wr - Koechlin 12 Esquisses, 1st Series 41/1: Message Board

wr's Comments

Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) was a French composer, writer, and teacher. Although extremely prolific, his music has never been very well-known, and was not even during his own lifetime.

The marking for this first piece of his "12 Sketches" is "Assez calme (à la blanche)". It is based on long, unmetered lines - there is no time signature, and bar lengths are variable. Koechlin was frequently inspired by the natural world - this feels like a very still, sun-drenched landscape or marine sketch to me.

Post your comments on wr's performance!

Your name/nickname:

What is one plus zero (numerical, 1)?

Message:

Name	Date	Comment
Carey	2011-08-30 15:15:24	Koechlin......the original "New Age" composer !!!! All five of these are wonderful little gems. And it is ALWAYS a pleasure to hear WR at the keyboard. Beautiful playing.
Inlanding	2011-08-24 19:31:46	Absolutely wonderful. So unique, beautiful, sad, with hope and possibility. I so much enjoy this piece. I am with Juilian, truly magical. Thank you!
David	2011-08-23 22:05:07	Hi wr, I want to compliment you on your very expressive playing of these Koechlin sketches. Very beautiful and evocative! This was my first time hearing this composer's music. As I listened I noticed that he writes mostly in thin and transparent textures with very clean melodic lines, yet somehow packs a lot of music in there! At times I heard some echoes of Faure who, I'm guessing, might have been an influence on Koechlin. Thanks for posting this very interesting music. David
Cinnamonbear	2011-08-21 14:53:40	I'm with Julian! This piece has beauty and mystery all over it. Truly magical playing. Outstanding, wr!
Julian (SlatterFan)	2011-08-20 18:30:08	I have listened to this piece many times this evening and I have been entranced each time. The piano is ideally suited to this kind of soundworld but I have never heard a piece quite like this. Sun-drenched landscape, that speaks to me. I am near a lone tree in autumn/fall with a gentle breeze blowing, and the first chord is the falling of a leaf, perhaps the first leaf the tree has shed this cycle. There is calmness and peace, tinged with slight sadness, poised at a transition, basking in the last warm glow from summer while facing the inevitable onset of winter. Tomorrow I may feel something completely different. I think I could hear this piece every day for the rest of my life, and hear and feel something new in it each time. Magical playing, thank you!