Customer Reviews

La Valse / Tzigane / Jeux D'Eau

5 star:		(3)
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Debussy heard a Gamelan orchestra at the 1898 Paris Exibition. Deeply impressed, "oriental" orchestral colours flavoured many of his later works. While the (piano?) original of Pagodes is unfamiliar to me, the rendition on this album (transcribed by Grainger?) is a splendid and beautiful tribute to "orientalism" in music, and a work any "Gamelan composer" would be proud to claim. It has everything Debussy has at his best; beauty, charm, atmosphere, and grace!

As for Stokowski's transcription of "The Engulfed Cathedral" - As a fan of classical music since infancy, I am of the opinion that this is the greatest transcription ever produced. Having heard the piano original, it seems a tepid, one-dimensioned black and white photograph, as compared to Stokowski's "multi-dimensional, technicolor dream-tapestry super-orchestra hyper-transcription." Stokowski echoes just about every "Debussy orchestral trademark" in this rendition, which could be seen as a miniature containing ALL of the "fingerprints" Debussy's musical genius!

These two works alone render the album priceless in my opinion. The rest of the album, containing both "popular" and "rare" works, is also of interest... though it might be said that they are foreshadowed by the grandeur of their neighbors!

It's a pity this has been dropped from the catalog. Don't let the obscurity of the conductor and label throw you, this is a top-rank recording. I have the Solti version of La Mer and there is little to choose between this and the Solti version. The performances are lush but focused, a balance that is difficult with Debussy's music, since I suspect it tends to tranquilize the players as much as the listeners. The sound here is closer miked than many orchestral works, but I would say it is a balance between the slightly distant, dry DGG house sound and the extroverted Columbia tone that is present, for better or worse, on most of Bernstein's recordings. Let this disc take you off to a Debussy wonderland!

This may be heresy, but I have to confess, "Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun" and "La Mer" are not my favorite pieces by Debussy. My favorites are on this album, performed beautifully by Geoffrey Simon and the Philharmonia. In fact, this is the Debussy album I love the best, the one I'd want to have with me if I were stranded (with lots of batteries and a good stereo system)on a desert island. All of the pieces are orchestral versions, beautifully arranged. "Nocturnes" and "L'isle joyeuse" are the best, but every single piece on this album is an absolute delight, and you may find that you have your own favorites when you listen to it (again and again, as it deserves).

I like to spend my time promoting albums, books, and movies that aren't as well known, but that I consider to be treasures. This is one of them.