In a classical music world finally emerging from the COVID-19 crisis, orchestras are beginning again to program “large orchestra” works that had been embargoed due to social distancing requirements. It bodes well for French composer Florent Schmitt’s big, highly colorful scores.
Florent Schmitt’s music comes roaring back in the 2021-22 concert season as the music world emerges from the COVID crisis. (Portrait: Pierrette Lambert, 1992)
The year 2020 was one of several important anniversaries for classical music composers. The biggest one, of course, was Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday anniversary. But 2020 was also the 150th anniversary of Florent Schmitt’s birth.
Accordingly, the number of orchestral performances planned for Schmitt’s anniversary season was the largest amount seen in recent history. But then the COVID-19 pandemic burst onto the scene with little warning, scuttling concerts throughout the world.
Nearly all of the Florent Schmitt concerts planned in 2020-21 were casualties as well — except for several in Japan and Germany that were able to go on because they required only chamber-sized ensembles which could be accommodated in highly restricted performance environments.
Thankfully, with the dawn of the new concert season we’re now seeing new signs of life for orchestras, and for devotees of Florent Schmitt’s music, it means the opportunity to experience nine of Schmitt’s important orchestral works in concert planned for the United States, Europe and Japan.
Listed below are details on the upcoming season’s concerts, along with web links to find out additional information about the performances and ticket reservations. (Note: More concerts are likely to be announced in the coming weeks, as some orchestras are publishing their program calendars later than usual.)
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August 20, 2021
Schmitt: Salammbô, Suite No. 1, Op. 75 (1925)
Berlioz: La Mort de Cléopâtre
Bonis: Salomé, Op. 100
Erlanger: La Chasse fantastique: Prelude
Massenet: Hérodiade, Ballet Music
Richard Strauss: Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils
Orchestre National de Metz; David Reiland, conductor
Véronique Gens, soprano
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September 23 (Paris) & 25 (Evian-les-bains), 2021
Schmitt: Le Palais hanté, Op. 49 (1900-04)
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9
Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D Major for Violin & Orchestra, Op. 35
Orchestre National de France; Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
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October 8, 2021
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Liszt: Fantasia & Fugue on “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam”
Humperdinck: Königskinder: Overture
Richard Strauss: Salome – Dance of the Seven Veils
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse; Fabien Gabel, conductor
Henri-Franck Beaupérin, organ
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October 12, 2021 (Léman Lyriques Festival, Geneva)
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Richard Strauss: Salome – Excerpts
Orchestre OSE; Daniel Kawka, conductor
Helena Juntunen, soprano
Marie Hamard, mezzo-soprano
Luke Sinclair, tenor
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October 13 (Tokyo) & 14 (Kyoto), 2021
Schmitt: Lied et scherzo, Op. 54 (1910)
Françaix: Concerto for Trombone & Wind Ensemble
Françaix: Le Gai Paris
Gipps: Sinfonietta
Poulenc: Sonata for Horn, Trumpet & Trombone
Satie: Sonnerie pour reveiller le bon gros roi des singes
Sinfonietta Shizuoka; Tomoya Nakahara, conductor
Yoshiyuki Tsukihara, French horn
Tadaaki Kato, trombone
Jun’ichiro Sugiki, trumpet
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October 28, 2021
Schmitt: Suite en trois parties, Op. 133 (1955)
Dukas: Polyeucte Overture
Jolas: Onze Lieder for Trumpet & Orchestra
Poulenc: Les Biches, Ballet Suite
Malmö Symphony Orchestra; Fabien Gabel, conductor
Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet
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November 26 (Rungis-Paris), November 30 (Rochefort), December 3 (Avignon), December 9-11 (Paris) , 2021
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Opus 50 (Original version – 1907)
Touchard: Loïe
Ensemble Les Apaches; Julien Masmondet, conductor
Marion Tassau, soprano
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December 13, 2021
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Bonis: Salomé, Op. 100
Richard Strauss: Salome – Dance of the Seven Veils
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps
Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra; Andreas Hotz, conductor
Osnabrück Theatre Women’s Chorus
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December 16, 2021 (Paris)
Ensemble Les Apaches
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Opus 50 (Original version – 1907, excerpts)
Debussy (orch. Bruno Gousset): Preludes, Books I & II – 9 excerpts
Falla: El Amor Brujo – Introduction & Ritual Dance of Fire
Touchard: Danses serpentines
Touchard: Loïe
Ensemble Les Apaches; Julien Masmondet, conductor
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January 21-22, 2022
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Aubert: La Habañera
Richard Strauss: Salome – Dance of the Seven Veils
Tomasi: Trumpet Concerto (original version)
Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia; Fabien Gabel, conductor
Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet
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February 18, 2022
Schmitt: Janiana Symphony for Strings, Op. 101 (1941)
Ferroud: Symphony in A Major
Hindemith: Konzertmusik for Strings and Winds, Op. 50
Ladmirault: Rhapsodie gaélique – Chanson écossaise des basses-terres
Sinfonietta Shizuoka; Tomoya Nakahara, conductor
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March 15, 2022
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Haas: Natures mortes
Ligeti: Clocks & Clouds
Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra; Sylvain Cambreling, conductor
Slovenian Philharmonic Women’s Choir
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April 2, 2022
Schmitt: Légende, Op. 66 (1918)
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
Coleridge-Taylor: Rhapsodic Dance No. 1, Op. 75 “The Bamboula”
Liszt: Concerto No. 2 in A Major for Piano & Orchestra
Sinfonia de Camera; Ian Hobson, conductor
Wilson Poffenburger, saxophone
Wan Lin, piano
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April 22, 2022
Schmitt: Salammbô, Suite No. 1, Op. 75 (1925)
Berlioz: Beatrice et Benedict Overture
Saint-Saëns: Concerto No. 3 in B Minor for Violin & Orchestra, Op. 61
Richard Strauss: Salome – Dance of the Seven Veils
Orchestre National de Metz; David Reiland, conductor
In Mo Yang, violin
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April 22-23, 2022
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Bonis: Salomé, Op. 100
Hillborg: Concerto for Cello & Orchestra
Richard Strauss: Salome – Dance of the Seven Veils
Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Fabien Gabel, conductor
Nicolas Altstaedt, cello
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May 12, 2022
Schmitt: Reves, Op. 65 (1915)
Schmitt: Psaume XLVII, Op. 38 (1904)
Poulenc: Concerto for Two Pianos & Orchestra
Stravinsky Le Chant du rossignol
Orchestre National de France; Fabien Gabel, conductor
Marie Perbost, soprano
Karol Mossakowski, organ
Chœur de Radio France
Katia & Marielle Labèque, duo-pianists
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May 19, 2022
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Britten: Les Illuminations, Op. 18
Debussy: Nocturnes
Hamburg Symphony Orchestra; Sylvain Cambreling, conductor
Women’s Voices of the Europa Chor Akademie Görlitz
Sebastian Kohlhepp, tenor
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June 10, 12, 2022
Schmitt: Légende, Op. 66 (1918)
Chabrier: España
Chausson: Poème for Violin & Orchestra
Debussy: Printemps
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Satie: Gymnopédie No. 1
Satie: Gnossienne No. 3
Berlin Konzerthausorchester; Iván Fischer, conductor
Isabelle Faust, violin
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June 11-12, 2022
Schmitt: La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50 (1907/10)
Debussy: Prélude a l’après-midi d’une faune
Dukas: La Péri, poème-dansée
Ravel: Shéhérazade
Japan-NHK Symphony Orchestra; Stéphane Denéve, conductor
Stéphanie Oustrac, mezzo-soprano
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June 19, 2022
Schmitt: Légende, Op. 66 (1918)
Barber: The School for Scandal Overture, Op. 5
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber
Paterson: I See You
American Modern Orchestra; Scott Terrell, conductor
Wilson Poffenberger, saxophone
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More information on these upcoming concerts can be found on the web pages of the various arts organizations (click or tap on the links above).