La Mer

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
This is the Debussy disc to buy if you're buying only one. All of the best and most popular orchestra music is here (the second of the "Images" is the well-known tone poem "Iberia"). Salonen must have the keenest ear in the business--no "impressionist" fuzz here. Musical textures are extraordinarily clear, but never at the expense of the music's natural sensuality. The Los Angeles Philharmonic has been playing at the very highest technical level ever since Esa-Pekka Salonen took over, and Sony has been documenting their work in top-quality sound. There are a lot of Debussy recordings, many of them very good, but it's hard to beat the all-around excellence of this one. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

La Mer: I. De l'aube a midi sur la mer
La Mer: II. Jeux de vagues
La Mer: III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Jeux
Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien I (Fragments symphoniques): La Cour des lys
Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien I (Fragments symphoniques): Danse extatique et Final du Premier Acte
Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien I (Fragments symphoniques): La Passion
Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien I (Fragments symphoniques): Le Bon Pasteur
Prelude 'aprmidi d'un faune

Tracks:

Images pour orchestre: Gigues
Images pour orchestre: Iberia: I. Par les rues et par les chemins
Images pour orchestre: Iberia: II. Les Parfums de la nuit
Images pour orchestre: Iberia: III. Le Matin d'un jour de f
Images pour orchestre: Rondes de printemps
Trois Noctures: Nuages
Trois Noctures: Fs
Trois Noctures: Sirs
Printemps: Trmod
Printemps: Mod

Customer Reviews:

La Mer is one of my all-time favorites.......2006-01-11

There is nothing quite like Dutoit's handling of some of Debussy's timeless masterpieces. All have enormous strength and have clear sound quality. The piece that gives me the shivers the most is La Mer. It has the perfect oceanic feeling that some other conductors forget about. I can just imagine the stormy sea letting out its dangerous but majestic fury when listening to the third movement. Images for Orchestra and Printemps are also fabulous. Highly recommended for those who are interested in impressionistic music.

Wonderful.......2004-03-30

Charles Dutoit does so pretty wonderful things with this Debussy set and his orchestra is in top-notch form. Dutoit handles these works well, bringing delicacy of phrasing, sweeping crescendos, and awesome sonics. Rarely does can an orchestra sound calm, quiet, even serene AND loud, dramatic, and forceful. La Mer is particularly striking in Dutoit's hands. Decca's crystal clear sound makes this set even more attractive. Highly recommended.

Great interpretations, but the recorded sound is ok.......2002-08-30

Charles Dutoit does so pretty wonderful things with this Debussy set and his orchestra is in top notch form. However, the reason I gave this CD set only 4 starts is because the recorded sound less much to be desired. The cd sound is very "echo"y, it sounds like the orchestra is playing in a cave, not a concert hall. If that doesn't bother you then go for this set. As for me, I want Debussy with a little clearer of a sound.

Ravishing Debussy from a master of French music.......1999-12-11

Most of Dutoit's Debussy recordings were released at the beginning of the 1990s and are of the same very high standard of his Ravel and Poulenc recordings, and it is good to have the best-known of them reissued on a well-documented 2-CD bargain set. The sound quality is fantastic. This set comes into competition with Haitink's excellent Philips Duo set, and choice between the two sets will probably be determined by the minor works included. The Haitink set has long been the first recommendation in this repertoire, and the analogue sound is excellent, if not as spectacular as that of the Dutoit set. It should be noted, however, that those who buy the Dutoit set along with Martinon's "Orchestral Works II" set on EMI's Double Forte label will have obtained virtually all of Debussy's orchestral compositions and transcriptions all for not too many dead presidents.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic set
great collection
Beautiful music
Great
Comfy Debussy, for when you don't want to be seduced

Debussy: Orchestral Music

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000417P
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Berceuse heroique
Images: Gigues
Images: Iberia: Par les rues et par les chemins
Images: Iberia: Les perfums de la nuit
Images: Iberia: Le matin d'un jour fe fete
Images: Rondes de printemps
Jeux: Poeme Danse
Marche ecossaise

Tracks:

Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune
Nocturnes: Nuages
Nocturnes: Fetes
Nocturnes: Sirenes
La Mer: De l'aube a midi sur la mer
La Mer: Jeux de vagues
La Mer: Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Dances For Harp And Strings: Danse sacree
Dances For Harp And Strings: Danse profane

Amazon.com

Bernard Haitink's recordings of the Nocturnes and Jeux were hailed as among the finest available when initially issued. That LP provided rather short measure. Now you can get all of Debussy's most important orchestral music on two CDs for the price of one, and if the remaining performances don't quite reach the exalted level of the Nocturnes and Jeux, they come so close as to make no difference. Haitink was not a very assertive conductor (and he's gotten less so with age), but he was fortunate to have one of the world's best orchestras at the tip of his baton, and their recordings were a true collaborative effort. Their approach works particularly well for Debussy. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic set.......2007-05-02

This set is wonderful for anyone who is looking to get acquainted with Debussy, as well as anyone looking for new interpretations of his famous orchestral work. This 2 disk contains my favorite rendering of the majestic "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun", as well as my favorite recording of the three Nocturnes and "Images". These three pieces are improved by the warm and luminous, yet vague ("impressionistic") sound of this recording.

The harp dances sound wonderful. So does the clarinet rhapsodie. The soloist has wonderful tone.

Elsewhere, the audio quality is my only complaint about this set - "La Mer", being as it is a highly dense, orchestrated piece of work, would benefit from added clarity and higher audio fidelity, but the version here is still very good. The other piece that suffers from the overly reverberant, slightly muddy sound is "Berceuse Heroique", an amazing and powerful shorter piece, summarizing whole years of life in a blur of 5 minutes... here, unfortunately, the louder moments turn into incoherent chaos.

All of the playing is fantastic, the intonation is great... I've never heard this music so expressive.

Highly recommended for definitive versions of "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun", "Nocturnes" and "Images". Everything else is good as well. 4.5 stars.

great collection.......2007-03-13

The first concert I ever saw in the Kimmel Center was Valery Gergiev conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra playing La mer, Prelude de l'apres-midi d'un faune, and a Schubert symphony. The orchestra was under-rehearsed, but I remember being transfixed during both Debussy pieces (and I think Gergiev received quite a standing ovation). There is something special about Debussy's orchestral music that few other composers (Ravel, perhaps) can match.

The individual performances in this collection are not mindblowingly brilliant, but as a whole, this collection is quite satisfying. The Concertgebouw Orchestra plays well, as usual, and it's helped by great recording quality (voted Gramophone Magazine's best engineered recording in 1980). If you want more unique performances of individual pieces, look at Munch (for example), but if you want a well-played, comprehensive collection, get this CD. It's one of my favorites.

Beautiful music.......2006-10-23

I can't get enough of these discs; the sound is superb! A fabulous journey into the "impressionist" art of Debussy.

Great.......2006-05-27

True, Haitink is not a "ZIP! ZING! POW! conductor" like David A. FLetcher mentioned in his review (I thought it was funny put, so I wanted to quote it), but he sure knows how to let the music do the speaking.

These are not "impressionistic" readings and I'm glad they're not, although the orchestra sounds warm and round, a little "cosy" if you like, but that's fine, I love the sound.
The playing is accurate and flexible and I think Haitink's "Images" is one of the best recordings I heard of this work, next with Boulez' excellent recording on DG.

The "Prelude a l'apres midi.." is a bit on the slow side and some nice details you'll hear in Boulez' recordings (Sony and DG) are somewhat underplayed...or not very good recorded?, but the mood and sound are great.

I think the sound of the RCO and Philips analogue recording are superb and do great justice to Debussy's musical universe.
Boulez might be more idiomatic, his recordings are the standard for me, but the warmer sound of the RCO with Haitink on Philips is something special indeed.

Excellent disc.

Comfy Debussy, for when you don't want to be seduced.......2005-11-04

I am a little miffed for believing the reviewers here about this Philips two-fer. I would have assumed that Haitink, the maestro of middle-of-the-road, would give us comfortable, well-balanced, plain-faced Debussy, not sparkling, enchanting Debussy. As it turns out, that assumption was right. These Seventies recordings, some in excellent sound (Jeux and Trois Noctournes in particular), are lusciously played. But attentive as Haitink is, there is no seductiveness to the music.

I'm not being all that critical: in the wrong hands Debussy's gossamer textures and irregular rhythms get sea-sick and swoony. Haitink is sober all the way, his La Mer too much so, and also his Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fuan. The two most famous readings in this set, Jeux and the Nocturns, benefit from Haitink's modesty. By keeping the rhythm steady and being scrupulous about orchestral blend, both works sound beautiful without becoming luxuriant or slippery.

Nothing in Haitink's hands sounds like Ravel, and that's a high compliment. For that reason, I will keep this set. I don't need to be enchanted every day.

Average customer rating:

The only set you need
Outstanding performances at any price
More Evocative than some of Mahler's Symphonies
One stop shopping! Unparalleled Debussy, and excellent Ravel
In Debussy Martinon is unbeatble!

Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Claude Debussy , Jean Martinon , and Orchestre de Paris
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00006HM8X
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

I: De L'aube A Midi Sur La Mer - Jean Martinon
II: Jeux De Vagues - Jean Martinon
III: Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer - Jean Martinon
I: Nuages - Jean Martinon
II: Fetes - Jean Martinon
III: Sirenes - Choeurs De L'Ortf
Prelude A L'apres-midi D'un Faune - Alain Marion
Marche Ecossaise - Jean Martinon
Berceuse Heroique - Jean Martinon
I: Fanfare - Jean Martinon
II: Le Sommeil De Lear - Jean Martinon

Tracks:

Jeux (Poeme Danse) - Jean Martinon
1. Gigues/2. Iberia - Jean Martinon
I: Par Les Rues Et Par Les Chemins - Jean Martinon
II: Les Parfums De La Nuit - Jean Martinon
III: Le Matin D'un Jour De Fete - Jean Martinon
3. Rondes De Printemps - Jean Martinon
Premiere Partie - Jean Martinon
Deuxieme Partie - Fabienne Boury

Tracks:

1. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum - Jules Goetgheluck
2. Jimbo's Lullaby - Jules Goetgheluck
3. Serenade For The Doll - Jules Goetgheluck
4. The Snow Is Dancing - Jules Goetgheluck
5. The Little Shepherd - Jules Goetgheluck
6. Golliwoggs Cakewalk - Jules Goetgheluck
I: En Bateau - Jean Martinon
II: Cortege - Jean Martinon
III: Menuet - Jean Martinon
IV: Ballet - Jean Martinon
I: Danse Sacree - Marie-Claire Jamet
II: Danse Profane - Marie-Claire Jamet
I: Le Magasin De Jouets - Jean Martinon
II: Le Champ De Bataille - Jean Martinon
III: La Bergerie A Vendre - Jean Martinon
IV: Apres Fortune Faite - Jean Martinon

Tracks:

I: Andante - Allegro - Aldo Ciccolini
II: Lento E Molto Espressivo - Aldo Ciccolini
III: Allegro Molto - Aldo Ciccolini
La Plus Que Lente - John Leach
Premiere Rapsodie Pour Orchestre Avec Clarinette Principale - Guy Dangain
Rapsodie Pour Orchestre Et Saxophone Solo - Jean-Marie Loneix
Khamma - Fabienne Boury
Danse: Tarantelle Styrienne - Jean Martinon

Tracks:

Bolero - Marcel Galiegue
Une Barque Sur L'Ocean (Miroirs: No.3) - Orchestre De Paris
Prelude - Orchestre De Paris
Premier Tableau: Danse Du Rouet Et Scene - Orchestre De Paris
Deuxieme Tableau: Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Troisieme Tableau: Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Quatrieme Tableau: Petit Poucet - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Cinquieme Tableau: Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Sixieme Tableau: Le Jardin Feerique - Orchestre De Paris
Alborada Del Gracioso (Miroirs: No.4) - Andre Sennedat
I: Prelude A La Nuit - Orchestre De Paris
II: Malaguena - Orchestre De Paris
III: Habanera - Orchestre De Paris
IV: Feria - Orchestre De Paris

Tracks:

Sheherazade: Ouverture De Feerie - Orchestre De Paris
La Valse (Poeme Choregraphique) - Orchestre De Paris
I: Prelude - Orchestre De Paris
II: Forlane - Orchestre De Paris
III: Menuet - Orchestre De Paris
IV: Rigaudon - Orchestre De Paris
Menuet Antique - Orchestre De Paris
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - Michel Garcin-Marrou
1. Modere - Orchestre De Paris
2. Assez Lent - Orchestre De Paris
3. Modere - Orchestre De Paris
4. Assez Anime - Orchestre De Paris
5. Presque Lent - Orchestre De Paris
6. Assez Vif - Orchestre De Paris
7. Moins Vif - Orchestre De Paris
8. Epilogue: Lent - Orchestre De Paris

Tracks:

Introduction - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Religieuse - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Scene - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Generale - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Scene - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Grotesque De Dorcon - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Legere Et Gracieuse De Daphnis - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Scene - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Nocturne - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Lente Et Mysterieuse Des Nymphes - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Interlude - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Introduction - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danses Guerrieres Et Diverses - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Suppliante De Chloe - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Introduction - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Lever Du Jour - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Pantomime - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Generale - Bacchanale - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera

Tracks:

Lento - Aldo Ciccolini
Piu Lento - Aldo Ciccolini
Allegro - Aldo Ciccolini
I: Allegramente - Jean-Claude Malgoire
II: Adagio Assai - Jean-Claude Malgoire
III: Presto - Jean-Claude Malgoire
Lento, Quasi Cadenza - Moderato - Itzhak Perlman

Amazon.com

At long last, Jean Martinon's classic EMI Debussy and Ravel cycles from the 1970s have been gathered in a space-saving, budget-priced box set. If you love this repertoire, you'll gasp with joy at the conductor's crystal-clear orchestral balances, which truly reproduce what you see in the printed music. If you respond to a lean, sinewy approach to this repertoire in the manner of Toscanini and Boulez, but pine for the timbral characteristics that used to distinguish French orchestras (silver-coated strings, tart woodwinds, and slightly watery brass) in gorgeous, vibrant sonics, Martinon's your man. Aldo Ciccolini's crisp, diamond-edged finger work stands out in Ravel's two piano concertos and in Debussy's rarely heard Fantasie. The young Itzhak Perlman's dazzling, effortless traversal of Ravel's Tzigane will humble many an aspiring fiddler. And you won't find a more sparkling, translucent Ravel Mother Goose Suite on record. Martinon was a marvel, and a sadly underrated podium giant. Grab this set while you can. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

The only set you need.......2006-01-13

After owning dozens of Debussy, Ravel recordings, all I can say is ,
if you have this set, no need to look further.
My Ingelbrecht sets are good, but Martinon is better.
Forget the Munch and Monteaux, Bernsteins, Levine, Karajan (UUCCKKKK) etc etc.

Outstanding performances at any price.......2005-04-28

This boxed set provides a comprehensive collection of the orchestral works of both Debussy and Ravel. Jean Martinon conducts the Orchestre National de l'ORTF in the Debussy and the Orchestre de Paris in the Ravel pieces. The sound is stunning, and the performances are extraordinarily engaging. I have other sets of music by these composers (Simon and the Philharmonia Orchestra for the Debussy) Michal Tilson Thomas and the LSO as well as Boulez and the Berlin Philharmonic for some of the Ravel pieces (Boulez and the NY Phil for Daphnis and Chloe) but these other sets do not contain all the music in the 8 CDs by Martinon and his orchestras. I agree with the other reviewers who find the Debussy especially compelling. I am listening to La Mer now, and the recording captures the performance perfectly, clearly separating the horns, strings and woodwinds and providing a great balance. This is a very dramatic reading of La Mer! However, I find the Ravel performances equally inspired. The Daphnis and Chloe performance is tremendously exciting, and the ballet Ma Mere l'Oye is exquisite. When I decided to buy this set, I was looking for performances that would give me new insight into familiar works and also introduce me to some musical treats like Debussy's La Boite a Joujoux. I was not disappointed. This set is not just a bargain, it's a real treasure!

More Evocative than some of Mahler's Symphonies.......2005-01-25

I can't exactly visualise the oils of the French impressionists when hearing these pieces. But I do know what the other reviewer is talking about and the point is well made. They are so inspiring and evocative that they touch your heart strings perhaps deeper than most of Mahler's symphonies despite Mahler's gigantic orchetrations! The recorded sound is excellent: and the conductor is obviously gifted and the orchestra is just beautiful despite the fact that I am no big fan of either Ciccolini or Perlman. Believe it or not, in Hong Kong HK Records and HMV are selling the boxset at about 60% of the listed price in US: a real bargain. Grap it while it is still available, particularly those who live in HK.

One stop shopping! Unparalleled Debussy, and excellent Ravel.......2004-11-21

I've treasured both of these cycles since the 1970s when both appeared in single LP installements, each one eagerly awaited with deserved anticipation. To get them both in outstanding remasterings in a bargain priced box set is almost unthinkable. I'd pay twice the price, even more, if I had to for these recordings.

Other recordings of individual works may excel these, like Karajan's La Mer, or Monteux's Daphnis, Haitink's Nocturnes, and so on. But when listened to in such consistent interpretations as these from Jean Martinon, the works as a whole take on a different dimension. Each work is like a chapter in a novel, and they all weave together to make a very satisfying experience that is quite different than one gets with just the individual compositions.

That is especially true of the Debussy.

Two different Orchestras are represented. The Debussy are performed by the French National Orchestra, the Ravel by the more well known Orchestre De Paris, an orchestra that made recordings in those days with such notables as Kerbert von Karajan and Seiji Ozawa. The Debussy, though is actually better executed. The ensemble is tighter, the string tone more sumptuous.

The Debussy has no competition for completeness. No other conductor has traversed the entire orchestral output with the thoroughness that Martinon has. Boulez is probably the closest available. I think very highly of the Boulez recordings, especially the newer ones for DG. But the interpretations lack the unity and consistency that Martinon maintains throughout the cycle.

There is more competition with the Ravel, though. When issued, the cycle was met equally by an excellent set from the Minnesota Orchestra under Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, which came in a box at a lower price. Again, Martinon won my heart for his consistency. The Skrowaczewski was better executed by the Minnesota Orchestra than Martinon's Orchetre De Paris. The EMI sound was better, but back then the quality of the Angel LPs was terrible, so the Skrowaczewski go tthe nod for technical superiority unless you were fortunate enough to get your hands on more expensive import copies of the Martinon. There was a cycle from Ozawa on DG also, but artistically it could not match up with the other two. When CDs were introduced, along came Charles Dutoit and the Montreal SO on London/Decca. And they came with a huge splash and acclaim. I puked! and I have always puked when I hear Dutoit conduct anything, with maybe one or two exceptions. Dutoit makes Ravel sound too smooth and glossy. I do give the Decca engineers great credit for the sound (though the Daphnis gets my vote as the worst CD ever produced, being that it was 55 minutes long with no tracks or indexes!).

Now that EMI have so excellently remastered the Martinon recordings though,the choice for a complete set of the orchestral works is very clear. The experience of Martinon's unified consistent interpretations is not quite the same with Ravel as it is with Debussy, partly owing to a less well formed vision from that composer than Debussy. Debussy was more rigid in his world view and musical thought throughout his life, whereas Ravel wavered in many different directions.

When you consider the price, there no reason to think twice about this set. The accompanying booklet is not extremely comprehensive, but adequate enough.

In Debussy Martinon is unbeatble!.......2004-07-31

Jean Martinon is the last director really inmersed in the impresionist mood . His performances are deeply inspired and above all idiomatic . Marie Claire Jamet in the Sacred Dances is absolutely comitted with the elusive forms and pagan enchantment.
Martinon belonged to that hard to find status conductor who really know to engage with the composer mood . So when he played his music the results were overwhelming . He had a enormous gift to suggest . I still remind The Prokoviev seventh symphony with the Chicago Symphony and I can not get another first movement so well performed , for instance .
Back to Debussy he combines the charm and nuance with that incorporean and elusive approach that Debussy and Ravel demands . I state a parallel (if I may) between Martinon - Debussy and Beecham - Delius in what idiomatism concerns .
When Martinon performs Debussy the paintings of Matisse , Monet and Manet seem to awake and come to our mind .
The prientemps and the children 's corner are absolutely of first rate . The clarinet rhapsody is the best in the market .
In the images I prefer the Ansermet version , but the whole set is fundamental if you enjoy the orchestral music of Debussy.
Notice I have not mentioned Ravel works . I have another name in Ravel : Andre Cluytens . But this is out of context.

Debussy: Images/Prelude a l'Apres-Midi d'un Faune/La Mer

Average customer rating:

By far, a director above the average!
Familiar Debussy
Enervated Debussy in amazing sound
The Inherent Color Palette of Impressionism
Lacking in Dynamism

Debussy: Images/Prelude a l'Apres-Midi d'un Faune/La Mer
Claude Debussy , Esa-Pekka Salonen , Janet Ferguson , and Los Angeles Philarmonic
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Le Sacre du Printemps [Hybrid SACD]
Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures

ASIN: B0000029R5
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Images pour orchestre: I - Gigues
Images pour orchestre: II - Iberia: Par les rues et par les chemins
Images pour orchestre: II - Iberia: Les Parfums de la nuit
Images pour orchestre: II - Iberia: Le Matin d'un jour de fete
Images pour orchestre: III - Rondes de printemps
Prelude a'l'apres-midi d'un faune
Le Mer - Trois Esquisses Symphoniques: I - De l'aube a midi sur la mer
Le Mer -Trois Esquisses Symphoniques: II- Jeuxde vagues
Le Mer - Trois Esquisses Symphoniques: III - Dialogue du vent et de la mer

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the Debussy disc to buy if you're buying only one. All of the best and most popular orchestra music is here (the second of the "Images" is the well-known tone poem "Iberia"). Salonen must have the keenest ear in the business--no "impressionist" fuzz here. Musical textures are extraordinarily clear, but never at the expense of the music's natural sensuality. The Los Angeles Philharmonic has been playing at the very highest technical level ever since Esa-Pekka Salonen took over, and Sony has been documenting their work in top-quality sound. There are a lot of Debussy recordings, many of them very good, but it's hard to beat the all-around excellence of this one. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

By far, a director above the average!.......2007-07-06

Esa Pekka Salonen is one of these few conductors gifted of that invisible touch of genius that may be felt since the first bars of this exigent composer. He confers this first rate orchestra an incorporeal density, hovered by a variegated blend of textures, suggestive visual landscapes, sensual lyrisicm and accurate expression. And here between you and me I must recognize that only three other conductors are in this reduced list, Arturo Toscanini (with the most radiant version of La Mer ever recorded), Leopold Stokowski and finally the talented director Michael Tilson Thomas from 1971 with the Boston Symphony(Who can match with his version of Prelude?).

Pekka remarked with visible knowledge of the sense of the score those suggestive musical moments, in which the inflections and changes of modulation are so neccesary in case you are really involved with spirit of this imaginative and well gifted composer.

Familiar Debussy.......2005-11-30

As a follow-up to a successful CD featuring lesser-known orchestral works by Claude Debussy, this disk features some of Debussy's most famous works with the Los Angeles Philharmonic playing under Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Images is a three-movement work, the first of which, Gigues, is a calm prelude to the rest of the piece. As the title might suggest, Gigues hints at some danciness, but overall represents a calm with typical Debussy orchestrations. The second movement, Iberia, is divided in three parts (Streets and Byways, Fragrance of the Night, and The Morning of a Festival). There are obvious references to Spain, especially rhythmically and through creative orchestration; but Debussy doesn't sacrifice his sound to overt Spanish-ness. Debussy depicts the bustling streets, the winds and chimes at night, and the awakening of a village for a festival, all with the Debussy touch. The final movement combines the lyrical with the rhythmical to give the entire work a grand conclusion. Debussy's sounds are always lush and intriguing, often calling on harps and bells, as well as special string effects, to create what we consider his "sound". This work exemplifies Debussy at his best.

The tone poem Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun put Debussy on the map. The opening chromatic melody and eventual harmonization is haunting; with modal progressions and interesting orchestrations. A true miniature masterpiece.

Debussy's love of the sea is greatly portrayed in the three-movement work La Mer. Debussy begins optimistically on a calm sea and moves into the second movement with a more joyous and happy jaunt on the ocean. It is not until the extroverted third movement when the seas become more stormy. But still, the view is still upbeat, and the work ends with a feeling of renewed grandeur. A popular work for a reason, La Mer is the epitome of Debussy's expressiveness, descriptiveness, and inventiveness in music portraits.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic again plays excellently; still vibrant and vivid. Salonen pays close attention to detail in the score and the listener can feel the great love the musicians have of the music. You will have to compare on your own this Sony Debussy collection to the series on DG under Pierre Boulez, a consummate Debussy interpreter. Both are good editions to have, the choice is yours.

Enervated Debussy in amazing sound.......2005-10-29

Salonen and the L.A. Phil. have been making a series of sonically spectacular 20-bit recordings (most of them needing corporate subsidy since they don't sell very well, even in L.A.) For this recording of Debussy staples the orchestra went to the Todd A-O studio in Hollywood, and the result is a fantastically detailed soundscape with enticing clarity and great impact.

Musically, however, I found little to appreciate. For Salonen, who models himslf as a post-modern conductor, it goes without saying that deep expressiveness and romanticism are taboo. But here he seems to think that Debussy is a stylistic zero. Aside from precise articulation, this music has nothing to say. Salonen's tempos are slow on the whole, but more than that they are shapeless. Events follow one another without any apparent joy or enthusiasm. So for me this was a Clockwork Orange kind of experience--hip, empty, and apathetic.

The Inherent Color Palette of Impressionism.......2005-03-26

It is always interesting to see how many contemporary composers honor the works of Claude Debussy, a composer that is the quintessential impressionist artist and as such has been allowed to shimmer off into the sunset by many conductors today.

Esa-Pekka Salonen continues to grow as a composer of lavish orchestral color and a broad spectrum of timbres and instrumentation and so it seems only logical that he should have an affinity for the orchestral works of Debussy. He consistently programs these works with the LA Philharmonic and by this time it is generally accepted that he is one of the finest conductors of Debussy's large works. His conducting of Debussy's opera 'Pelleas and Melisande' remains a gold standard.

Here, on this singularly splendid recording are three of Debussy's challenging works. Salonen finds all of the transparencies, the tautly woven threads of themes that wash in and out of the orchestral sound, and the brio of the large moments as in 'La Mer' and at all times keeps these fragile sonorities alive and throbbing. The 'Images' pulsate with atmosphere, 'Prelude a l'apres Midi d'un Faune' is sensual without falling into the vulgar, and the 'La Mer' is simply overwhelming in capturing the moods of the sea.

Salonen and the LA Phil are as solid a team as any in the world now and one only hopes they will continue to record and capture the masterpieces of the literature even in the face of downsizing of classical music recordings. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, March 05

Lacking in Dynamism.......2002-05-11

I'm sure that Esa-Pekka Salonen has done a remarkable job with these three pieces, but at the same time I found myself waiting for something to happen. While I can't agree with the semi-common criticism that Claude Debussy's compositions are musical wallpaper, they do seem to lack a certain dynamism that would spark the interest of a classical music neophyte such as myself. It is true that 'La Mer' has some fire in it, but even this is muted to a great extent. Meanwhile, the "Images pour orchestre" and "Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune" carry very little to attract the casual listener. So, while the music is rather technically proficient, I can't recommend it for someone unless they are already very familiar with what they are getting. A less familiar listener will likely be a trifle disappointed.

Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun; En Bateau; La Mer; Images

Average customer rating:

A golden album!
Debussy Extravaganza! Giulini's 'La Mer' Resurrected

Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun; En Bateau; La Mer; Images

Manufacturer: Universal Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird Suite (1919)
Debussy: Images/Prelude a l'Apres-Midi d'un Faune/La Mer
Brahms: Symphony No. 1; Variations on a Theme by Haydn; Tragic Overture
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain
Debussy: Piano Works

ASIN: B00009P1PK
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun
En Bateau
From Dawn Till Noon On The Sea
Play Of The Waves
Dialogue Of The Wind And The Sea
Gigues
Iberia
Iberia
Iberia
Rondes De Printemps

Customer Reviews:

A golden album! .......2006-04-11

Debussy' s Prelude performed by Michael Tilson Thomas not only is superb performance of this well known Opus. I would rather to remark we are in front of the most luxuriant version ever made until now in all the musical story. Tilson Thomas sealed his name with Boston in four historical performances; the legendary and unexplainably out of print version of Stravinsky `s Rite of Spring; Carl Ruggles Sun trader, the majuscule version of Tchaikovsky `s First Symphony and this one.

Debussy ` La Mer in hands of Giulini is sumptuous, imaginative and profoundly engaging. Maybe if not for Toscanini magisterial interpretation with the NBC orchestra in the early Fifties, This would be securely, the most pyramidal performance of this magnum selection.

Debussy Extravaganza! Giulini's 'La Mer' Resurrected.......2006-03-30

At last someone has had the foresight to gather these fine individual performances of Claude Debussy's masterworks for orchestra and released them at an unbelievably low price! And while the entire album is a treasure, the reason to obtain this recording as fast as you can is that finally Carlo Maria Giulini's definitive performance of 'La Mer' with the Los Angeles Philharmonic is once again available after years of deletion from the catalogue.

But back to this CD release. The opening work is 'Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune' as performed by Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra and this performance finds Tilson Thomas subtly restrained in the best sense of the word. He allows the short work to simply unfold naturally. He is graced with the famous flautist Doriot Anthony Dwyer from the Boston Symphony who will always be considered as one of the foremost artists of the flute.

'Petite suite (4) En Bateau' is floated with the inimitable charm that supports Ernest Ansermet as a Debussy interpreter par excellence and here he is in fine mettle with the L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Michael Tilson Thomas returns with 'Trois Images' again with the luxurious sound of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

But the piece de resistance of this superb release is the incomparably magnificent 'La Mer' as sculpted by Carlo Maria Giulini and his Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, a recording made when he was Music Director of the orchestra. Though Giulini is far better known for his Bruckner, Schubert, Mahler, Haydn etc, here he demonstrated the pivotal importance of this great Debussy orchestral tone poem. Giulini is famous for asking his orchestra never to give sound more than what is beautiful. In his vision of 'La Mer' the huge climaxes rise and fall as grandly as the ocean itself. Ever in control of the architecture of the work, Giulini brings grandeur to this piece that startles even the most devoted aficionados of Impressionist music. It is a performance to treasure and at last it is available once again. Highly Recommended. Buy it while you can. Grady Harp, March 06

Debussy: Complete Works for Orchestra, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Quality and Value

Debussy: Complete Works for Orchestra, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Nuages
Fetes
Sirenes
Jeux (Poeme Danse)
De L'Aube A Midi Sur La Mer
Jeux De Vagues
Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer

Tracks:

Gigues
Iberia
Rhondes De Printemps
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
Khamma

Customer Reviews:

Quality and Value.......2001-01-29

Vox Box offers quality recordings at low prices. This album features European performers of outstanding talent. I cannot imagine any better orchestral rendition of Debussy! I just wish I could find Volume II...

Average customer rating:

Better in the less-familiar works

Debussy: Complete Works for Orchestra

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Complete Orchestral Works
Debussy: Complete Chamber Music
Elgar: The 2 Symphonies; Enigma Variations; Overtures; Serenade; Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto
Debussy: The Complete Works For Piano
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

ASIN: B0000VM3YA
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

I. De L'aube A Midi Sur La Mer Tres Lent - Modere, Sans Lenteur (Dans Un Rythme Tres Souple
II. Jeux De Vagues - Allegro (Dans Un Rythme Tres Souple)
III. Dialoque Du Vent Et De La Mer - Anime Et Tumultueux
1. Nuages - The Renaissance Singers
2. Fetes - The Renaissance Singers
3. Sirenes - The Renaissance Singers
I. Tres Modere
II. Modere
Prelude A L'apres-midi D'un Faune - Colin Fleming

Tracks:

Images: 1 Gigues - Rachel Ingleton
I. Par Les Rues Et Par Les Chemins
II. Les Parfums De La Nuit
III. Le Matin D'un Jour De Fete
Images: 3. Rondes De Printemps
Poeme Danse
Legende Dansee

Tracks:

Prelude - Tres Modere
Modere (D'abord Hesitant, Puis En Animant Beaucoup)
Moderement Anime
Tres Modere
Meme Mouvement
Epilogue - Christopher Blake
I. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum. Moderement Anime
II. Jimbo's Lullaby. Assez Modere
III. Serenade For The Doll. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo
IV. The Snow Is Dancing. Moderement Anime
V. The Little Shepherd. Tres Modere
VI. Golliwog's Cake-Walk. Allegro Giusto
I. En Bateau. Andantino
II. Cortege. Moderato
III. Menuet. Moderato
IV. Ballet. Allegro Giusto
Allegretto Scherzando
Allegretto

Tracks:

I. Andante Ma Non Troppo - Allegro Giusto - Anne Queffelec
II. Lento E Molto Espressivo - Anne Queffelec
Allegro Molto - Anne Queffelec
Reveusement Lent - Christopher King
Danse Sacree. Tres Modere - Rachel Masters
Danse Profane. Modere - Rachel Masters
Tres Modere - Gerard McChrystal
Avec Une Elegance Grave Et Lente
Quasi Una Cadenza - Tempo: Modere Et Tres Souple
Lent - Derek Bell
Andante, Tres Expressif

Customer Reviews:

Better in the less-familiar works.......2007-04-22

Yan-Pascal Tortelier produces a surprisingly French timbre from the Ulster Orchestra (in contrast to the women's chorus in "Sirenes," which wafts to the ear as endearingly and beguilingly--if incongruously--Irish), and this conductor clearly knows his Debussy. Yet like another Frenchman who recorded a comprehensive survey of Debussy's orchestral music, Jean Martinon, Tortelier makes a stronger impression with the lesser-known works, many of them orchestrated by hands other than the composer's. As fluent as the music-making is, all too often there's something tossed-off and careless about it. This manifests in overly-smooth phrasing and inconsistent orchestral balances--sometimes tellingly transparent, sometimes skewed to over-emphasize a particular strand at the expense of coherence. For this reason, Tortelier's "La Mer" and "Nocturnes," unfortunately, cause me to think of other, more successful performances I'd rather be hearing, and likewise "Jeux," although "Images" is a winner. Throughout the cycle, I'm not too crazy about Chandos' very resonant and distant sound, which gives the music an opulence that is foreign to its character--and creates its own intereference with details registering properly. Moreover, "La Mer" has been recorded with an exaggeratedly wide dynamic range, so that the opening bars are nearly inaudible. Still, there isn't too much competition for Debussy sets that offer this much music at a bargain price.

Average customer rating:

Essential Debussy

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Essential Rachmaninov
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ASIN: B000069HME
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Clair De Lune From Suite Bergamasque - Boston Pops Orchestra
Nuages From Noelurnes - Boston Pops Orchestra
Fetes From Nocturnes - Boston Pops Orchestra
Iberia: Par Les Ruces Et Par Les Chemins From Images For Orchestra - Cleveland Orchestra
Iberia: Les Parfms De La Nuit From Images For Orchestra - Cleveland Orchestra
Iberia: Le Matin D'Un Jour De Fete From Images For Orchestra - Cleveland Orchestra
Children's Corner: Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
Children's Corner: Jimbo's Lullaby - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
Children's Corner: Serenade For The Doll - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
Children's Corner: The Snow Is Dancing - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
Children's Corner: The Little Shepherd - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cake-Walk - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
La Mer: I. De I'Aube A Midi Aur La Mer - Berlin Philharmonic
La Mar: II. Jeux De Vagues - Berlin Philharmonic
La Mer: III. Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer - Berlin Philharmonic

Tracks:

Prelude To 'The Afternoon Of A Faun' - Berlin Philharmonic
En Bateau From Petite Suite - Orchestra Suisse Romande
Ballat From Petite Suite - Orchestra Suisse Romande
Arabeaques No. 1 (Andantino Con Moto) - Pascal Roge
La Plus Que Lente - Tamas Vasary
Des Pas Sur La Neige From Preludes - Book 1 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair From Preludes - BooK 1 - Alexis Weissenberg
The Sunken Cathedral From Preludes - Boox 1 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Minstrels From Preludes - Book 1 - Jean-Rodolphe Kars
La Puerta Del Vino From Preludes - Book 2 - Claudio Arrau
Faux D'Artifice From Preludes - Book 2 - Jorge Bolet
Toccata From Pour Le Piano - Zoltan Kocsis
L'Isle Joyeuse - Alexis Weissenberg
Reflets Dans L'Eau From Images - Book 1 - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Jardins Sous La Pluie From Eatampes - Sviatoslav Richter
La Soiree Dans Grenade From Estampes - Sviatoslav Richter
Syrinx For Solo Flute - Boston Symphony Chambers Players

Average customer rating:

The Best of Debussy

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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The Best of Ravel
The Best of Haydn
The Best of Dvorák
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Best of Schumann

ASIN: B0000014HE
Release Date: 1997-01-01

Tracks:

De l'aube a midi sur la mer (From Dawn To Midday On The Sea): La Mer - BRT Philharmonic Orchestra (Brussels)
Andantino con moto: Arabesque No.1 - Klara Kormendi (Piano)
Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune - BRT Philharmonic Orchestra (Brussels)
Lisle joyeuse - Peter Bagy (Piano)
Sirenes: Nocturnes - BRT Philharmonic Orchestra (Brussels)
Poissons d'or (Goldfish): Images - Klara Kormendi (Piano)
Clair de lune (Moonlight) From Suite bergamasque - Slovak Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Bratislava)
Allegretto scherzando: Arabesque No.2 - Klara Kormendi (Piano)
Andantino doucement ecpressif: String Quartet No.1 In G Minor, Op.10 - Kodaly Quartet
La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl With Flaxen Hair) From Preludes, Book 1 - Klara Kormendi (Piano)
Le matin d'un jour de fete (The Festal Morning): Iberia - BRT Philharmonic Orchestra (Brussels)

Average customer rating:

Debussy: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

ASIN: B0000CESR6
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Music Review: