie expressing a music "of simplicity”, mainly

through Henri Sauguet. Another group, The School in Paris, is represented by Parisian

composers of foreign origin, such as the Romanian Marcel Mihalovici. The group "Young

France" manifests a new "musical humanism" in front of the easiness "of the six" and the

Schoenbergian abstraction, especially through Andre Jolivet and the brilliant Olivier Messiaen,

with a colourful and rhythmic language. The latter will not write for saxophone, considering it

a symbol of "paganism", instrument of the warm and sensual nights of the cabarets [2].

REPERTORY REFERENCES FOR SAXOPHONE

Sonatina (1948) for alto saxophone and piano by Claude Pascal (born in 1921) was written for

Marcel Mule. It is a graceful and elegant play, composed of one part. Thanks to an absolutely

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Constantin, B. & Albu, D. (2024). Aesthetic and Interpretive Approaches in French Music for Saxophone. Robert Planel – Prelude et Saltarella.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(10). 387-401.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1110.17812

Let's quote Saxophone marmelade (1929) by Manuel Rosenthal (1904-1994), a not humourless

play and typical for the ’20s, written for Jules Viard [5]. Also, a few characteristic short plays:

Aria (1936) by Eugene Bozza (1905-1991); Croquembouches (Cookies with cream) (1946) by

Claude Delvincourt (1885-1994); the polytonal Danse (1954) by Darius Milhaud or the

delightful Caprice en forme de valse (1950) by Paul Bonneau (1918-1996) for saxophone solo

[6].

SUITE POUR SAX ALTO ET PIANO – PAUL BONNEAU

The French composer, Paul Bonneau studied at the Paris Higher National Conservatoire where

he was awarded the First Prize for Harmony (1937), while studying at the class of

Professor Jean Gallon , the First prize for run (fugue) (1942) at the class of Noël Gallon and First

Prize for composition (1945) under the direction of Henri Busser. In 1939 he became deputy

director of the French Army Music, then gang master of the Republican Guard, and on

November 27, 1944 he got his first appearance at the radio, then 638 “classical” music shows

followed, in the next 30 years. In 1959 he formed the Singers Les Djinns vocal group with which

he recorded 88 works, accompanied by the Grand Orchestra of Paris. Paul Bonneau also had

musical contributions to 51 French films and to a series of short films.

The most important works are: Ouverture pour un Drame, Concerto pour saxophone et

orchestre, Un Francais a New York (for the orchestra, dedicated to the memory of George

Gershwin), Caprice en forme de valse for saxophone solo, Suite pour sax alto et piano, 11 Ballet

plays for Chatelet theatre ( Ballet Le Chanteur de Mexico Ballet La Toison d'Or,

Ballet Mediterranee, Ballet Maria-Flora, Ballet Rose de Noel, Ballet Le Secret de Marco-Polo,

Ballet Le Prince de Madrid, Gipsy ballet, Ballet Les Trois Mousquetaires, Ballet Volga) [7].

Suite pour sax alto et piano is a work with a valuable thematic material and a high degree of

difficulty, being dedicated by the composer to Marcel Mule, the father of the classical saxophone,

nicknamed Paganini of the saxophone. In our opinion, the music of this work swings between

the style of Claude Debussy and Eugene Bozza.

Improvisation

The first part is entitled Improvisation and has all the data of this style of interpretation. The

form is coherent and folds on the structure: Introduction – A – B – A’ – B – Conclusion, and

the motif α, present since the beginning of the work, sketches the part, highlighting a free

character, specific to improvisation, emphasized especially by the indications of movement. (A

volente; En retenant; Modere; Cedez; Au mouvt; Cedez; Emporte; Tres retenu) (Ex. 4.1.).

Fig. 1: The form of the structure

Introduction (m.1-2) describes the main motif α, characterized by an equal rhythmic drawing

and a predominantly scalar melody.