Between 1803 and 1968, numerous great French composers won the Prix de Rome: a contest run by the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which offered a first prize of a two year residency at the Villa Medici in Rome (right). Alongside the many great composers who won; numerous totally obscure composers won the Prix de Rome too.
What caught Steve Danby’s attention was that quite a few really big names didn’t win the Prix de Rome.
So he asks the question: Who was good enough to beat Hector Berlioz, Maurice Ravel or Olivier Messiaen?
Music Details:
BERLIOZ: Roman Carnival Overture - Detroit SO Paul Paray Mercury 434 328
ROGER-DUCASSE: Pastorale in F - Joseph Nolan (org) ASV CD DCA 1175
SAVARD: Morceau de concours - Reinhold Friedrich (tpt), Thomas Duis (pno) – Capriccio 67 152
RABAUD: Dances from Marouf - Rheinland-Pfalz Phil/ Leif Segerstam - Marco Polo 8.223503
DUPONT: Sombre et douloureux, from Poeme - Francois Kerdoncuff (pno), Quatuor Louvigny - Timpani 1C 1072
LEFEBURE: Suite, Op 57, mvt 2 - Aulos-Wind Quintet - Koch Schwann 310 087
BERLIOZ: Death of Cleopatra - Janet Baker (mezzo), London SO/ Alexander Gibson - EMI 562788
SAINT-SAENS: Pres du bucher en flamme... from Ivanhoe – Marina De Liso (mezzo), Flemish Radio Choir, Brussels Phil/ Hervé Niquet – Glossa GCD 922 210
BAZIN: Je pense à vous - Roberto Alagna (ten), London Voices, Covent Garden Orch/ Bertrand de Billy - EMI 5 57012
PARAY: Sanctus-Benedictus from Joan of Arc Mass - Frances Yeend (sop), Frances Bible (mezzo), David Lloyd (ten), Yi-Kwei-Sze (bass), Rackham Symphony Choir, Detroit SO/ Paul Paray - Mercury 432 719
TARREGA arr Nokia: Grande Valse excerpt (Nokia cell phone tune)
L BOULANGER: M12 L Boulanger_Faust et Helene - Chandos CHAN 9745
HILLEMACHER: M13 Hillemacher_Gavotte tendre - Lynn Harrell (cello), Bruno Canino (pno) - Decca 425 611
PALADIHE: M14 Paladilhe_Psyché - Renee Fleming, Fred Hersch (pno), Bill Frisell (gtr) - Decca 998 0602
