Adolphe Biarent
(1871-1916)
Trenmor - Symphonic Poem (1905)
Symphony in D Minor (1908)
Two Sonnets for Cello & Orchestra (1909-13) 1
1 Luc Dewez, cello
Liège Philharmonic Orchestra/Pierre Bartholomée
Cyprès CYP3601 58:53
The Belgian composer Biarent is much less well-known than Franck or even Lekeu, probably because none of his works had been published at the time of his death. The music presented here shows the influence of Franck and d'Indy, with occasional nods towards Liszt, Wagner and Dukas, and, in the case of the sonnets, the Dvořák concerto.
Trenmor has something of the atmosphere of Franck's The Accursed Huntsman with scope for interestingly agitated passages, while the symphony, the only one Biarent wrote, runs about half an hour and is highly regarded within Belgium. We hear all too little of this country's music and this CD suggests there may be others awaiting discovery.
