Search - Mehul, Sanderling, Orchestre De Betragne :: Overtures

The First Romantic?

Steven A. Peterson | Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL) | 10/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I read somewhere a reference to the French composer Mehul as "France's Beethoven." I am always rather suspicious of describing composers in such a manner. The liner notes also suggest that some (such as the Marquis de Condorcet) used the term "Romantic" to describe Mehul, making him, if we are to accept the Marquis' judgment, one of the (if not the) first Romantic composers.



The liner notes also suggest that "Tonally and harmonically he could go to extremes of keys and major/minor contrasts, and travel distances of chromaticism that shocked his contemporaries and can still unsettle commentators."



Obviously, then, Mehul was a composer of some substance. And this CD, focusing on overtures that he composed, provides a sense of his art and craft. One might take the opening overture, "Melidore et Phrosine," as an example. Its 10 minutes and 51 seconds is a delight (at least for me) to listen to. The opening is dramatic, followed by a softer sound, followed by a dramatic welling of the music. These contrasts are evident elsewhere in this overture, too. There is an element to this work that makes the term "Romantic" not far off of the mark.



Another overture is "Le jeune sage et le vieux fou" (if my French is still adequate, reads to me like "The young wise person and the old fool"). This begins softly with woodwinds, then the pace picks up and other instruments come into play. A charming piece.



There are 9 overtures, overall, on this CD. Each has its charms. Thus, to the untutored ear, Mehul is well worth listening to. I purchased this out of curiosity, to see if he was, indeed, France's Beethoven. I won't make a judgment on that issue, but I will say that his music is delightful.

"