Charles Koechlin : Les Chants de Kervéléan, for C trumpet and orchestra, score only - Score Only by Charles Koechlin Full Orchestra - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1851216

This collection dates from June 1940 when the Koechlin family fled from Paris and found refuge atKervéléan in Brittany at the home of Jules Guieysse. Jules’s mother, Madame Paul Guieysse, subsequently received it dedication. Charmed by the sourroundings and far from the troubles of the war, Koechlin composed, in three days (19-21 June), six monodies of a pleasantly pastoral nature that reflect the serenity of their location (as in 2 : The Calm and Splendour of Nature).

The work remained thus until May 1944 when the composer harmonised his monodies. However, he left no precise indications as to their instrumentation. The melodies and their ‘realisations’ occupy a single system, often of three staves, which might suggest that he envisaged piano pieces. But, in reality, the harmonizations alone need a piano, while the melodies call for another solo instrument. Moreover,the writing is in closely interwoven counterpoint with frequent part-crossings and would be better performed using clearly differentiated tone-colours. However, the apparently unpianistic character of these pieces reflects Koechlin’s usual approach, where the interplay of lines and sonority the addition « or d » in the second piece and « continue ? » at the end of a countermelody in the last – as well as by the scarcity of dynamics overall in the original manuscript. Whatever the case, it seems that an instrumental arrangement, like that of Paysages et marines ( a collection of 12 piano pieces, scored by Koechlin as Op. 63bis in February 1917 for either flute, clarinet, string quartet and piano,or flute, violin and piano) would suit this collection particularly well.

This current version is intended to replace the earlier version of 2008, as recorded by Reinhold Friedrich and Eriko Takezawa. The work was re-orchestrated at the request of Sebastien Berner for his debut recording with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra under the direction of Elias Grandy in 2024. This version modifies the solo part to coincide with the new version with orchestra, in order to permit performances either with piano or orchestra.

This is the orchestral score only. The parts are on rental from the publisher.