Migot, Georges : Trois Nocturnes dantesques
Work Overview
Publication Year:1935
First Publisher:Alphonse Leduc
Dedicated to:Anna Urani
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:nocturne
Total Playing Time:33 min 00 sec
Copyright:Under Copyright Protection
Commentary (1)
Author : Nishihara, Masaki
Last Updated: July 24, 2025
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Author : Nishihara, Masaki
A major work from his middle period, following Le Zodiaque. Begun in Sanremo, Northern Italy, it was initially titled Trois Nocturnes italiens before being renamed to its current title. This history suggests the hypothesis that Dante may not have been clearly in the composer's mind during the initial conception, but rather that the image solidified during the revision process. All three movements are dedicated to the Italian pianist Anna Urani. Urani was also the dedicatee of 'Capricorn' (Makatsukyu), the final movement of Le Zodiaque, and a virtuoso and major contributor who gave the world premiere of the entire Le Zodiaque cycle by herself. There is no one more fitting to dedicate this work to.
- Movement 1: Avec ampleur (2/4)
- Movement 2: Calme, mystérieux, tendre (4/4)
- Movement 3: Ample mais sans lenteur (3/4)
All movements begin solemnly, employing intricate polyphonic techniques, and at times incorporating theatricality, thoroughly depicting the inner wanderings and conflicts of the human spirit. Its profound philosophical depth rivals Liszt's Dante Sonata, opening up a unique realm in the history of piano music. Movements 1 and 2 were premiered on June 17, 1937, and Movement 3 on June 15, 1938, both by Iskar Aribo at Salle Cortot.
Among scholars, the evaluation of this work is completely divided. Guy Sacre (composer and critic), prefacing his remarks with "although the Migot Society is particularly biased towards this work," astonishingly harshly judged it as "extremely boring from every angle," describing it as "a spineless Debussy, a static Scriabin" (Sacre, Guy. 1998. La musique de piano T.02. Paris: Robert Laffont). On the other hand, Bruno Pinchard (philosopher), a prominent figure from the Migot Society, argued that this work must be regarded as a unique "memorial" (un mémorial) among Migot's compositions. He presented an extremely verbose and pedantic discourse on the essence of the work, drawing parallels with Nietzsche's "eternal recurrence" in Thus Spoke Zarathustra and quoting Virgil, the ancient Roman poet who served as a guide through Hell and Purgatory in Dante's Divine Comedy. He concluded by stating, with comparisons to Liszt's Dante Symphony and Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini in mind, that "neither Liszt nor Tchaikovsky experienced such excitement in the midst of dazzling intuition," and that Migot "continues to be a figure like Virgil" for us living today (Pinchard, Bruno. 2011. Commentaires pour "Georges Migot Oeuvres pour piano et pour choeurs." Paris: Integral Distribution).
Pinchard also introduces the content of Migot's own private notes concerning this work, as conveyed by Migot's senior pupil, Marc Honegger. Migot himself, who was also a poet, explained the intention behind the title: "The word Dante seems to be used to indicate both the pathos and the amplified proportions of the work," and then elucidated each movement through poetic verses. Movement 1 begins with "The infinitely blue sea... Everything is blue, waves eternally undulate. Like eternity itself, devoid of drama..." It then proceeds through Movement 2, which repeatedly extols "the acceptance of fate, submission to destiny," and concludes Movement 3 with "All is accomplished... The sacrifice is fulfilled... The three octaves of sound inevitably play the final note." Needless to say, this seems to connect the special meaning of the number "three" in the Divine Comedy with the "three octaves" of the final note, making it "inevitable." Perhaps Guy Sacre, eschewing the overly abstruse discussions and rhetorical sophistry detached from the music by Migot and his fervent admirers, arrived at the aforementioned harsh evaluation. Indeed, Sacre has a point. One could even say he represents the frank sensibility of most contemporary people. On the other hand, it is also an undeniable fact that at the core of Pinchard's confident discourse lies a major philosophical proposition that every human being, in every era, is inevitably confronted with. Bruno Pinchard, president of the French Dante Society, became familiar with Migot's music early on, influenced by his father, Max Pinchard, who was a Migot scholar. He also knew Migot personally in his later years. The statements of someone knowledgeable in both Dante and Migot carry immeasurable weight. Without rushing to conclusions, we wish to advance the re-evaluation of this work through calm analysis and the accumulation of active performances.