Joseph-Guy Ropartz(1864-1955) was a Breton who initially followed his
father's path of studying and practicing law.  At the same time, he
enrolled in the Conservatoire National de Musique of Paris where he studied
under Theodore Dubois and Jules Massenet; eventually he became a disciple
of Cesar Franck.  Ropartz became the director of the Conservatoire of Nancy
when he was thirty years of age and had a highly successful career in that
position.  After the First World War, he accepted the position of the
Director of the Conservatoire of Strasbourg.

Ropartz is relatively obscure compared even to others of his period
such as Chabrier, Chausson, Faure, Duparc, and Magnard.  His music has
elements of romanticism, late-romanticism, and impressionism with a strong
polyphonic/cyclical character and a love for the Ocean.  Swelling rhythms
often play a significant role in his compositions.  Ropartz could well be
considered a "maritime" composer.

The Timpani label has released a disc of three Ropartz chamber works
performed by the Ensemble Stanislas:  Piano Trio in A minor written in
1918, "Prelude, Marine et Chansons" for flute, violin, alto, cello, and
harp from 1928, and the String Quartet No. 4 in E major composed in 1934.
There's some nice variety - chamber strings, flute, piano, and even a harp.
The three works are programmed in chronological order, a very simple
methodology which is often not used in recordings of multiple works -
but that's another story.

Ropartz's Piano Trio in A minor is a very fine work.  The first movement
opens with a dramatic theme of great urgency; the second theme, in F major,
is gentle and lovely music.  These two themes are the essential materials
of the Trio which get cycled in the other movements.  The second movement,
a Scherzo in C minor, has a sea surge first theme followed by a second
theme of great lyricism.  The slow third movement is introspective and
quite beautiful music.  The finale's first theme harkens back to the
initial theme of the first movement and is a dynamic movement.  It appears
to end as the tide recedes into the horizon, but Ropartz gives us one more
surging tide before closing out the work.  Is this Trio a masterpiece?
Well, I think the first movement fits into that category.  But as good as
the following movements might be, they are not at the high level of the
first.  So, I find the Piano Trio very rewarding and will be playing it
with regularity.

"Prelude, Marine, et Chansons" consists of three relatively short
movements.  The first two are very serene, gentle, and nostalgic; the flute
and harp certainly add to this type of environment.  "Chansons" provides
much more energy than the previous movements, but retains a strong sense
of comfort and beauty.  As with the Piano Trio, the work is not going to
be attaining a "masterwork" status.  However, I think the composition is
certainly beautiful, expressive, and evocative of wonderful days in the
past along the ocean front.  I grew up along the ocean, so I know what I'm
talking about.

The Ropartz String Quartet No. 4 is a short work less than 20 minutes
in length.  The first movement Allegro is excellent with some beautiful
passages.  The second movement Allegro introduces a more "modernist"
Ropartz as he provides some dissonance in a highly energetic manner;
personally, I don't feel it works very well, as it takes Ropartz out of
his natural element.  The third movement, Quasi lento, is meditative music
which gets back to the strengths Ropartz possesses and is highly chromatic.
The fourth movement Allegro begins with an exuberant dance in E major
tending toward pentatonism, then moves to a highly lyrical G major subject
displaying much warmth; overall, the movement is strong on contrapuntal
elements.  Although an enjoyable work, I prefer the two previous
compositions on the disc.

Don's Conclusion:  An excellent chamber music recording which I can readily
recommend to those who enjoy early 20th century works.  Personally, I feel
quite an affinity for the music of Ropartz.  My only reservation is that
the String Quartet does not possess the wealth of melodic invention that
the Piano Trio delivers.  The packaging is bulky, requiring a cardboard
cover to house the jewel case and liner notes.  However, the cover art is
aesthetically pleasing.  The liner notes are pretentious as hell but do
include some insightful information about the composer and the
compositions.

Don Satz
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