The
general opinion among critics seems to be that this Nagano recording
of Delibes masterpiece is the finest available. Listening to this
very well filled highlights disc, it’s almost impossible to quibble
with that view. The main competition, at least in modern digital
recordings, appears to be from Richard Bonynge and the National
Philharmonic on Decca, and Mark Ermler and his Covent Garden forces
on their own label. But Nagano has such an infectious way with
this score that makes it very hard to resist, and at super-budget
this will be hard to beat.
In
fact an extracts disc of this piece makes good sense, and this
was a good seller for Erato even at full price. All the best tunes
are there, and at nearly 75 minutes, you are only missing around
20-odd minutes of music. So if the ‘bits’ are well chosen, as
here, you don’t feel you are missing out on much. Nagano really
had whipped the Lyon orchestra into superb shape by the mid-nineties,
and the suppleness, characterisation and sheer elan of the playing
are mightily impressive. Phrases, accents and the subtlest of
nuances all sound newly minted, and he is careful not to lose
sight of the whole picture so that narrative flow is maintained.
The score itself is, of course, one of the finest in this genre
to come out of the 19th Century, and that other great
ballet composer, Tchaikovsky, admired this work. As with so much
music from this period, the shadow of Wagner looms large in places,
and the opening Prelude’s horn call sounds straight out of the
Valhalla motive in Das Rheingold. But such is Nagano’s
illumination and alertness to the score’s colours that one is
transported effortlessly into this magic world without thinking
of other references. There are substantial items from all three
acts, and high points aplenty. I would particularly mention the
Act 2 Bolero, with its superb dash and brio, and
the opening March of Act 3, which has compelling forward momentum.
Also, the marvellous sequence of dances that follow are beautifully
turned, with a gorgeous viola solo in La Paix (track 23)
and a thrilling final Galop.
Recording
quality is outstanding, with plenty of detail and a spectacular
range. Notes are good, with a decent background plus fairly full
synopsis of each act. If you don’t know the piece, this is definitely
the place to start. If you own another version, supplement it
with this.
Tony
Haywood
Orchestra of the Lyon Opera/Kent
Nagano 
