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Warner's Martinon Box
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Ed Presson
Dec 12, 2015, 10:07:41 PM12/12/15
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Jean Martinon--The Late Years: Erato and HMV Recordings 1968-1975
Warner 0825646154975. 14 CDs with a small booklet containing a brief
essay on the conductor.
I collected several of these Erato recordings when they were issued on
MHS LPs (Roussel, Pierne, Poulenc) and EMI (Schmitt) and liked them enough
to be interested in this box set. I have listened to everything at least
once,
and I'll post these initial impressions:
In general, Martinon seems a strong advocate for works he sees as "modern"
and for the works of (then) less-well-known French composers. Martinon
plays Pierne,
for example, with vitality and crispness. Poulenc's Organ Concerto is
presented
as a vigorous, modern work with the organ a snarling, aggressive presence.
Martinon's
recordings of Marcel Landowski's Symphony No. 2 and Piano Concerto No. 2 are
strong and elegant.
The French "standards" are presented with elegance, but he
rarely seems to try to"sell" the works as compared to the ebullience of
Bernstein
or the sometimes perfervid electricity of Munch. Sometimes these
performances seem too detached to me.
The booklet essay describes Martinon's style as "fluid, uneffusive, alertly
elegant...
ascetic in its sensuality and supremely simple in its lyricism." I had not
thought about
this aspect of his work before, but the description seems right on target.
In works such
as Ibert's "Escales," both Ormandy and Stokowski imbue the episodes with
more
color and character than Martinon's comparatively straightforward approach.
As
good as his Roussel, Pierne, and Berlioz performances are, they lack
sensuality.
I miss that orchestral sensuousness in this repertoire.
There are a few surprises in the box: Performances of Brahms' Tragic
Overture,
Schumann's Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2 and live
recordings of Falla's "Three Cornered Hat Ballet," Roussel's Third Symphony,
and Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin Suite." The live performances are nicely
done,
but I don't feel that these performances exceed the studio recordings in
freshness and
spontaneity.
I'd be curious to hear your assessments of these recordings.
Ed Presson
Warner 0825646154975. 14 CDs with a small booklet containing a brief
essay on the conductor.
I collected several of these Erato recordings when they were issued on
MHS LPs (Roussel, Pierne, Poulenc) and EMI (Schmitt) and liked them enough
to be interested in this box set. I have listened to everything at least
once,
and I'll post these initial impressions:
In general, Martinon seems a strong advocate for works he sees as "modern"
and for the works of (then) less-well-known French composers. Martinon
plays Pierne,
for example, with vitality and crispness. Poulenc's Organ Concerto is
presented
as a vigorous, modern work with the organ a snarling, aggressive presence.
Martinon's
recordings of Marcel Landowski's Symphony No. 2 and Piano Concerto No. 2 are
strong and elegant.
The French "standards" are presented with elegance, but he
rarely seems to try to"sell" the works as compared to the ebullience of
Bernstein
or the sometimes perfervid electricity of Munch. Sometimes these
performances seem too detached to me.
The booklet essay describes Martinon's style as "fluid, uneffusive, alertly
elegant...
ascetic in its sensuality and supremely simple in its lyricism." I had not
thought about
this aspect of his work before, but the description seems right on target.
In works such
as Ibert's "Escales," both Ormandy and Stokowski imbue the episodes with
more
color and character than Martinon's comparatively straightforward approach.
As
good as his Roussel, Pierne, and Berlioz performances are, they lack
sensuality.
I miss that orchestral sensuousness in this repertoire.
There are a few surprises in the box: Performances of Brahms' Tragic
Overture,
Schumann's Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2 and live
recordings of Falla's "Three Cornered Hat Ballet," Roussel's Third Symphony,
and Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin Suite." The live performances are nicely
done,
but I don't feel that these performances exceed the studio recordings in
freshness and
spontaneity.
I'd be curious to hear your assessments of these recordings.
Ed Presson
Sol L. Siegel
Dec 13, 2015, 2:36:30 PM12/13/15
to
"Ed Presson" <pe...@comcast.net> wrote in
news:n4in96$2bv$1...@dont-email.me:
> Jean Martinon--The Late Years: Erato and HMV Recordings 1968-1975
> Warner 0825646154975. 14 CDs with a small booklet containing a brief
> essay on the conductor.
Almost worth it just for Roussel's Aeneas, an fantastic score of which
I know of only one other recording (by Bramwell Tovey and Luxembourg
forces) and for the Dukas.
- Sol L. Siegel, Philadelphia, PA USA
news:n4in96$2bv$1...@dont-email.me:
> Jean Martinon--The Late Years: Erato and HMV Recordings 1968-1975
> Warner 0825646154975. 14 CDs with a small booklet containing a brief
> essay on the conductor.
I know of only one other recording (by Bramwell Tovey and Luxembourg
forces) and for the Dukas.
- Sol L. Siegel, Philadelphia, PA USA
Lawrence Chalmers
Dec 13, 2015, 5:45:07 PM12/13/15
to
Mr. Mike
Dec 15, 2015, 3:24:53 PM12/15/15
to
On Sun, 13 Dec 2015 14:44:59 -0800 (PST), Lawrence Chalmers
<347chalm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This set has introduced me to Landowski and I eagerly await a 9cd box set on Erato from Japan.
Hmmm, have you got a link for this? There is also an EMI Icon (Warner)
<347chalm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This set has introduced me to Landowski and I eagerly await a 9cd box set on Erato from Japan.
box set of Martinon with 14 CDs which was released a few months ago.
Translating info from HMV Japan for this box set produces the
following howler:
Bartok: China's mysterious officials
French National Radio Orchestra
Recording: June 21, 1971 (Live / INA at the Theatre des
Champs-Elysees)
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