Debussy Recommendation Wanted
Roger Feigelson
Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
to go.
Thanks!
Roger
David Hurwitz
available on 2 EMI "Double Forte" sets at two discs for the price of one.
The interpretations are great throughout. Alternately, there is a Philips
Duo of the major orchestral works featuring Haitink and the Concertgebouw
which is also excellent: the orchestra is in great form and the recordings
date from a period when the conductor was interperatively more alert than
often seems to be the case now.
--
David Hurwitz
Executive Editor
http://www.classicstoday.com
dhur...@classicstoday.com
Roger Feigelson <rfei...@us.oracle.com> wrote in message
news:387CC200...@us.oracle.com...
David Hurwitz
played with extraordinary accuracy. I prefer his DG remake of La Mer (also
Cleveland) to the Philharmonia performance, though.
Marc Perman <per...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:387d2d78...@news.mindspring.com...
> "David Hurwitz" <hurw...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> >Jean Martinon's classic performances of the complete orchestral works are
> >available on 2 EMI "Double Forte" sets at two discs for the price of one.
> >The interpretations are great throughout. Alternately, there is a Philips
> >Duo of the major orchestral works featuring Haitink and the Concertgebouw
> >which is also excellent: the orchestra is in great form and the
recordings
> >date from a period when the conductor was interperatively more alert than
> >often seems to be the case now.
>
> Agreed about both, though I would include as well the Boulez Sony 2 CD
> set with the New Philharmonia and Cleveland Orch. The "Boulez
> Edition" midpriced reissue sounds better than the original Odyssey
> CDs.
>
> Marc Perman
Christian Bekhuis
says...
>
> Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
> Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
> comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
> I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
> to go.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Roger
you are looking for a modern recording and incredible attention to detail
you should probably go for these.
--
Chris Bekhuis
"Remember what's been given, not taken away" - Brett W. Kull
Marc Perman
Philip Peters
Roger Feigelson wrote:
> Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
> Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
> comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
> I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
> to go.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Roger
I have always liked Martinon's Debussy but have them on vinyl. They should
be reissued though.
Philip
Michael Weston
: Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
: Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
: comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
: I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
: to go.
The Haitink 2-cd set on Philips is without peer in meeting your needs:
comprehensive, widely praised and inexpensive. While there may be other
recordings that outshine what is collected here, I definitely prefer
Haitink over Dutoit and Boulez.
michael
Marc Perman
>The Haitink 2-cd set on Philips is without peer in meeting your needs:
>comprehensive, widely praised and inexpensive. While there may be other
>recordings that outshine what is collected here, I definitely prefer
>Haitink over Dutoit and Boulez.
Has anyone besides me heard the Manuel Rosenthal/Orch. du Th. Nat. de
Paris Debussy recordings from the late 50s? These are on CD on the
French Ades label. Extroverted, very well played.
Marc Perman
David Hurwitz
Ravel is also very good.
--
David Hurwitz
Executive Editor
http://www.classicstoday.com
dhur...@classicstoday.com
Marc Perman <per...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:387d4b62...@news.mindspring.com...
Raymond Hall
>
> Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
> Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
> comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
> I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
> to go.
>
their peak, and very well recorded. Images, Jeux, Nocturnes, La mer,
Prelude (faune), and clarinet and harp pieces, Marche ecossaise, and
Berceuse heroique conducted by van Beinum.
Regards,
Ray Hall, Sydney
Curtis Croulet
movement, he uses a horn for the fanfare passage instead of trumpet. A few
conductors (e.g. Toscanini) also play a variant without fanfare. Anyway --
Haitink's horn -- is this a genuine Debussian alternative or simply a
one-off emendation? I don't recall seeing this as an option in my Dover
score (can't find the exact passage at the moment).
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
Raymond Hall
According to our friend Mr Penguin (EG, RL or IM), they mention the
interesting fact that Haitink restores what Debussy removed (eight bars
before fig.60). These brief fanfares were originally (I believe) scored
for trumpet, and that Ansermet was one of the first conductors to
restore these fanfares. Haitink decides to use horns though. Maybe
Ansermet used horns also, but am not sure.
Regards,
Ray Hall, Sydney
Neil
wrote:
>Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
>Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
>comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
>I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
>to go.
Try the phillips twofer cond. Haitink. He's very good in Debussy and the 2 CDs
contain most of what you are looking for.
Neil
Neil
>Your msg. came with some sort of attachment in Mime format. Can you
>please send only plain text as not all mailreaders handle this
>properly.
>
>Eltjo M.
So did yours:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Neil
Martin J Haller
> Can someone please answer a question about Haitink's La mer? In the last
> movement, he uses a horn for the fanfare passage instead of trumpet. A few
> conductors (e.g. Toscanini) also play a variant without fanfare. Anyway --
> Haitink's horn -- is this a genuine Debussian alternative or simply a
> one-off emendation? I don't recall seeing this as an option in my Dover
> score (can't find the exact passage at the moment).
> --
> Curtis Croulet
> Temecula, California
>
>
>
>
My memory may be faulty here (and I'm sure someone will let me know if it
is) but isn't this an optional part actually scored for cornet? I seem to
remember it being mentioned somewhere that Haitink and others opted to
give it to the horns as it was thought to be more tonally attractive.
Martin J. Haller (mjha...@acsu.buffalo.edu)
"As you gain experience, you'll realize that all logical questions are
considered insubordination." - Dilbert
DavidDGable
>conductors (e.g. Toscanini) also play a variant without fanfare.
If you're talking about the passage I think you are, Debussy wrote the fanfares
and then suppressed them only because he thought they were too difficult to
play. There is a new critical edition of the complete works of Debussy
underway in France. We'll see what they do with this passage. I think
Anserment always used the fanfare. Boulez inexplicably (if memory serves)
omits it in both his recordings.
-david gable
Ryan Hare
: > A few
Could someone remind me of where this passage is supposed to be in the
score? I thought the Dvoer score did include the fanfares, since it is
reprint of the earliest French edition, and in any case all of the cornet
fanfares in this score are played in the Boulez DGG recording, at least.
Clarification, someone?
Ryan Hare
rh...@u.washington.edu
Nicolai P. Zwar
>
> Hi all, I'm looking to purchase a CD of Debussy's orchestral works (La
> Mer, Nocturnes, etc). Can any of you recommend a CD that is as
> comprehensive as possible and that you feel is a terrific performance.
> I was overwhelmed with the current selection and didn't know which way
> to go.
The Pierre Boulez "La Mer" on Deutsche Grammophon (439 896-2), performed
by the Cleveland Orchestra, is a wonderful and fairly comprehensive
Debussy orchestral disc. With Boulez, you hear just about every detail
of the score. If you buy that one and "Images pour orchestra" (DG 435
766-2, same conductor and orchestra) you'll have two splendid recordings
and just about everything Debussy ever wrote for orchestra.
Cheerio and regards.
--
Nicolai P. Zwar
send spam to: NPZ...@aol.com
send e-mail to: nicola...@pironet.de
DavidDGable
Check out Boulez's sensational set of Debussy's orchestral music on Sony. I
prefer these right down the line to the DGG remakes, and especially the La mer.
Boulez's La mer with the Philharmonia is one of his very greatest recordings
as well as one of the great recordings of La mer, a performance worthy to set
beside Desormiere's, Reiner's, and Munch's. Boulez was really "on" that day,
and there is an extraordinary temperamental affinity linking the two composers,
especially during that period. I only wish Sony had had the imagination to dig
up Boulez's never released NY Phil recording of the Symphonic Fragments from
The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and throw it onto this set. I don't care that
it would have forced the addition of a third CD.
-david gable
DavidDGable
>Cleveland) to the Philharmonia performance, though.
Not me, mon frere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-david gable
DavidDGable
Ryan,
I hope somebody else answers your question because all my junk is in storage
and I can't lay my hands on a score of La mer.
-david gable
DavidDGable
>Haitink over [ . . . ] Boulez.
Not me, mon vieux.
-david gable
John Grabowski
>
> Check out Boulez's sensational set of Debussy's orchestral music on Sony. I
> prefer these right down the line to the DGG remakes, and especially the La mer.
> Boulez's La mer with the Philharmonia is one of his very greatest recordings
> as well as one of the great recordings of La mer, a performance worthy to set
> beside Desormiere's, Reiner's, and Munch's.
Much better than Munch's, methinks. I agree these are great, and the
newer DGG Debussy pales by comparison. In fact, most of the new DGG
Boulez pales when compared to what he was doing before his conducting
hiatus, and he was considered cold THEN! He was warm and fuzzy compared
to now.
John
--
They're just jealous competitors. -Bill Gates on why other companies
accuse Microsoft of monopolistic practices.
Spammers: I don't need Viagra, a work-at-home business or a ground-floor
investment opportunity, thank you.
Curtis Croulet
bars preceding rehearsal cue 60 (pp. 267 - 268 of the Dover score). The
only source cited is "early French editions." My original question was
about Haitink's use of horns here.
DavidDGable
>to now.
>
I agree with your point entirely, but I don't think the problem is coldness per
se. His earlier performances were never cold but in fact quite fiery in their
way, while his late (and in my opinion regrettable) late DGG recordings are
simply too serene and relaxed, but that's not the same thing as "cold." The
Philharmonia La mer is surely one of Boulez's half a dozen best recordings.
There is a serene majesty to this performance entirely appropriate to the piece
paradoxically fueled by a kind of volcanic explosiveness lying just below the
surface.
I am particularly sensitive to descriptions of Boulez as "cold," I suppose,
because of all the nasty cracks about Boulez in the 60's. "The Iceman
Conducteth" and all that. His Iberia was called Siberia. Not that this had
anything to do with temperature metaphors, but when he came to the NY Phil,
pundits referred to Boulez as The French Correction. In Boulez's farewell
speech following his final concert with the NY Phil (a performance of Damnation
de Faust), he very graciously said that while he was known as the French
Correction he hoped to remain the NY Phil's French Connection.
Speaking of nasty cold French jokes, I think it was Szell's performance of La
mer that somebody referred to as Das Meer, but the most wicked joke about La
mer itself was Satie's. Poking fun at the title of the first movement, "De
l'aube a midi sur la mer" (from dawn to midday on the sea), Satie said "I like
the part at about 10:00." Then there was Tallulah Bankhead's remark when she
was taken to see a performance, not of Debussy's, but of Maeterlinck's Pelleas
et Melisande: "There's less here than meets the eye."
-david gable
Tony Movshon
> Speaking of nasty cold French jokes, I think it was Szell's performance of La
> mer that somebody referred to as Das Meer
The comment I like best is the one attributed to Klemperer: "Das is nicht
'La Mer'. Das ist 'Szell-am-See'". (Zell-am-See is a little lakeside town
near Salzburg).
> Then there was Tallulah Bankhead's remark when she
> was taken to see a performance, not of Debussy's, but of Maeterlinck's Pelleas
> et Melisande: "There's less here than meets the eye."
Memorable from one of those "short summaries of opera plots" is the entry
for
Pelleas: "Nothing happens, and Melisande dies".
Tony Movshon
mov...@nyu.edu