Casterede: Works For Str Orchestra

Jacques Casterede (1926-2014) was a distinguished French composer, pianist, teacher, and musical analyst whose career bridged the traditions of twentieth-century French music and a personal, highly expressive compositional language. Born in Paris on 10 April 1926, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire under influential teachers including Tony Aubin and Olivier Messiaen. His exceptional talent earned him first prizes in piano, chamber music, harmony, composition, and musical analysis, culminating in the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1953. Following a residency at the Villa Medici in Rome, Casterede returned to France and became an important educator at the Paris Conservatoire, where he taught analysis, composition, and musicianship for several decades.Casterede's music combines melodic vitality, modal inflections, rhythmic energy, and rich harmonic textures. Although influenced by French masters such as Debussy, Ravel, Honegger, and Messiaen, he developed a distinctive style that balanced clarity of form with expressive freedom.Among his most significant contributions to the string orchestra repertoire is the Symphonie pour orchestre a cordes No.1 (1952). Written when the composer was still in his twenties, the work reveals many of the characteristics that would define his mature style: continuous melodic movement, energetic rhythmic writing, and a sophisticated harmonic language rooted in both tonal and modal traditions. Another important work for string orchestra is the Prelude et fugue (1960), a composition that reflects Casterede's deep interest in contrapuntal technique. Critics have noted it's combination of neo-Baroque energy with a modern harmonic vocabulary, producing music that is both intellectually rigorous and immediately engaging. Casterede also wrote concertante works featuring string orchestra, including his Concerto No.1 for Piano and String Orchestra (1954), and Trois paysages d'automne (1982) for cello and strings. These compositions further demonstrate his affinity for the sonorities of the string ensemble and his ability to combine lyricism with structural elegance.This recording is the 6th CD on Brilliant Classics of the Ciconia Consort (The Hague String Orchestra), a Dutch string orchestra conducted by Dick van Gasteren, an internationally active conductor, who was Bernard Haitink's assistant during the Mahler Festival Amsterdam in 1995.Critical praise for the Ciconia Consort on Brilliant Classics:'The Ciconia Consort does Casterede proud, dispatching the counterpoint in the finale with relish I enjoyed this disc greatly.' Fanfare (French Music, 95734)'The Ciconia Consort, resident at the Hague, are a fine ensemble, and this collection will not disappoint.' MusicWeb International (American Pioneers, 96086).