Digging again into the Transcriptions of 1940's and 1950's French Radio.The music of Gabriel Pierne` this week, as performed by The Pierre Jamet String Quintet, featuring Pierre Jamet on Harp, in a performance of Pierne's Variations Libres et Finale op. 51. Recorded by French Radio in 1955, and as far as I know, not re-issued in any form.

Gabriel Pierne` was a prolific composer, but during his lifetime he was equally well known as a conductor whose legendary recordings of the 1920's and 30's were sought after for years by collectors. They've been reissued at various times over the years. While Pierne` the composer underwent a period of obscurity, being overshadowed by his contemporaries Ravel, Debussy, Satie and Stravinsky. But time has shone a little more light on the lesser luminaries of the period, and the music of Pierne` has been getting performed and recorded more regularly of late.

A nice closer to the weekend.

(Gabriel Pierne` - noted composer in his own right)

Back to France this time. A recording made for the French Odeon Company in 1930 - one of the first recorded performances of Cesar Franck's "Psyche", performed by the Concerts Colonne Orchestra conducted by Frank's friend and fellow composer Gabriel Pierne`.

It's always interesting to hear how a composer interprets a colleagues work. Since they were friends, there's an extra validity in a performance like this. Gabriel Pierne was an excellent composer in his own right, as well as a very popular conductor of the late 19th and early 20th century and made quite a few recordings before his death in 1937. Though not as prolific as Franck, he did have a good reputation, particularly in ballet and chamber music and a number of his works are performed today.