What download have you bought?

[Bryn]

For clarity, is the basis of your view a belief in the fidelity to a composer's express wishes?

Not really a matter of belief. The composer's comments should be allowed to cloud the issue though. Much as I liked the nasal aspect of the string sound, the overall effect is just that bit lacking in obscurity. Everything well lit, so to speak. I will dig out my old favourite, the Czech P O/Fournet, and check if that still holds sway in my affection.

[Beef Oven!]

Not really a matter of belief. The composer's comments should be allowed to cloud the issue though. Much as I liked the nasal aspect of the string sound, the overall effect is just that bit lacking in obscurity. Everything well lit, so to speak. I will dig out my old favourite, the Czech P O/Fournet, and check if that still holds sway in my affection.

Interesting, the different views on this performance/recording. I haven't played and repeatedly replayed an album as much as this one, this month, since the days of rock! It's the freedom from nebulousness and obscurity that is a major contributor to my enjoyment of this release.

[Bryn]

Interesting, the different views on this performance/recording. I haven't played and repeatedly replayed an album as much as this one, this month, since the days of rock! It's the freedom from nebulousness and obscurity that is a major contributor to my enjoyment of this release.

Think:

[Beef Oven!]

Think:

Patchy

[Beresford]

The Xavier-Roth has an interesting parallel in Debussy's piano music. Daniel Ericourt, who turned pages at the piano for Debussy, recorded the complete piano music circa 1962, without a trace of waftiness, mist, nebulosity, or suchlike, and I love it. He's very good on quixotic changes in dynamics - springy rhythyms.

But when it comes to the Nocturnes, and Faun, I am addicted to the langour and ambiguity that thrilled me as a teenager.
I suspect this is something I will grow out of, if I listen to Xavier-Roth, or other HIPP versions, enough times.
And if the mistiness is omitted, the subtle dynamic changes become more important. In this respect I am not at all convinced by X-Roth, yet.

[Bryn]

This seems the right thread to mention the download facility operated by Cafe OTO. They have a fair old range of their own and related recording available for download. The standard charge is £6 for a CD's worth, for which you get either FLAC (most of which are 24 bit) or mp3. If you subscribe to their digital membeship (£10 per month or £100 per annum) you get credit for 3 downloads each month. See https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/membership/ for more info. Most Matchless and Incus recordings can be found there, though new releases to take a while to appear.

[jayne lee wilson]

Having marvelled again in the last few days at the Debussy recordings set down by CBSO/Rattle, and RCOA/Haitink, I can only add as a footnote how remarkable they are: a perfect balance of clarity, poetry, atmosphere.... as I said on the listening thread "delicacy, sensitivity and finesse..." and all in wonderful sound (Warwick Arts Centre was a very good recording venue..)...

Among the very few recordings I'm tempted to describe as "unsurpassable".... or near as dammit...

AFAIK, Rattle never recorded Nocturnes....?....
The Berlin DCH archive only has other conductors doing them...
How very odd... has anyone come across him performing them live?

[Beef Oven!]

Quite a coincidence Jayne! I have Simon Denis' CBSO Debussy performances on EMI on today's playlist.

Overall, although the set provided me with moments of joy when I bought it some years ago, my love of Debussy was not moved up a notch, and Jeux was a bit of a disappointment. Listening with 'new ears' today will be interesting. I will not set myself up to fail, so I shan't be looking for a "perfect balance of clarity, poetry, atmosphere ...." (I'm in clarity mood anyway, and as for poetry???).

I think you are right that Rattle didn't set down Nocturnes, but the astonishing Haitink is more than a compensation, IMO and serves as a very good back up to the Xavier-Roth, should one need one (and why not? It's fabulous).

Rattle's Images will be my starting point, which if my memory serves me well, is a strong point of the Rattle set.

[jayne lee wilson]

Try comparing the Jeux in both Rattle and Haitink, Beef.... Haitink - cooler and more elegant, Rattle warmer, more emotionally overt; but both lack for nothing really, with that lovely distancing to the recorded sound....

But the orchestral playing in both - that minutiae of expressive detail - is marvellous... possible, I think, only because of a longterm partnership...

[Nick Armstrong]

First purchase with a generous Presto voucher Xmas gift (hurrah! they've reinstated their vouchers after a year without, after their website revamp):



Extracts heard during Jeremy Summerly's survey of seasonal music, sounded stunning. Not always been a fan of The Sixteen and their recordings but this is a winner!

Will do very festively when driving over the next few days

[Beef Oven!]

Caliban, do you know if a smaller version is available? I don't want so much of my hard-drive taken up.

[Nick Armstrong]

Caliban, do you know if a smaller version is available? I don't want so much of my hard-drive taken up.

Wasn't that big on my screen... Replaced with a smaller one, is it still legible?

[Beef Oven!]

Wasn't that big on my screen... Replaced with a smaller one, is it still legible?

Fine. I was hardly being serious

[Nick Armstrong]

Fine. I was hardly being serious

I am here to oblige in whatever way I can, Sir

[Beef Oven!]

I am here to oblige in whatever way I can, Sir