Jean Françaix - Divertissements

Jean Françaix

Jean Françaix (1912-1997) was a prolific French neoclassical composer who started composing aged only six. The son of the director of the Le Mans Conservatoire, Françaix went on study both there and in Paris, and was taught by the influential Nadia Boulanger.

Françaix's style was accessible and often witty, both traits picked on by his detractors. He was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve, and his style remained pretty constant throughout his career.

The two Divertissements on this album by the Melos Ensemble give a pretty good idea of Françaix's music, and like my recent post of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, the clarinet here is played by Gervase de Peyer - one of the Melos Ensemble founders.

Don't forget to switch to the HD setting for the best quality - Google Drive videos don't allow this to be set automatically

Cartridge: Yamaha MC-1x

Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession MC

Turntable:  CTC Classic 301 with SME M2-12R

Click to enlarge