Cécile Chaminade creates a lyrical journey in a very magical, mystical woods. You can almost hear the enchanted creatures moving through the sun-soaked forest. The magic (and music) sparkles.
The name Sylvain is primarily a male name of French origin that means Of The Forest.
This name comes from the Latin “silva Silvānus,” meaning “woodland, forest, wild, who lives or comes from the woods.”
Silvanus was known as the god of the countryside; Faunus was the god of animals.
The subtitle of this piece is The Fauns. ( A faun is a half-human and half-goat mythological creature.)
So put all of that in your mind as you listen to Chaminade's charming piece.
If you haven't discovered the music of Cécile Chaminade, you're in for a treat. Her music isn't played often, but it should be!
Notes from Dr. Duane Hulbert:
1. At (0:01) Listen for the lyrical theme in the tenor voice at the beginning of Les Sylvains. Above the melody, syncopated chords pulse gently in the soprano line, giving the music a subtle urgency.
2. After a dramatic forte passage at (0:40) marked “Appassionata,” the music eases into a set of pianissimo triplet passages (0:47) that dart about the piano in a magical way.
3. At (1:07), listen for a pianissimo glissando that ripples upward toward the upper range of the piano, followed by arpeggios that drift higher, only to disappear up to one of the highest notes on the piano keyboard.
4. At (1:29), the opening theme returns back to the familiar key of B minor. More cascading frivolity ensues over the next two pages.
5. Once again, another recapitulation brings the listener back the opening theme of F sharp minor at (2:35)
6. Finally, after some exotic rolling chords that alternate between D and F sharp major at (3:35), another brilliant but a quiet set of arpeggios (3:46) gradually disappear (“al niente”) into the forest depths.
Les Sylvains (The Fauns) is truly gem (little known!) of the late romantic era."
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Dr. Hulbert received his BA and MM from The Juilliard School of Music and his DMA from The Manhattan School of Music. Hulbert received the Gold Medal at the 1980 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, and also won prizes in the 1981 Leeds Competition and 1985 Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition. He has performed as a soloist with symphonies across the United States and has given recitals at Merkin Hall in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Benaroya Hall in Seattle. In 2002, his recording of the piano works of late-romantic Russian composer Alexander Glazunov was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Solo Instrumental Recording. David Hurwitz of ClassicsToday.com called the CD “a production that makes the best possible case for this really excellent but sadly neglected repertoire.” Dr. Hulbert taught at the university level for over thirty years.
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