The Sacred and the Profane
Rev. Ben Cox | Orlando, Florida | 05/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an AWESOME work and recording! I had this recording years ago in the 60's when I worked with the London Symphony and Phyllis Curtin. I loved it then and I love it more now. It is a work on level with Pelleas et Melisande. It bridges the abyss between the sacred and profane in our lives. Sonically, it is fabulous with wonderful solo voices and and atmospheric chorus, and most especially the narration of Charles Munch himself! He adds so much presence and reality to the entire performance. This work is not very well known like Pelleas or Apres-midi d'une faune, but it is totally worth our attention and recordings like this will preserve its entry into the reperetoire. Also recommended is reading THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE by Mircea Eliade, in order to enter into an intellectual understanding of the sound world that Debussy has created."