Michel Plasson was born in Paris in 1933 and after his studies
as a pianist and percussionist went to the United States to work with
Leinsdorf, Stokowski and his compatriot Pierre Monteux. In 1968 he was
appointed conductor of the Capitole Orchestra in Toulouse and he has held
that post ever since. In 1994 he also became principal conductor of the
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. He had appeared with them as guest conductor
on several previous occasions, and the association was a fruitful one.
But he fulfilled both functions for only five years at which point he
relinquished the Dresden post. He has thus remained faithful to his orchestra
at Toulouse for thirty-four years, creating what is without question one
of the finest orchestras in France. He gives six or seven concerts a year
in the Halle aux Grains, a converted grain market not far from the centre
of the city, as well as others in the surrounding regions. His programmes
are always enterprising, but given the choice it is better to hear him
in Berlioz rather than Bach, in Mahler than in Mozart. His performances
of the larger works of Beethoven have been impressive, and he has always
been particularly active in promoting French music, including that by
lesser known composers such as Magnard. He has also given many first performances,
particularly of works by French composers. He is a fine conductor of opera
with a real sense of the theatre, and has conducted widely outside France
and Germany, both in the concert hall and the opera house. His son Emmanuel
is also a professional conductor.
The disc under review was recorded before he was appointed
to his post at Dresden, and the repertoire is one to which he is particularly
suited. The idea of programme music, based on literary themes, folk
tales or other, more or less lofty, extra-musical ideas, is a particularly
Romantic concept. The symphonic poem, in which this idea is developed
into a large-scale orchestral work, was a favourite of Liszt, as is
was to be to Richard Strauss and others. The four symphonic poems on
this disc are excellent examples of the form, though a curious feature
is that the orchestration of Tasso is by Joachim Raff and that
of Mazeppa seems to be have been a joint venture between Raff
and the composer. In any event the music is passionate and eventful,
which will not come as a surprise to those who know the piano concertos
or the earlier piano solo works, but without the darkness and the extremely
advanced harmonic innovations which are a feature of the music composed
closer to the end of his life.
Les Préludes presents the listener with
a succession of scenes taken from life, that life which is, in fact,
only a series of preludes to what happens after it. The music is anything
but fragmented, however; on the contrary, like the Piano Sonata the
musical material is perfectly controlled to make an organic and convincing
entity. Tasso celebrates the artistic suffering and eventual
triumph of the sixteenth century Italian poet Torquato Tasso, and Mazeppa
recounts the story of a Polish nobleman persecuted for his liaison with
countess but who also triumphs in the end. Orphée takes
as its starting point the traditional story of Orpheus and Euridice.
This is clearly music in which Michel Plasson believes
wholeheartedly, and he inspires the orchestra to really outstanding
playing. There is playing of remarkable delicacy when required, but
what is more striking is the extraordinary power the conductor encourages
from his players. Climaxes are overwhelming but the music remains clearly
articulated: all the participants well understand the difference between
power and mere weight.
This is, I think, the only disc available of this particular
combination of works. It is in any event totally successful and makes
the best possible case for this music. However, there is a Naxos disc
conducted by Michael Halász of almost the same programme – Prometheus
is substituted for Orphée – which is also very successful,
and for anyone who can’t get enough of Liszt’s symphonic poems there
is always the marvellous Kurt Masur on two EMI double albums.
William Hedley
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Michel Plasson