Customer Reviews

Debussy: Orchestral Works II

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Orchestre National de l'ORTF (ORTF stands for 'Office de Radiodiffusion Television Francaise' or 'Office of French Radio and Television'), has been performing since 1934. Their first conductor, Desire-Emile Inghelbrecht, was a friend of Claude Debussy's so it is appropriate that this symphony make this recording, even if not conducted by Inghelbrecht.
Jean Martinon conducts this Debussy tour-de-force and the previous, Debussy: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1, which I also highly recommend. Martinon's first instrument was the violin, but he moved on to the piano and eventually to composition. As a member of the French Army, he was taken prisoner in 1940 and spent several years in a Nazi labor camp, where he composed several works.
This performance was originally recorded in 1973 & 74, but this remastered re-release is a booming, quality recording of amazing performances by France's foremost symphony orchestra.
The 2 disc set contains 10 pieces, some as stand-alone pieces and others as works of several movements.
The pieces that contain more than one movement are:
---Children's Corner Suite - 6 pieces. Originally composed for solo piano, these amazing transcriptions were completed by Debussy's friend Andre Caplet (who transcribed many of Debussy's works). The transcription is different in makeup and sound to the point of almost sounding disparate, a completely different composition. I 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' is a jest towards Clementi's 'Gradus ad Parnassum' ("Steps to Parnassus", a reference to the mythilogical Mount Parnassus where the godesses of the arts resided), which were a series of instructional pieces for piano. This orchestration seems slower than the fast-paced romp on the piano, probably because the strings carry the piece, light and fun. II 'Jimbo's Lullaby' is, like in the piano composition, the best of the 6 pieces; it is a beautiful, melancholy piece with deep strings and horns, unlike the piece for piano it is not punctuated with dissonance, but remains soft, melodic and massively enjoyable with a sublime aria like feel. III 'Serenade for the doll' is, like movement II, punctuated by dissonance in the piano piece, but again the orchestration is softer, soothing and sweet. IV 'The snow is dancing' evokes just that picture; it is a dreamlike transcription with soft strings, woods and brass, very unlike the version composed for the keyboard; IMHO, second only to movement II in beauty. V 'The Little Shepherd' is light, slightly dissonant (as opposed to the bold dissonance in the piano piece) and as playful as the rest of the pieces. VI 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' is a piece for dance (a cakewalk) that is based upon a French mythical creature known as a Golliwogg. The piece is best known for it's reference to the 'Tristan Chord' from Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'. If you listen, you can hear (first at 1 minute 15 seconds, then repeated again throughout) the 'Tristan Chord' played by the strings then followed by plucked strings mimicking laughter.
---Petite Suite - 4 pieces. This was originally composed as a piece for two pianos. The version that is now best known, and performed here on this disc, was transcribed by Henri Busser, a French composer and conductor who worked often with Debussy. I 'En bateau' ('On the boat') is most likely, in my humble opinion, directed towards the Barcarolle, the title given to many pieces by Debussy's contemporary, Gabriel Faure; a title that references Venetian folk songs of gondoliers (Debussy just couldn't resist being different in everything he did, including the way he titled his works). This is a slow and soft piece, dominated by flute and strings; beautiful. II 'Cortege' - A cortege is a ceremonial procession. This piece is fast paced and lead by strings after an opening from the woodwinds. It is ethereal yet ample, airy yet grounded. III 'Menuet' - A menuet is a dance and there is no surprise as we listen to the piece build from woodwinds, which open the piece, to strings and woods that dance lightly with a melody that is pure saccharine (and I don't mean that in a bad way). IV 'Ballet' - Rounding out the 4 pieces is a waltz-like piece that opens with strings and, supported by orchestra, is maintained by the strings throughout. It is a quick and enjoyable piece.
---Danses for Harp and String Quintet - 2 pieces. I 'Danse Sacree' ('Sacred Dance') begins with a theme on strings, including low, plucked notes, before the harp joins in with its sonata-like harmony that is supported throughout by the strings. II 'Danse Profane' ('Profane Dance') like 'Sacree', opens with strings, but the melody is more syncopated and, when the harp joins in, it is not constant, but writhes in and out of the piece, allowing the strings to dominate the piece. Both of these pieces are absolutely astonishing. A joy to hear and, with each listening, I feel I take a little more from the pieces.
---'Le boite a joujoux' ('The Box of Toys' or 'Toybox') - 4 pieces. This was written as a piano piece in 1913, but transcribed by Andre Caplet for a ballet that was staged in 1919, a year after Debussy passed away. I Le magasin de jouets' ('The Toy Shop') is an odd piece. It opens beautifully, the melody, a soft string serenade that breaks in to a musicbox-like melody, is broken by soft dissonance on a piano, returns to the main theme with a harmonizing toy soldier-like march, and then is loudly broken by orchestral disharmony before returning to the main theme to close. The piece is enjoyable. II 'Le Champ de bataille' ('The Battlefield') is, again, dissonant, this time from the start, opening with strings and immediately truncated by short bursts, then the theme carries on with more major dissonant moments and more beautiful melodies; truly a strange piece. III 'La bergerie a vendre' ('The sheepfold for sale') opens with woods and strings and is dissonant throughout; but still enjoyable nonetheless. IV 'Apres fortune faite' ('After fortunes are made') opens with fanfare and stays strong and somewhat loud throughout, occasionally breaking away for softer moments that are invaded by horns or crashing percussion. Again, dissonant, loud, strange, but enjoyable.
---Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra - Debussy's version of a Piano Concerto. Absolutely stunning. 3 movements as with a PC. I Andante, II Lento e molto esspresivo, III Allegro molto. I love this piece and I consider it to be among one of the best Piano Concertos (even if not in title) ever composed.

The remaining pieces are stand-alone pieces:
---La plus que lente - Amazing. Originally composed for piano, this is a slow waltz with a melody that makes my heart sink and a harmony that lifts me to the heights of the world. The piano piece is very good, but this orchestrated version is far superior because of the use of the harpsichord; it is stunning.
---Rapsodie for Clarinet and Orchestra - A delightful diversion. The clarinet melody is excellent and the orchestra harmonizes with a theme that is deep and moving.
---Rapsodie for Alto Saxaphone and Orchestra - Very lively. Reminiscent of more modern composition, almost jazz (perhaps just the saxaphone?); greatly enjoyable and a move away from the Debussy you may become accustomed to as you move through these 2 discs.
---Khamma - One of Debussy's final works, a piano reduction that Debussy argued he was orchestrating, was apparently finished by another. Regardless, the piece, for a ballet, is an odd mix of young and old Debussy; a tone centered piece that somehow manages to slip in dissonance ever so slightly and without the clambor of his earlier, showier pieces. I truly enjoy this piece. It most closely resembles 'La Mer'.
---Tarantelle styrienne - A very quick piano composition, orchestrated here by, perhaps, the greatest transcriptionist ever, Maurice Ravel, the piece is softer and smoother, still quick, but subdued by the use of strings instead of keys. A romping piece that is both beautiful and pulse raising.

So, there you have it. Buy this and Volume 1 and you will have a very good collection of Debussy works for orchestra, either composed by the master, or transcribed from the masters works for piano. A definite must buy!

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.

I love Debussy's music, so I love this CD. The only annoyance was the case. It held the CDs so tightly, that I thought I would break them trying to remove them.