La Belle France

Gabriel Faure (Composer), Claude Debussy (Composer), Maurice Ravel (Composer), Erik Satie (Composer), Hector Berlioz (Composer), Francis Poulenc (Composer), Leonard Slatkin (Conductor), Robert Shaw (Conductor), Paavo Järvi (Conductor), Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), John O'Conor (Performer), Judith Blegen (Performer), Elly Ameling (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: John O'Conor, Judith Blegen, Elly Ameling
• Orchestra: Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Leonard Slatkin, Robert Shaw, Paavo Järvi
• Composer: Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Erik Satie, Hector Berlioz, et al.
• Audio CD (April 26, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B0008191B0
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,823 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Pavane, for orchestra & chorus ad lib in F sharp minor, Op. 50 - Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra

2. Arabesque, for piano No. 1 in E major, L. 66/1 - Yolanda Kondonassis

3. Requiem, for 2 solo voices, chorus, organ & orchestra, Op. 48: Pie Jesu - Judith Blegen

4. Clair de lune, for piano (Suite Bergamasque No. 3), L. 75/3 - John O'Conor

5. Pavane pour une infante défunte, for piano (or orchestra) - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

6. String Quartet in F major: Allegro moderato - Cleveland Quartet

7. Gymnopedie for piano No. 1 - Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra

8. Gymnopedie for piano No. 3 - Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra

9. Pelléas et Mélisande, incidental music and suite for orchestra, Op. 80: Prelude - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

10. Les Nuits d'été, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra), H. 81 (Op. 7): Villanelle - Elly Ameling

11. La fille aux cheveux de lin, prelude for piano, L. 117/8 - Yolanda Kondonassis

12. Quatre petites prières de Saint François d'Assise, for men's chorus, FP 142: Salut, Dame Sainte - Robert Shaw Festival Singers

13. Requiem, for 2 solo voices, chorus, organ & orchestra, Op. 48: Sanctus - William Preucil

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Soothing Compilation, April 4, 2006

By 

Classicalfan "Classicalfan" (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: La Belle France (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful collection of extracts from other Telarc recordings of works by French composers. It serves as a compilation and a sampler that may well lead you to buying several of the other Telarc CDs from which these selections were taken. The digital sound, as usual with Telarc, is brilliantly clear without being harsh, brash, or loud. The dynamics are perfect, without any of the problems one sometimes encounters in compilations, of shifting sound levels. Finally, the performances are pristine and filled with wondrous beauty.

Each selection is soothing without being soporific. In fact, as relaxing as this collection is, instead of putting me to sleep it actually made me feel more alert as I listened to it, because of the excellent quality of the performances and the clarity of the recorded sound.

The only difficulty I have in evaluating this compilation is choosing a favorite selection, or even two or three favorites out of the fifteen on this disc. They're all wonderful, from the orchestral arrangements of Faure and Satie, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, to the selections of Debussy performed on harp by Yolanda Kondonassis, to Faure's Prelude and Sicilienne (from Pelleas et Melisande) conducted by one of the greatest choral conductors of the twentieth century, Robert Shaw. Five of the fifteen tracks, fully one third, are selections from works composed by Gabriel Faure (1845 - 1924), a pupil of Saint-Saens and an underappreciated composer in the United States. Hopefully, this disc will help to contribute to a better appreciation of one of the most gifted and original French 19th composers in the generation before Debussy (who actually outlived Debussy by six years).

From beginning to end, this is an excellent disc. Recommended with pleasure.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will listen to this over and over -- and over again!, January 11, 2007

By 

C. Bigsby "Sweet Sue" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: La Belle France (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful CD -- very enjoyable listening. The harp music of Yolanda Kondonassis is especially enjoyable! You will listen to the entire CD over and over -- and over again! WONDERFUL! Definitely a favorite of my music collection! I have purchased this CD as a gift for 6 people -- so far!