French Clarinet Art

Paul Meyer (Performer), Ernest Chausson (Composer), Claude Debussy (Composer), Arthur Honegger (Composer), Darius Milhaud (Composer), Francis Poulenc (Composer), Camille Saint-Saens (Composer), Eric le Sage (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Paul Meyer, Eric le Sage
• Composer: Ernest Chausson, Claude Debussy, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, et al.
• Audio CD (August 31, 1993)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Denon Records
• ASIN: B0000034YI
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #118,373 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #19 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( H ) > Honegger, Arthur
  #28 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( C ) > Chausson, Ernest
  #33 in	Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Milhaud, Darius > Milhaud, Darius - Works by Milhaud

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Musicality and Technique, January 30, 2002

By A Customer

Paul Meyer is an excellent clarinetist, but when playing French music, superlatives are exhausted. Here he is at his most delicate, and his lightness of touch is something to behold. The Debussy Premier Rhapsody especially is gorgeous. Undoubtably one of the most musical payers out there today, I feel that this recording is one of Meyer's very best. It should be essential listening for any clarinetist, and includes a nice array of works from the canon, and those slightly less well known. One of the most listened to recordings in my library.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some beautiful interpretations here, October 7, 2003

By	Clarinet Chick (Adelaide, South Australia) - See all my reviews

I just bought this CD in the last 6 months and there is some absolutely BEAUTIFUL interpretations of the glorious music. Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie is gorgeous with just the right amount of vibrato. I'm not sure about his use of vibrato in other parts of the recordings but it works particularly well here.

The Poulenc sonata is also a highlight for me - the second movement sends shivers up my spine!

My only gripe would be the speeds of the Saint Saens sonata. I think he has taken a rather ambitious tempo for the 1st and 2nd movements (particularly the 2nd) which I think loses some of the charm of the individual notes (makes the triplets sound a bit of a farce!) The last movement is crazy but ultimately appropriate I think.

Overall, I think that Paul Meyer's interpretation of the music his country has contributed to the classical genre is admirable and Eric Le Sage does much to complement his playing. I would recommend it as the cd to buy if you're looking for a recording of Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie - I would've bought the CD for that alone.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pure of tone, but wavering musicality, April 13, 2004

By	george baker (Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Although Meyer's tone on this particular CD may come near to matching Harold Wright's, his interpretation of the Saint-Saens is replete with musical fallacies, the most obvious of which is the inappropriately brisk tempo. The Saint-Saens particularly vexed me; the first mvt. (Allegretto), in which he hastily stumbled through important phrases such as the d to high d short passage. The tonguing passages were almost stridently quick.
For an excellent recording of the Saint-Saens, I would recommend Janet Hilton. Her tone is just as French-sounding as Meyer's, and possibly more so. Her recording of the Poulenc Sonata is just as amazing.