For the convenience of concertgoers 

the Garden Cafe remains open until 6:oo pm.

The use of cameras or recording equipment during the 

performance is not allowed. Please be sure that cell phones,

pagers, and other electronic devices are turned off.

Please note that late entry or reentry of

the West Building after 6:30 pm is not permitted.

Music Department

National Gallery ofArt

Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue nw

Washington, DC

Mailing address

2000B South Club Drive

Landover, md 20785

www.nga.gov

The Sixty-sixth Season of

The William Nelson Cromwell and F. Lammot Belin

Concerts

National Gallery ofArt

2,664th Concert

Octuor de France

Jean-Louis Sajot, clarinet and artistic director

Yurilco Naganuma and Jean-Christophe Grail, violin

Laurent Jouanneau, viola

Paul Broutin, cello

Michel Fouquet, double bass

Antoine Degremont, French horn

Jacques Thareau, bassoon

March 9, 2008

Sunday Evening, 6:30 pm

West Building, West Garden Court

Admissionfree
Program

Presented in honor ofthe exhibition 

In the Forest ofFontainebleau:

Painters and Photographersfrom Corot to Monet

(Performed without intermission)

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

String Quartet in F Major (1903)

Allegro moderato; tres doux

Assez vif; tres rythme

Tres lent

Vif et agite

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Septet in E-fat Major, op. 20 (1800)

Adagio; allegro con brio 

Adagio cantabile 

Tempo di menuetto

Tema con variazioni

Scherzo

Andante con moto alia marcia; presto

The Musicians

Currently the only French ensemble ofits type, the Octuor (Octet) de France

was founded in 1979 by clarinetist Jean-Louis Sajot. Its repertoire includes

classical and romantic chamber music, contemporary music, and music for

him. In addition to rediscovering and performing forgotten works from the

past, the ensemble regularly commissions new works from living composers.

With many international tours to its credit, the octet makes its third appearance at the National Gallery on this occasion, having previously accompanied 

the silent films L’homme qui rit in 2005 and Au bonheur des dames in 2006.

On this visit to the Gallery, the octet performs music for both him and concert

repertoire. Yesterday, the group presented the world premiere performance 

ofnew him music by Gabriel Thibaudeau, performed as the Gallery’s him

department showed silent films by Max Linder in honor ofthe exhibition

In the Forest ofFontainebleau: Painters and Photographersfrom Corot to Monet.

The octet has had the honor of undertaking similar projects for him

festivals overseas in Athens and Cannes, and in the United States in New

Orleans and New York City, and at Harvard University and the Telluride

Film Festival, among other venues. The ensemble’s extensive discography

includes CDs devoted to compositions by Brahms, Fran^aix, Haydn, Mozart,

Reicha, Schubert, and von Weber.

Clarinetist Jean-Louis Sajot was born in Nevers, France, where he began 

his musical studies before entering the Conservatoire National Superieur 

de Musique de Paris where he obtained a hrst prize for clarinet. After a

short period with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Lyon, he joined the 

Orchestre National de France in 1976. He continues in its membership

today, having played under such celebrated conductors as Claudio Abbado,

Leonard Bernstein, Charles Dutoit, Eugene Jochum, Lorin Maazel, Kurt

Mazur, Ricardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, and Wolfgang Sawallisch. In 1979 he

founded the Octuor de France, and remains the ensemble’s clarinetist and

artistic director.

3
Born in Japan, violinist Yuriko Naganuma began her musical studies 

in Tokyo and continued them in France, where she obtained a first prize at

the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris in the class of

Michele Auclair. She also won first prize at the Indianapolis and Montreal

International Competitions. Based in France, Naganuma gives a series of

concerts each year in Japan. In 1997 she recorded Jean Francaix’s Violin

Concerto under the direction ofthe composer with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo.

Born near Paris, violinist Jean-Christophe Grail studied the violin with 

Madame Marie-Claude Theuveny at the Conservatoire National du Region

de Saint-Maur des Fosses and then at the Conservatoire National Superieur

de Musique de Paris, where he obtained first prize for violin. After working 

with a number ofsymphony orchestras, Grail pursued his passion for

chamber music by joining the Octuor de France.

Bom in Suresnes, near Paris, violist Laurent Jouanneau first studied

the violin under Maryvonne Le Dizes but quickly showed a preference for

the viola. Before joining the Octuor de France in 1991, Jouanneau was the 

principal violist ofthe Orchestre Jean Paillard and the Orchestre Symphonique Fran^ais. Fie divides his time between playing with the Octuor de

France and teaching the viola.

Cellist Paul Broutin moved from Briare, France, to the Paris region at

an early age. He entered the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique 

de Paris where he obtained a first prize for cello in the class of Bernard 

Michelin. After postgraduate chamber music studies, he joined the Octuor 

de France in 1988. He pursues a dual career as a teacher and a member of

the Octuor de France.

Born in Paris, bassist Michel Fouquet studied under Michel Delanoy

before becoming a disciple ofthe famous family of double bass players, the 

Cazaurans. A lifelong chamber music enthusiast, Fouquet joined the Octuor 

de France in 2002.

4

Bassoonist Jacques Thareau was also born in Paris. A pupil ofAmaury 

Wallez at the Saint Maur Conservatoire National de Region, he finished his 

studies in 1986 and was appointed first bassoonist ofthe French National

Youth Orchestra in the same year. Since then he has worked regularly with 

many ofthe most celebrated French orchestras. He joined the Octuor de

France in 1997.

Born in Canteleu in the North of France, Antoine Degremont plays the 

French horn with the octet. He studied music in Rouen and currently plays

regularly with the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris,

and the Orchestre de I’Opera de Paris. He was the principal French horn

player with the Orchestre Symphonique Fran^ais before joining the Octuor 

de France.

5
The Program

Written two days before his twenty-ninth birthday, Ravel’s Quartet in F Major,

in his own words, “was animated by a will to achieve musical construction,

which is manifested in it far more clearly than in the compositions that

preceded it.” The quartet received its first performance on March 5,1904, 

under the aegis ofthe Societe Nationale in Paris. Although its success 

helped to propel Ravel into the forefront of French musicians ofhis time, 

it did not satisfy him completely. Contemporary critics made comparisons

between Ravel’s quartet and Debussy’s String Quartet in G Minor (1893).

This was a discussion that was unacceptable to both composers and it

caused their relationship, once quite cordial, to become distant. The iciness 

between them eventually thawed when Ravel was contemplating a modification of his quartet’s Finale. He asked Debussy for his opinion, to which 

tlie latter responded: “In the name of all the gods ofmusic, and for my sake,

do not change anything you have written.” Ravel’s biographer Armand

Machabey, in his assessment ofthe quartet, states: “There are no disturbing

patches of banality or emptiness; everywhere imagination and richness of

ideas are in control, with a perfect balance of proportions, purity, and

transparency ofsound such as Ravel only attained elsewhere in his piano

work Jeux d’eau.”

Ever the innovator, Beethoven was the first composer to write for mixed 

chamber ensembles ofwinds and strings. His Septet in E-flat Major for

violin, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, French horn, and bassoon, contrasts

brilliance with restraint and virtuosity with intimacy. The contrast is already

present within the first movement, as the opening Adagio, a stately serenade,

is followed by an allegro con brio (lively, with fire) that completes the first

movement in fully developed sonata form. The lively Minuet and Scherzo

frame an intimate Tenia con vanazioni, creating contrasts between movements, while tlie final movement—apparently closing the work with a

stately march—suddenly breaks into a brilliant presto designed to show 

offthe skills ofthe first violinist.

6

Next Week at the National Gallery of Art

Kathleen Shimeta, mezzo-soprano

Martin Hennessy, pianist

Music of Gena Branscome 

In honor ofWomen’s History Month

March 12, 2008

Wednesday Afternoon, 12:10 pm

West Building Lecture Hall

Parisii Quartet

Jerome Correas, baritone

Emmanuel Strosser, pianist

Music by Faure, Hahn, Ravel, and Tailleferre

Presented in honor of In the Forest ofFontainebleau

Painters and Photographersfrom Corot to Monet

March 16, 2008

Sunday Evening, 6:30 pm

West Building, West Garden Court