Customer Reviews

Edmond Dédé: Orchestral Works

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As time passes, the general public sometimes forgets what was once good and so cherished. Out of mind and sight, the great musicians of the past like Edmond Dédé (1827-1901) are forgotten, abandoned, and fell from our graces. I must admit only a few, like me, still enjoy such musical nuances as displayed on this CD.

Contrary to some popular thought, this music still has relevance musically and historically. DéDé `s contemporaries included Louis Moreau-Gottschalk, Sidney and Lucien Lambert, to name a few. Many historians and scholars believe that this type of music served as a bridge between nineteenth century concert music and later popular genres such as French chanteuse, cabaret singing, ragtime, jazz, and blues. Indeed, the Hot Springs Symphony sounds much too detached, a lack of legato (smoothness)playing, and a poor quality of tone and blend in some movements. These are the limitations of the orchestra, not the music itself! The music stems from a definite source - a musical style prevalent in high society of France and Creole New Orleans during the middle to late nineteenth century. Musicians played this light music or café music, as it was called, for private parlors, concerts, preludes or interludes to major works (opera, symphonies, etc.) However, the vocals - both solos and choruses -sound wonderful and bring some vitality and truth to their performances. While this is far from a definitive performance of Dédé's music, Naxos has provided the listener with a rather historical achievement. Bravo Naxos! Thank you for rejuvenating this lively music. In so doing, we pay homage to a musical genius that inspired future musicians that would revolutionize the world of popular music.

As time passes, the general public sometimes forgets what was once good and so cherished. Out of mind and sight, the great musicians of the past like Edmond Dédé (1827-1901) are forgotten, abandoned, and fell from our graces. I must admit only a few, like me, still enjoy such musical nuances as displayed on this CD.

Contrary to some popular thought, this music still has relevance musically and historically. DéDé `s contemporaries included Louis Moreau-Gottschalk, Sidney and Lucien Lambert, to name a few. Many historians and scholars believe that this type of music served as a bridge between nineteenth century concert music and later popular genres such as French chanteuse, cabaret singing, ragtime, jazz, and blues. Indeed, the Hot Springs Symphony sounds much too detached, a lack of legato (smoothness)playing, and a poor quality of tone and blend in some movements. These are the limitations of the orchestra, not the music itself! The music stems from a definite source - a musical style prevalent in high society of France and Creole New Orleans during the middle to late nineteenth century. Musicians played this light music or café music, as it was called, for private parlors, concerts, preludes or interludes to major works (opera, symphonies, etc.) However, the vocals - both solos and choruses -sound wonderful and bring some vitality and truth to their performances. While this is far from a definitive performance of Dédé's music, Naxos has provided the listener with a rather historical achievement. Bravo Naxos! Thank you for rejuvenating this lively music. In so doing, we pay homage to a musical genius that inspired future musicians that would revolutionize the world of popular music.

Edmond Dédé was a free-born Creole of color born in the 1820s in New Orleans. He moved to France and lived most of his adult life in Bordeaux, where he had an active musical life, primarily as a theatre conductor. The music on this disc is presented primarily, I imagine, because it represents music by an early African-American composer. It is primarily in the form of quadrilles, galops, waltzes and the like. One can easily imagine some of this music played at house parties or dances. Unfortunately, I can't imagine wanting to hear it more than once. And the performances themselves, although spirited, are pretty clunky.

I admire Naxos for recording so much unknown American music, but I think they might have picked something better than this.