Marguerite Roesgen-Champion

2 Nocturnes

Published respectively in 1950 and 1953, the two Nocturnes for oboe and piano (or organ) have their place in the glorious tradition of French music from the between-the-wars period. The first Nocturne, subtitled 'Noël', is dedicated to Pierre Bajeux (1899-1961), who taught the oboe class at the Paris Conservatoire as of 1941. Of classic ABA construction, this piece, as simple as it is expressive, is in the form of a pastorale: here, the gentle opening recitative unfolds its dreamy, melancholic volutes, of which the modal character would have appealed to Charles Koechlin.

The second Nocturne presents subtle modulations that give it a refined elegance. In both cases, this tastefully polished music invites us to stroll in an Arcadian landscape, bathed in azure: 'There, all is order and beauty, / Luxury, calm and voluptuousness'.