Augusta Holmès - Roland furieux (1867)

Augusta Holmès, the daughter of an Irishman called Holmes, was born in Paris in 1847. Despite showing talent at the piano, she was not allowed to study at the Paris Conservatoire, but took lessons privately. She developed her piano playing under local teacher Mademoiselle Peyronnet, Versailles' cathedral organist Henri Lambert, and Hyacinthe Klosé.
Although she showed some of her earlier compositions to Franz Liszt, around 1876 she became a pupil of César Franck, who she considered her real master. She died in 1903.
This is the first performance of Holmès's three movement symphony based on scenes from Ariosto's 'Orlando furioso'.
1. Roland riding through the world in search of Angélique
2. Angélique with her beloved, Médor, in the woods
3. Roland, full of rage fuelled by his unrequited love
Live broadcast performance at the Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, Friday 8th Mar 2019.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Valentina Peleggi (conductor)
Image is taken from Michael Stroj's 'Angelika und Medor'
commons.wikime...

[@derianalveswolanski9855]

This piece is truly incredible!!!

[@dolcesfogato3223]

Saint-Saëns called her, in a positive sense, an extremist, I can now hear why: what a powerhouse! Wagner/Franck spring to mind, but original at that, she deserves more exposure, love it (listen also to ‘La nuit et l’amour’: gorgeously romantic music! Thank you for the upload!

[@stephensuttle3281]

What a great piece - thank you!

[@andressagoncalves-vidigal9934]

Immense thanks for publishing this!

[@webrarian]

And thank YOU. The BBC broadcast it and I was immediately struck by the "riding" figure.

[@xmickthebus]

Very nice work.

[@mikebutcher2695]

A splendid work; descriptive, full of character; dramatic; and yet not recorded before. Maybe CPO or one of the other groundbreaking labels can do it. Not that the National Orchestra of Wales is slouching in this at all. A GREAT PERFORMANCE!!

[@AIMAN-ll8ro]

Wow

[@webrarian]

I know ;-)

[@saltburner2]

An interesting find!