CAMERATA PYP PROGRAM NOTES: LOUISE FARRENC: SYMPHONY NO. 3, OP. 36

Posted on May 11, 2022

LOUISE FARRENC: SYMPHONY NO. 3, OP. 36

Louise Farrenc, born Jeanne-Louise Dumont (1804-1875), studied the piano under famous teachers such as Hummel and Ignaz Moscheles and composition with Anton Reicha (teacher of Berlioz, Liszt and Franck among others). In 1842 she began a 30-year career as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire. She was the only female professor at the Conservatoire in the 1800s and was paid less than her male counterparts during her first years.

Farrenc’s compositions were performed during her lifetime but neglected after her death until quite recently. Her Third Symphony in G Minor (1847), given its premiere in 1849, stands as evidence of the unjustness of this neglect. In the soundness of its form, beauty and novelty of its orchestration as well as its delightful counterpoint, Farrenc’s symphony stands the test of time alongside those that directly preceded it from Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann.

Interesting as well is Farrenc’s choice of G Minor. Mozart’s Symphony K. 550 comes to mind as a predecessor and a few passages in Farrenc’s Finale suggest a familiarity with Mozart’s symphony. On the whole, this symphony is strikingly original in its details while familiar in its form. PYP is delighted to present what we believe to be its local premiere.
David Hattner