Melodies

long ago – He was the outsider of the "Groupe des Six": despite an extensive body of work and important advocates, Louis Durey is nowadays known only to connoisseurs. Holger Falk and Steffen Schleiermacher dedicate the final installment of their series with songs of the "Groupe des Six" to this independent-minded figure, whose work calls into question many certainties about the music in the circle around Cocteau.

Patriarch – In contrast to his colleagues, Durey was rather critical of Cocteau's strictness; he did not share the general contempt for everything 'romantic'. And so among the text writers for his songs are not only the usual suspects, but also Rilke and Heine – and even Ho Chi Minh!

Convinced – For Durey was also an outspoken communist and revolutionary who championed the resistance and wanted to write music for the common people. Did he achieve this with his extremely artistic songs? His 'Vergers' on original texts by Rilke testify at least to an expressive harmonic richness that equals that of Schönberg and Messiaen – far removed from Cocteau's ideal of a simple tonal language.

Reconsider – Probably that is why Durey is so often overlooked when it comes to the 'Groupe des Six'. And yet the picture would be incomplete; all the more commendable is it that Falk and Schleiermacher in their multiply award-winning series show the full spectrum of an era. Here it is then, the long-awaited rehabilitation of an unjustly forgotten artist.