Dukas’ Sorcerer
From Fantasia, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
While it would not be accurate to refer to French composer Paul Dukas (1865-1935) as a “one-hit wonder,” it is true that the fame of one of his works far eclipsed anything else he wrote. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, already a popular concert piece, was brought to much wider attention by being included in Walt Disney’s 1940 animated film Fantasia.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is an example of a tone poem or symphonic poem. It was inspired by Goethe’s ballad “Der Zauberlehrling.”
In it, an old sorcerer leaves his apprentice to fetch water. Tiring of his work, the apprentice enchants a broom to do the work for him. Although the broom performs efficiently, the apprentice finds he does not know how to stop it. The room becomes awash with water.
Just when all seems lost, the old sorcerer returns and quickly breaks the spell, noting that powerful spirits should only be called by the sorcerer himself.
Dukas demonstrated in this work that he was a master of vivid orchestration and dramatic pacing.
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Performed here by Orchestre National de France; Georges Prêtre, conducting; Seraphim Classics CDR 7243 5 73427 2 8
