Flute Concerto No. 1 (Jolivet)

André Jolivet wrote his Flute Concerto No. 1 in 1949. It is scored for solo flute and stringsBlakeman, Edward (1990), La Flûte Enchantée, (Chandos Records), CHAN 8840, liner notes.New World Symphony, Florida, Concerto Showcase, program notesby Aaron Grad, January 2015. and was premièred on 24 January 1950 by soloist Jean-Pierre Rampal. Jolivet wrote a concerto for flute and percussion in 1965.

The work lasts about 13 minutes. It is now part of the standard flute repertoire and several prominent flautists have recorded it.Sarah Louvion: Œuvres pour flûte de Jolivet, Bauzin, Roussel, Ibert – Farao Classics CD (2008) – liner notes: "... the concerto for flute and strings by André Jolivet composed in 1949, commissioned by Jean-Pierre Rampal and now part of the repertoire established for flute"."CD Review: Les Rarissimes de André Jolivet", Hubert Culot, Musicweb International, 2004. The work was published by Éditions Heugel;"Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra (1949)", work details, Éditions Heugel they also published a version for flute and piano."Andre Jolivet – Concerto pour flûte et orchestre à cordes (version pour flûte et piano)", Hal Leonard

Background Jolivet associated the sound of the flute with "the breath of life" and was particularly fascinated by its "primitive" connotations.CD Review, Dominy Clements, Musicweb International

In 1944, he wrote Chant de Linos for a competition at the Paris Conservatoire. Jean-Pierre Rampal won the First Prize and he and Jolivet became close friends. Five years later, the composer wrote the Flute Concerto for Rampal.

Overview The concerto is cast in four short movements that follow a slow–fast–slow–fast structure reminiscent of the 17th-century Italian sonata da chiesa.

Although tonally adventurous,CD Review, Brian Reinhart, Musicweb International the work is notable for its melodic simplicity and lack of gratuitous virtuosity, which sets it apart from the Romantic tradition of showy concertos. The piece starts with a soft, melancholy melody but gets more and more agitated and dissonant as the strings enter, although some brighter passages still appear occasionally. After the dark slow movement the work ends with an Allegro risoluto and a propulsive, thrilling finale.

As critic Antoine Goléa remarked: "This is one of Jolivet's works where violence gives way to tenderness, force and passion yield to charm... sometimes lyrical, sometimes piquant and capricious."

Recordings

Sarah Louvion (flute) – Ensemble du Festival Flûte-Haubois en Livradois – Conductor: Ariel Zuckermann, Farao Classics – B108032 (2008). Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute) – Orchestre Lamoureux – Conductor: André Jolivet – Recorded in 1966, Warner – Erato 2564 61320-2 (2004). Alexander Korneev (flute) – Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra – Conductor: André Jolivet, Melodia D-017-995-8 (1966). Aurèle Nicolet (flute) – Orchestre Régional Provence Côte d’Azur – Conductor: Philippe Bender, Lyrinx 8211/029 (1983). Susan Milan (flute) – City of London Sinfonia – Conductor: Richard Hickox, Chandos Records CHAN 8840 (1989). Petri Alanko (flute) – Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra – Conductor: Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Ondine Records – ODE 802-2 (1993). Manuela Wiesler (flute) – Tapiola Sinfonietta – Conductor: Paavo Järvi, Bis Records – 739 (1996). Sarah Louvion (flute) – Ensemble du Festival Flûte-Haubois en Livradois – Conductor: Ariel Zuckermann, Farao Classics – B108032 (2008). (flute) – Helsinki Chamber Orchestra – Conductor: James S. Kahane, Resonus Classics – RES10335 (2024).

References