Search - Claude Debussy, Jean Martinon, ORTF National Orchestra :: Debussy: Orchestral Works II

Another Fine Bargain

Moldyoldie | Motown, USA | 05/29/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This two-CD set collects those works which are probably less popular than those found on set #1 of Debussy's orchestral works in the EMI Gemini Series, but they're hardly insubstantive nor less satisfying. Conductor Martinon and the French orchestra perform them all with commitment and impart that intangible Gallic flavor. Several of the works feature prominent soloing for oboe, harp, clarinet, saxophone, and piano; all are unmistakably the work of a master composer.



These '70s-era recordings are expertly remastered with plenty of presence and no noticeable distortion nor disconcerting harshness; none can be mistaken for modern digital recordings, but often that's a "good" thing as it certainly is here. For less than a sawbuck per set, one can have fine performances of all of Debussy's beautiful and evocative orchestral pieces in one's collection with the two 2-CD sets in the Gemini Series. Thumbs up!



Addendum: I now see that all these recordings are also collected in a couple of economical box sets, one of which also includes Martinon's recordings of Ravel. ;-) As of this writing, it was still less expensive to get these two two-fers, however."