Search - Claude Debussy, Walther Straram, Désiré-Emile Inghelbrecht :: Debussy: Orchestral Music

A Feast of Historic Debussy Recordings

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 04/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Andante label has had a hit-or-miss record with its boxed reissues of historic recordings. Some have been fabulous (e.g., the two 'Fidelio' performances, boxed together, by Böhm and Furtwängler) and some not so good (e.g., the two 'Falstaffs' by Toscanini and Karajan--each far outclassed by commercially available alternative performances by these conductors). Each of these Andante sets appears to contain four CDs, a long and informative essay, plus bios of the important participants taken from the New Grove (in English, French and German) and all in a hard-bound book that is in a slipcase. A classy presentation.



This issue is one of the best I've run across. First, let me comment about the sound. Some of these recordings go back to the 1920s ('Rhapsodie' for saxophone and orchestra, with saxophonist Jules Viard, recorded 1929), most are from the 1930s, a few from no later than 1951. And every single one of them is in probably the best possible sound and in most instances it is astoundingly good. I swear that transfer and restoration engineers (and their software) are getting better and better and I, for one, am thrilled about that. (Unfortunately, these marvelous ladies and gentlemen are not mentioned by name, at least that I can find, in the otherwise extensive information provided about the recordings. Andante really owes it to them to name them.)



Let me simply list the contents (as of this date Amazon has not done so):



CD1: Prélude l'aprs-midi d'une faune, Walther Straram, cond. (featuring the meltingly glorious flute-playing of the legendary Marcel Moyse); Nocturnes, D.-É. Ingelbrecht; Nocturnes, Piero Coppola; La Damoiselle Élue, Coppola



CD2: La Mer, Coppola (1932); La Mer, Toscanini, NBCSO, (1950); La Mer, Désormière, Czech Phil. (1950)



CD3: Danses sacres et profanes, Marcel Grandjany (harp), S. Levin, cond.; Petite Suite (orch. Büsser), Coppola; Petite Suite (orch. Büsser), Henri Bsser, cond; Marche Écossaise, Toscanini, NBCSO, 1940; Le Martyre de St. Sébastien (suite), Coppola; Première Rhapsodie, Hamelin, clar., Coppola; Première Rhapsodie, Benny Goodman, clar., Barbirolli, NYPO



CD4: Rhapsodie, Viard, sax., Coppola; Ibéria, Coppola; Ibéria, Reiner, Pittsburgh SO; Rondes de Printemps and Gigues (both from 'Images'), Reiner, San Francisco SO; Printemps, Coppola



As you can see, Piero Coppola conducts many of the selections here. I had known his name and had heard a few of his recordings back in the 78rpm days, but didn't really remember much about him. Well, let me tell you, this Milan-born composer/conductor who spent most of his professional life in Belgium and France and who here primarily conducts the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, is magnificent. His 'La Mer' from 1932, for instance, ranks as one of the subtlest and yet most naturally unfolding of any I've ever heard and is certainly the equal of the other two 'La Mer' performances here (Toscanini and Désormière, each wonderful in his own right ).



Other highlights (actually there are almost too many to single out) include Goodman's 'Clarinet Rhapsodie,' Grandjany's 'Sacred and Profane Dances' (was there ever a harpist with a lovelier sound?), Moyse's 'Afternoon of a Faun,' both performances of the 'Nocturnes,' Büsser's 'Petite Suite,' Reiner's 'Ibéria' (whew! - what excitement in Mmt. III!), the two movements from 'Images' by Monteux.



Obviously, this is not an issue for anyone but a die-hard lover of both Debussy and historical performances. There are modern recordings of all of these works, in modern sound, and let's face it, the cost of this box set is pretty steep. But, if like me, you are committed to learning about the history of recorded music you will wind up treasuring many of those performances and this one is definitely one for your purchase list. I think it's worth every penny you'd spend because it will bring literally tens of hours of enjoyment.



Strongly recommended for the right audience.



TT=ca. 5 hrs



Scott Morrison"