Debussy's Corner

[Madiel]

Any recommendations for collections of Debussy's songs?

They don't have to be complete, but anyone who splits apart a set that Debussy composed loses points immediately.

Being a constant fan of the Hyperion label, I've got my eye on the (so far) 3 volumes with Malcolm Martineau as pianist, but I don't recall having seen mention of them around here.

[Spineur]

Not complete, but the best.  Nobody understand this music like Gérard Souzay.
I would also be interested in a recommendation for Debussy's "chansons de bilitis" after Pierre Louys, a truely erotic piece.  The music in Lydian and Dorian modes, also used in the Preludes.  I used to have them in vynil...
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[Madiel]

Funnily enough, Chansons de Bilitis are the only melodies I already have! I recently bought them on this disc of Regine Crespin, of which there are a couple of different editions:

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However, I don't have anything to compare it to. But having listened to the Debussy and Poulenc so far, I've enjoyed it a lot.

EDIT: I will consider the Souzay, but the program does have the bits-and-pieces approach I specifically don't like. Such as doing just 2 songs out of the 6 Ariettes Oubliees.

[Spineur]

Thank you Orfeo.  Yes the bits and pieces syndrome is really annoying in many CD releases today.  I suspect it has to do with the record industry and not with the performers who usually go in depth a complete cycle.

[Madiel]

I'm less sure about that. I suspect that in some cases, a singer finds certain songs that suit their voice but shy away from the complete collection/cycle because other songs won't suit them so well.

Come to think of it, many of the complete collections I'm aware of are based on a single pianist, and multiple singers. The Hyperion sets have gone that way (with Graham Johnson dominating as pianist - Schubert, Schumann, Faure, Poulenc, Brahms in progress and others I've probably forgotten), and there's also an excellent Rachmaninov set with Iain Burnside as pianist and 7 different singers. He's now working on an equivalent Medtner collection which I am very much looking forward to.

[ritter]

This might be of interest to admirers of "Claude de France" (cross-posted from the "New Releases" thread):

The two operas by Claude Debussy based on works by Edgar Allan Poe, completed by Robert Orledge:

Fragments of the Usher piece have long been available on CD conducted by Prêtre (and there's also a DVD of the completed / reconstucted version from the Bregenz Fesitival), but I at least have never come across any music from The Devil in the Belfry...

[Scion7]

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Marius Constant's concert suite is his 1983 arrangement of music from Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (1893-1902).
A quite beautiful arrangement.  Recorded in 1989 and released in 1991, it has now been re-issued with two other works.

[ritter]

The Marius Constant arrangement of Pelléas et Mélisande is also available on Naxos, conducted by Jun Märkl:

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Also available in the big 9 CD box of the complete orchetsral music.

There's also an adaptation by Erich Leinsdorf, which Claudio Abbado recorded with the BPO:

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I've listened to both arrangements, but have come to the conclusion that Debussy's Pelléas makes little sense when robbed of the words, and that these arrangements disfigure the work (much like, in the case of Wagner, all those "The Ring without Words" concotions)....

[Scion7]

But for those who don't care for opera, or THE opera,  at least you get the gorgeous melodies with the Suite.  I played it several times last night, as I haven't listened to it in years.

There is an interesting bio on Brahms by Richard A. Leonard in his book The Stream of Music (1943) with the following passage:

      At the very time that he was composing his Four Serious Songs, Claude Debussy was working upon Pelleas et Melisande. 
      Between these two works lies a chasm.  It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast in style, technical procedure, and in the
      ultimate aims of the two composers.

Of course, in 1943 he hadn't begun to imagine some of the extreme, often unlistenable avant-garde stuff that was yet to come that makes Brahms and Debussy seem like musical cousins. 

[Spineur]

This might be of interest to admirers of "Claude de France" (cross-posted from the "New Releases" thread):
Fragments of the Usher piece have long been available on CD conducted by Prêtre (and there's also a DVD of the completed / reconstucted version from the Bregenz Fesitival), but I at least have never come across any music from The Devil in the Belfry...

I tried to search for the 2005 Bregenzer Festspiele DVD production in all my usual OOP sources without success.
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I listen to the youtube version
https://www.youtube.com/v/VA68Qc0m6bA
Its very different from Pelleas.  Much darker.  This is a bloody story.  I really would like to see a staged version.

[Madiel]

Asking for recommendations again, but this time for any/all of the 3 late sonatas.

That's the Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata and the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. There are a couple of interesting discs I've spotted, but I don't want to pre-empt anyone else's suggestions just yet.

[Mirror Image]

Asking for recommendations again, but this time for any/all of the 3 late sonatas.

That's the Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata and the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. There are a couple of interesting discs I've spotted, but I don't want to pre-empt anyone else's suggestions just yet.

I definitely recommend the Nash Ensemble's performances on Virgin Classics. For my money, they can't be beat.

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[Spineur]

Asking for recommendations again, but this time for any/all of the 3 late sonatas.

That's the Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata and the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. There are a couple of interesting discs I've spotted, but I don't want to pre-empt anyone else's suggestions just yet.

I have this one which is I believe OOP.  The CD is quite nice except perhaps the Flute, viola & harp sonatawhich never turned me on.  I am afraid I am not terribly helpful here...

[Madiel]

I have this one which is I believe OOP.  The CD is quite nice except perhaps the Flute, viola & harp sonatawhich never turned me on.  I am afraid I am not terribly helpful here...

I'm not 100% certain it's exactly the same recordings, but I believe there's a repackaged version of this.

[amw]

iirc the Kuijkens on Arcana are pretty good in the sonatas & quartet

[Madiel]

I definitely recommend the Nash Ensemble's performances on Virgin Classics. For my money, they can't be beat.

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Thanks, this is on my radar and I have to look at this again. The reviews of the Debussy disc tend to be glowing. The Ravel coupling I'm slightly less sure about, but it does have a couple of things I'm very interested in.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks, this is on my radar and I have to look at this again. The reviews of the Debussy disc tend to be glowing. The Ravel coupling I'm slightly less sure about, but it does have a couple of things I'm very interested in.

You're welcome. Yeah, I think you would enjoy these performances. I haven't heard a lot of performances of Debussy's chamber music, but these Nash Ensemble performances have always stuck out to me.

[Scion7]

Put this on today after years of neglect:

[Scion7]

One I wish I had - the artwork tells the story.

[Scion7]

some favorites:
                                             1980 LP
   

 
^ original 1962 issue                                                                       ^1985 re-issue