Customer Reviews

Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; Nocturnes; La mer; Berceuse héroïque

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Paavo Jarvi conducts his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in this well performed all Debussy concert. He brings out all of the subtle inner voices in these standard works and finesses some excellent solo desk playing from his orchestra. His approach to the shorter works is more successful than to the 'big' work of 'La Mer': somehow his dissecting approach fares better on the 'Nocturnes' and 'Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune'. These works are well played and the balances between the orchestra and women's chorus in the 'Sirens' portion are exceptional.

Some would say this is Boulez-type Debussy, but that would be giving too much importance to the transparent approach of the master's influence. In time Jarvi will probably find the architectural form of Debussy that Boulez has mastered and that is lacking here, but in the meantime this is a very well recorded CD with another conductor's (and orchestra's!) approach to Impressionism. Grady Harp, July 05

Thrilling. I'm not an avid classical music listener, but I am a collector of 1930s-40s movies and of original 78 rpm classical record pressings by Stokowski (yes, the 1939 Walt Disney "Fantasia" conductor), and when a discerning classical music buff played some of this CD at a party at his house, I had to get it.

As another reviewer said: "Evocative". I felt like it was the soundtrack to an ethereal dream sequence from a 30s-40s movie, which is what I go for.

Paavo Jarvi comes to Debussy with all the resourcefulness of a technically masterful maestro. His orchestra is beautiful and well balanced, with much distinguished playing from the first chairs. The highlight of the disc is probably the Nocturnes. They are admirably clear and subtly inflected, plus they are full of atmosphere. The chorus sings beautifully, too. La Mer receives a somewhat statuesque reading. Jarvi is content to let things happen rather than impose his personality on the work. The big moments in Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun are luscious. As for the Berceuse Heroique, it is a rarity that is far more enigmatic than the preceeding works, more typical as it is of Late Debussy. The sound engineering is a bit curious. It is very close up, with a wide dynamic range that benefits from playback at a high volume. The tonal quality is a bit opaque, as seems to happen often with Direct Stream Digital technology. Listened to on speakers all this should be a small consideration, but I listen on headphones, where this becomes somewhat distracting. Nevertheless, this is topnotch Debussy, and another feather in Paavo Jarvi's cap.