The Ravel-Debussy coupling of LP days receives a makeover here.
Once again Forgotten Records mines the back catalogue to compile
an hour-plus programme that concentrates on French chamber and
instrumental music recorded between 1952 and 1959. The twist
is that, therefore, there are no quartets.
Debussy is represented by the Sonata for flute, viola and harp,
played by an elite trio of players: Rampal, Pasquier, le Dentu.
Despite the tendency of Parisian recording studios to be chilly,
this is an atmospheric performance. The harpist is the least
well-known but she keeps her well-known partners company, with
Pierre Pasquier (of Pasquier Trio fame) adding timbral grit
through his sophisticated bowing. There’s tremendous sweep
to the Interlude but also a great deal of textual clarity:
and with Rampal and Pasquier in full unison, it sounds like
a quintet. For the Danse sacrée and Danse profane
Pierre Jamet was accompanied capably by the Orchestre de la
Société de Musique de Chambre de Paris, conducted
by Pierre Capdevielle. Jamet is certainly more celebrated than
Dentu, and is as much in command of the colour of the slow weave
of the sacred as the flightier zest of the profane. When it
comes to questions of disc rarity, what often matters is the
more hard-to-find recording, and both these Debussy recordings
were first issued on Ducretet-Thomson.
Jamet is soloist again, primus inter pares with some unidentified
radio orchestra soloists, in the Ravel Introduction and Allegro.
The elegant vivacity and precision of the French school is heard
here. Rampal’s recording with the composer of Poulenc’s
Flute Sonata came three years after its composition in 1956.
Its confection of insinuating charm, chic, and elegy is always
welcome, not least when Poulenc is at the piano. His dapper
pianism spurs on Rampal to feats of acrobatic brilliance in
the finale. I suspect, though, that Rampal’s recording
of the work with Veyron-Lacroix may be the better known, in
which case I urge admirers to hear this one. Poulenc first recorded
his 1926 Trio for piano, oboe and bassoon in 1928. It was reissued
by Pearl in 1988. For this 1959 LP remake he’s joined
by Pierre Pierlot (oboe) and Maurice Allard (bassoon). These
excellent chamber musicians made an excellent ensemble and they
project the wan charm of the central slow movement with particular
care.
This cleverly compiled and well transferred disc contains some
important recordings and will appeal strongly to collectors.
Jonathan Woolf
Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute): Pierre Pasquier (viola): Odette Le Dentu
(harp) 