‘I believe that the ideal, the future for mankind, lies in the disappearance of commerce, private business, and in making profit from one’s neighbour. But all this is still far away. Nevertheless, it is necessary to show that evil comes from this commerce, in which almost all men founder’.

Charles Koechlin in a letter to François Berthet on 6 September 1938, a ‘vision of better times’.

“It was only a question of turning the melodic tap to write monodies like my Chants de Nectaire...Last year at Le Canadel I wrote several of them on the same day, as fast as my pen would go, though when I set myself to work on a given subject it is a different matter altogether (as Fauré said), and I often come up against a ‘brick wall.’”

Koechlin told Henri Sauguet on 17 August 1945 (ReM, 1982, p. 137)

‘I dream of chorales which would be profound meditations on man’s suffering, of acts of compassion, of signs of hope, and songs of victory and enthusiasm. Alas, we need these very badly in this century of inhuman violence. Modal music, if we wish it, will provide all this: comfort, support and illumination in our gloomy path. It will show us, in the distance, the way to our goal...It appears to us as an oasis of salvation in the midst of worldly misery’ ...

‘La résurrection des modes anciens dans la musique moderne’. Article written by Charles Koechlin in La Pensée, July 1939.

`His noble and handsome face, surrounded by that flowing beard which caught everyone`s eye, crowned by hair which enveloped him like celestial clouds - these were characteristics that are generally attributed to sages. These exterior signs reflected the interior man well. He was a wise man; in reality, a profoundly human sage - passionate (but the master of his passions), radiant, frank, fiercely in love with freedom and independence, but at the same time enamoured of discipline and strictness. He was also curious about all forms of expression, even those furthest away from his own personal tastes. He respected the thoughts and conceptions of his contempories, who, even if they were at odds with him, always found him interested, ready to be convinced, kindly, and anxious to be fair.`

Impression of Charles Koechlin by composer Henri Sauguet, 1940s, French Radio (ORTF), 3 January 1951.

‘L’oeuvre est toujours le reflet de l’homme
elle vaut ce qu’il vaut.’

Charles Koechlin