Jean Martinon, French conductor of a class and a remarkable charisma, recorded in 1974, two years before his death, the orchestral complete works of Debussy and Ravel at EMI.
The chef, totally in tune with the clarity and elegance of this music is accompanied by the National Orchestra of the ORTF which he made one of the best universities worldwide, a remarkable accuracy.
The sound of this record is a clarity and a technical level might envy sound engineers today.
Of the 8 drives the cabinet, 4 for Debussy among others extremely famous three symphonic sketches for orchestra or simply "La Mer"
Completed in 1905 during the stay of Debussy on the Channel coast at Eastbourne, she portrays the impressions of the musician facing the Norman shores and Guernsey.
During about 25 minutes, this symphony is based on three movements:
From dawn to afternoon on the sea, waves games, Dialogue of the wind and the sea.
This is all in Sea ebb and flow, suns rays reflecting off the restless waves, Martinon lulls us by the Symbolists and harmonies of his orchestra rose to the level of a Charles Munch or Thomas Tylson.
Another moment of anthology, "Prelude to the afternoon of a faun": composed between 1892 and 1894 and inspired the poem "L'Apres-midi d'un Faune" by Stéphane Mallarmé, this is according to Debussy a symphonic poem that illustrates successive move funds over which the desires and dreams of the faun in the heat of an afternoon.
Best example of impressionist music, the work here is a true poem of ecstasy and Martinon immerses us in a bucolic and mythological world bathed in a fascinating and disturbing atmosphere in chiaroscuro. Rarely inspiration was not brought to such perfection.
The Ravel 4 drives include:
Bolero archi known interpretation breathless opening extravaganza which is a juicy brilliant orchestral page and mischievous makes rutiller the orchestra and delights our ears; this piece with oriental charm plunges inspiration from Rimsky Korsakov Ravel adored.
The Spanish Rhapsody reveals its Iberian pages of Spain still, frozen in a past and a stifling heat, wearing his disturbing and cruel rhythms, Malaguena his way to his place of intoxicating strings and flutes of implacable direction that arise suddenly percussion Andalusian Spain.
The famous 1920 Vienna waltz depicts an imperial First, with a reminiscence evening chamarée a Habsburg palace and degenerates gradually towards worrying whirlpools increasingly dark and crazy, hallucinating parable of the fall Empire viel in the chaos of war. Martinon here makes this transition particularly dark in the euphoric madness.
The boat on the ocean is a real magic Debussy leaves us to think of a sunset over the sea straight out of a painting by Monnet; Martinon and rchestre of Paris give wonders of grace and closing his eyes waves lapping the magic reaches you and your chair starts to flicker to the rhythm of the waves.
The ancient minuet is a tribute to Ravel to the French tradition of musicians from the former regime that magnified minuets, forlanes, Minor, chaconnes and others.
This tradition and love of dance and rhythm, Ravel, in contact with their Russian and ballets in the early twentieth century will sublimate his Daphnis and Chloe reaches here summits; Only Monteux and Munch were done as well.
Dance still in the Tombeau de Couperin, in four parts, dedicated to a friend who died in battle, dominated by the solo oboe painfully recalls the memory of the loved one. These dances which follow are also Ravel affirmation of the survival of the French spirit to the Holocaust of World War II.
The struts for a Dead Princess plunges into this enchanting Spain through a poignant ultra famous tomb that never ceases to move us. The mother is Basque and Ravel Ravel has always said with pride these origins, we better understand the incredible talent to portray this enchanting Spain which is a little thread of the full and that sparkles its impetuous rhythms punctuated by castanets .
Finally Noble and sentimental waltzes, turn back to Impressionism and drift into nostalgic mists rather germanisantes.
This box is a work of public salvation, a tribute to French music, a large class of conductor, Martinon finally to beauty in general.
