Along with Horowitz's famous interpretation, Van Cliburn's is one that makes every bar of the Barber Sonata really speak. Even in an excessively dry recording he manages to suggest an epic dimension, with song, dance, struggle and celebration held in admirable balance.

And it is not just the Barber which makes this an exceptionally desirable reissue. Cliburn's Mozart is beautifully shaded, scrupulously stylish and sensitive to harmonic pulls towards the dark side; and his Debussy is both supple and suavely textured, with a wonderfully judged rhapsodic abandon in ''La soiree dans Grenade''. I could understand some listeners finding the Mozart a little too well-scrubbed and toy-soldierish in places, and there is a tendency for shapes in the Debussy pieces to be too spasmodic—the Octaves Study is not helped by an exaggerated response to caesuras, and ''Jardins sous la pluie'' is too fast and marred by persistent mis-reading of B sharps as B naturals. But all that detracts very little from a truly distinguished souvenir of Cliburn's artistry.

-- Gramophone (5/1991)

ROBERT AND GABY CASADESUS - TW

DEBUSSY: LE MARTYR DE SAINT-SE

THE HEIFETZ COLLECTION VOL 6 -

NOCTURNE - JAMES GALWAY DAVID

A casual look at the programme might reasonably raise the reader's expectation of a recording of one- and two-piano music, but it would be a misguided one—six, not four, hands are involved, and if there was a piano in the studio at the time it remained silent; the hands are those of three guitarists. There is, however, nothing new in the arrangement of judiciously chosen piano music for one or more guitars, indeed such arrangements helped to see the music of Granados and Atbéniz through lean years, and it is a decade since Julian Bream and John Williams recorded their duo arrangement of the Dolly suite (also for RCA). It might be objected that, though both the piano and the guitar are percussive instruments, the sonorities are radically changed, but they are no less so when harpsichord music emerges from a piano. Have not, too, composers orchestrated some of their piano works—and even guitar pieces (start with Falla and Rodrigo), and who has complained about Busser's orchestration of Debussy's Petite Suite?

The guitar is capable of a far greater variety of tone-colour than any piano, so that these present arrangements are in effect orchestrations. There can be problems of co-ordination, not least with percussive instruments, when the work of one player is subdivided amongst more, but in this case they do not arise: the Amsterdam Guitar Trio have had the same personnel since their formation in 1978, and their members were fellow-students. They possess both technique and musicality in abundance and their ensemble has a unanimity of which any chamber ensemble, of whatever composition, might be proud. An advertising slogan once ran: "I've never tried Guinness—1 don't like it"; don't reject this recording without allowing yourself to enjoy this music in its new and alluring dress. No lingering objection could concern the recording per se, for it is superb.

-- John Duarte, Gramophone [7/1989]

Coming into French and English from the Greek elegos ('lament'), an elegy (elegie) is a poetic or musical composition expressing sorrow or lamentation, typically mourning the loss of a loved one or reflecting on themes of grief and melancholy. Massenet's famous 'Clair de lune', presented here in an arrangement by the composer himself, envelops us in a dreamlike atmosphere, with the piano painting a delicate lunar landscape permeated by a subtle melancholy. The original is one of the most touching scenes in the opera Werther, when the protagonist feels his love for Charlotte rising within him. Contrary to popular belief, Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte is not dedicated to a departed soul. Rather, it is a nostalgic evocation of an imaginary childhood, rich in charm and mystery. Joseph Jemain's orchestration adds, if possible, further depth and suggestiveness to Ravel's music by introducing the piano into the ensemble, the protagonist of Ravel's original version. The violin and piano engage in a dialogue of deep contemplation in Saint-Saens's elegie in D, Op.143. The poignant melody and refined harmony express feelings of loss and consolation. This very intense and moving piece has secured an important place in the violin repertoire. The cello assumes the role of narrator in Faure's elegie, Op.24 recounting a story of pain and hope with great expressive intensity. A highly lyrical and touching piece, it is distinguished by it's expressive writing and singable melody. Debussy's Suite bergamasque transports us to a world of dreams and suggestions. Through four evocative dances with a Renaissance and Baroque flavour, the orchestra leads us on a musical journey rich in charm and delicacy. Wilhelm Renz's orchestration makes Debussy's picturesque music even more vivid. Renz is also the arranger of the Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals featured here. His orchestral version adds brilliance and colour to the composer's music while maintaining it's original spirit of fun and irony, streamlining the orchestration in some places and adding elements for a richer, more layered sound in others. Other information: - Recorded August 2023 in Anzio (Italy) - Booklet in English contains liner notes by Valerio Vicari and profiles of the orchestra and conductor - A beautiful program featuring French music from the turn of the 19/20th century, evoking a late-romantic and mildly impressionistic atmosphere in elegiac mood. - The works presented are Elegies by Saint-Saens (1835-1921), Faure (1845-1924), Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) and Massenet (1842-1912), the Suite Bergamasque by Debussy (1862-1918), Pavane by Ravel (1875-1937) and, to conclude in a more spirited mood, the Carnaval des Animaux by Saint-Saens. Several of the works are transcribed for an instrumental ensemble featuring flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello & double bass. - Sensuous and evocative performances by the Roma Tre Orchestra, conducted by Sieva Borzak.

The Romanian conductor Constantin Silvestri (1913-1969) began his distinguished career in 1930 with the Bucharest Radio Symphony Orchestra, leading to the directorship of the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra in 1945. In 1956 Silvestri moved to Paris and a year later he made his UK debut with the London Philharmonic. This led to a major contract with EMI, under which he conducted the Philharmonia, the Paris Conservatoire and the Vienna Philharmonic orchestras in a wide selection of repertoire including Bartok, Debussy, Dvorak, Elgar, Franck, Hindemith, Liszt, Ravel, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. These 'Spanish'-themed recordings are rarities and belonged to Silvestri's private collection, only discovered after his death. Silvestri's live performances of Debussy's Iberia, Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain (Noches en los jardines de Espa�a) and The Three Cornered Hat (Le tricorne) are new additions to his large discography, either commercial recordings or live broadcasts. The wide-ranging recording captures Silvestri's hugely dynamic, colourful and expressive conducting of these popular Spanish-influenced works

DEBUSSY: PRELUDES BOOKS 1 & 2

Claude Debussy is considered by today's critics as one of the artists who mark the turning point between two great periods in the history of music: the romantic heritage of the 19th century and the modernity of the 20th. At the beginning of his career Debussy was defined an impressionist, the musical equivalent of impressionism in figurative arts. This label fell upon him quite obviously, but because of his connections with Mallarm� and Maeterlinck it didn't' quite suit him, so much that later on he would rather be defined a symbolist artist. Generally speaking, the symbolist movement is what best describes Debussy's art. But the composer had created his first masterpiece, the cantata La Damoiselle �lue on a text written by Dante Gabriele Rossetti, the most eminent figure of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and his last works had been contemporary, from both the chronological and spiritual point of view, to the beginning of the abstract movement initiated by Mondrian. In Debussy's piano works we can find the signs of his evolution which allow us to understand the several phases of his poetics, not only as an artist but as a music conveyor, carried in parallel with all the artistic fields from the 19th to the 20th century. The extraordinary bravura of pianist Ilia Kim is the strong point of this release which features works that Debussy composed over several periods of his career, thus providing an accurate and complete insight of the composer's evolution.

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
Digital CD 16Bit 44.1Khz. Originally recorded in: DSD

"...In each of these performances the RSNO, keenly responsive to Denève after his seven seasons as chief conductor, confirm the absolute precision, transparency and - in Jeux as much as anywhere – passion required for these scores. The detail in Images is exquisite (with a lovely oboe d'amore solo by Katherine Mackintosh). The Nocturnes, especially Fêtes, achieve a shimmering, decidedly un-Monet-like glaze, and La Mer erupts and glistens."

- Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 12, May 2012

"When Debussy's String Quartet is so often partnered on disc by Ravel's, a considerable chunk of the enjoyment to be had from this recording is down to the simple fact that it's a Debussy-only programme. It's true that Debussy left slim pickings for chamber string ensembles, but the Brodsky Quartet have shown here what musical riches are possible with the combination of Debussy and string quartet forces when a bit of lateral thinking comes into play, together with a few guest artists...Just when works suitable for string quartet really are running out, in steps Brodsky viola player Paul Cassidy with his string quartet arrangement of Rêverie, originally for solo piano. Written contemporaneously to the Quartet, Debussy may have intended it as little more than a charming salon piece, but Cassidy's scoring is so similar to that of the quartet that the work has taken on a new identity. Far from feeling like an “And finally...” bonbon, its new gravitas makes it a fitting bookend to the programme, a partner to the Quartet, and an unexpected delight."

- Charlotte Gardner, BBC [04-18-2012]

The Brodsky Quartet celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. Formed in 1972, the Quartet quickly emerged at the forefront of the international chamber music scene. It has performed more than 2000 concerts and made more than fifty highly acclaimed recordings. Now exclusive Chandos artists, the Brodsky players are releasing their second album on Chandos with guest soloists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and the harpist Sioned Williams.

The Trio for piano, violin, and cello is an early work, written before Debussy established his own very distinctive musical language heard in pieces such as La Mer. Another early piece, Rêverie, for piano, was written by the young, struggling composer at a time when he was trying to make a living in Paris. The easiest market to break into for a composer was the salon, where songs and not-too-taxing piano music were in demand. Rêverie was one of several charming and tuneful works that Debussy wrote for this scene.

In a somewhat different league, the String Quartet is considered a defining work in the history of chamber music. Sensual and impressionistic, it employs a cyclic structure that constituted a split from the rules of classical form and pointed the way forward. In the words of Pierre Boulez, Debussy freed chamber music from ‘rigid structure, frozen rhetoric, and rigid aesthetics’.

The Deux Danses, made up of the ‘Danse sacrée’ and ‘Danse profane’, complete the disc. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Parisian instrument makers Pleyel invented a ‘chromatic harp’ which dispensed with pedals and achieved the full chromatic compass from two rows of strings that slanted across one another. Debussy was approached to write two pieces intended for a final examination of the Pleyel model. ‘Danse sacrée’ makes use of Church modes, while ‘Danse profane’ is a kind of sarabande. The ‘competition’ aspect of the pieces is highlighted by the fact that, after the opening introduction, the harpist has no more than six bars’ rest. As it happened, the Pleyel model never caught on, and the works are now always performed on a pedal harp.

DEBUSSY: PRELUDES FOR PIANO BO

Debussy: La mer, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Danse &

TAKE 2 - DEBUSSY: ORCHESTRAL W