Maurice Emmanuel ‒ Piano Sonatine No. 4, Op. 20

Maurice Emmanuel (1862 - 1938), Piano Sonatine No. 4, Op. 20, "sur des modes hindous" (1920)
Performed by Peter Jacobs
00:00 - No. 1 Allegro
02:48 - No. 2 Adagio
06:23 - No. 3 Allegro deciso
An exact contemporary of Claude Debussy, he was right from the outset an authentic creator of the avant-garde. It is barely believable that the first two sonatinas date from 1893 and 1897, so in advance are they of their day - more so in fact that what Debussy was producing - with regard to harmony, free polymodality, the emancipation of dissonance, boldness in the rhythmic and instrumental language, formal fantasy, with rigour being in no way excluded. They were, moreover, not published and played until after 1920, when the others were being composed, and with which they form a genuine whole. It is significant that Maurice Emmanuel did not follow Debussy in his ultimate evolution, the results of which he hardly appreciated, following instead his own path, one that was in fact no less radical and complex. It is time, however, to start our examination of these Six Sonatinas that are so many masterpieces.
From the same year as the previous sonatina, 1920, this Fourth Sonatina (op. 20) is the celebrated ‘Sonatina on Hindu modes’, and this very bold and innovative score bears a worthy dedication to the great pioneer Ferruccio Busoni. For sure, Emmanuel was not the first to interest himself in the modal system of India and to incorporate it into his music. In France he had been preceded notably by Albert Roussel, following his journey in 1908, from which he brought back first Les Évocations, then his opera-ballet Padmâvati, completed in 1918 though not given its first performance until 1923. In England, Gustav Holst had used these same scales in his vocal and choral cycles on the sacred texts of the Rig Veda and in his chamber opera Savitri, all this before 1914. In parallel, an error should be corrected that concerns Olivier Messiaen, who was a pupil of Maurice Emmanuel, a fact that greatly contributed to his becoming a modal composer. In his own music Messiaen in fact used Indian rhythms not modes.
It was indeed to be guessed that Emmanuel would sooner or later interest himself in this very rich resource, notably in the 72 ‘Carnatic’ modes of southern India. For his Fourth Sonatina he only used two: in the fast outer movements (Allegro and Allegro con spirito) he uses Kâmavardini, in the F mode (lydian), though it is modified in India in its descending form (which there is always different from the ascending form, cf. our minor mode) by virtue of a descending alteration of the second and sixth degrees, which, transposed to the tonic, C, gives: C - D flat - E - F sharp - G - A flat - B. The central Adagio is based on the ‘Hanumatodi’ mode, identical to our E mode (the phrygian church mode, but the Greek dorian), transposed to F sharp, which in addition sets up a tritone relationship between this piece and those surrounding it. Yet it is not just through the choice of materials that this sonatina is the most complex and the most advanced of the six.

[@abqcleve]

What stunningly creative and expressive music!

[@alistairt7544]

First time hearing this composer. There's something so sublime about the French composers around this time.

[@harryandruschak2843]

Just finished listening to #5, so here I am with #4. I do think this is the first time I have heard this composer.

[@marvinkmooneyoz]

me as well. In fact my classical pianist friends dont know him either

[@bac748]

What an interesting piece!

[@Medtnaculuss]

+Ben Corbin Emmanuel's entire set of 6 sonatines are all fantastic works. I love listening through them and seeing how far he ventures in terms of harmonic complexity as they go on.

[@kniazigor2276]

The incomparable refinement of French music. What do you expect, pianists, to put the works of this magnificent composer to your programs? Thanks to Medtnaculus for sharing.