Claude DEBUSSY(1862 - 1918) Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1892/1894)
[9:05] La Mer - Trois esquisses symphoniques (1903/1905) [21:48]
Jeux (Poème dansé) (1913) [17:06]
Khamma (orch. Charles Koechlin)(1912) [19:32]
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet
rec. Oct 1957, May 1958, Dec 1964 Victoria Hall, Geneva. ADD
NEWTON CLASSICS 8802043 [67:52]
Newton did not leave the Ansermet revival of 2010 to the admirable
Australian Eloquence label. Newton seem to have persona grata
status to pick and choose amongst the Philips-DG-Decca-Universal
coffers.
Ansermet (1883-1969) is heard here in heartland territory and
is flattered by superb Decca analogue close-up stereo. Listen
to those triangle impacts at the end of the Prélude
à l’après-midi d’un faune. The
vivid impact of the recording complements Ansermet's directness
of utterance. There are moments, especially in De l'aube
à midi sur la mer, where I can hear what enthused
the producers of Horst Stein's classic OSR Sibelius sessions
to travel, some decade later, to Victoria Hall, Geneva. Ansermet
keeps things moving and favours a fast pulse where others lean
towards languor. Every tissue wisp of sound is rendered with
analytical address. It’s gorgeous - a well calculated
balance between diaphanous clarity and translucent warmth. This
can be heard even in the late afternoon chill of Dialogue
du vent et de la mer.
Newton have paired two famous pieces with two comparative obscurities.
Jeux is a fragile meandering bloom the premiere of which
was destined to be eclipsed a fortnight later by Stravinsky's
Rite. Khamma is a legend in dance and pagan death.
It dates from 1924 and had to wait until 1947 before it was
staged. It was orchestrated by Charles Koechlin. The invention
is exotic and intriguing - not as smokily sensuous as Schmitt's
Salomé or Antoine but in the same broad
mood territory. Similar territory is covered by two 2-disc sets
issued by Cyrus Meher-Homji’s wonderfully productive Eloquence
label (read Bob
Briggs’ review). Newton Classics will certainly appeal
if all you need is a good single Ansermet-Debussy disc collection.
They have done a truly stylish job all round.
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet 