1ere Fantaisie (2 versions) and Choral dorien

The tracks are :
- at 0' : 1ère Fantaisie on Aristide n°1 (CODM St-Ouen)
- at '4'55 : Choral dorien on Aristide
- at 9'25 : another version of 1ere Fantaisie, on the big Marc.

Alain's 1ère fantaisie is an intriguing piece, with its mix of declamatory chordal sections, fast ostinatos, quick recitatives as kinds of musical lightnings and a quiet and enigmatic conclusion. On the score, Alain wrote a poem from the "Rubaiyat" by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam (11th century) :

Alors au Ciel lui-même je criai
Pour demander comment la destinée
Peut nous guider à travers les ténèbres
Et le Ciel dit : "Suis ton aveugle instinct"

which coud be in English :

"Then to the rolling Heaven itself I cried,
Asking what lamp had Destiny to guide
Her little childern stumbling in the Dark
"Follow your blind instinct", Heaven replied.

After this enigmatic piece full of clamours and lightning strikes, the simple, peaceful and crepuscular Choral dorien seemed to be a soothing conclusion.

Last, there is a second version of the fantaisie recorded on Laurenskerk's main Marcussen. This can seem a more natural choice than the composite St-Ouen to play Alain, with its clearer and neo-classical sounds. It surely gives a more civilized version but, IMHO, the Aristide does more justice to the wild character of the fantaisie. But that could be discussed all the night long :-)