Debussy La Mer: favourite recordings

[Beef Oven!]

Here are a few Tabachnik Xenakis performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPNhyzfx5oM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev7E2KDW6Zw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNd81WWYgYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Txie4lAMk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYiKqrKXdhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdrSBU8qd3Q

I did mention the cult by way of explaining why he isn't better known these days. Before the 1990s he was a major figure in contemporary music.

Thanks for the links.

Your mentioning of the cult was relevant and helpful, I wasn't criticising, btw.

[jayne lee wilson]

I'd recommend you do. I find it a very interesting performance. I often struggle with performances of La Mer because they can be too focused on the impressionist aspect of the music and almost ignore the clear rhythmic path that is there. Tabachnik gets this right for me from the word go. Also, the dynamics can be overdone to the point of cliché (even in my beloved Karajan recordings), something that Tabachnik seems to have perfect judgement in.

It's worth saying something about the BRT Brussels. To my ears they are an excellent orchestra. I have long owned Naxos recordings with Alexander Rahbari conducting them in Bartók and Debussy. Fabulous performances.

This current CD does not get much of a thumbs up from the usual music reviewers, something that makes me wonder whether they listen properly or even make their minds up before they have listened to the CD.

Interesting accusation....online, print...?...who did you have in mind..?

[teamsaint]

There is a nice “ What Next” after La mer article in this month’s Gramophone.

Among the suggested works that I don’t know are Delius North Country Sketches and Glazunov’s The Sea.

[Master Jacques]

There is a nice “ What Next” after La mer article in this month’s Gramophone.

Among the suggested works that I don’t know are Delius North Country Sketches and Glazunov’s The Sea.

Instead of the latter, which I personally consider a disappointingly pallid piece of near-juvenilia, if you don't know it may I respectfully suggest Bax's The Garden of Fand? It's an utterly compelling picture of the Hebridean / Irish corner of the Atlantic, glinting gulf stream seas to contrast with Debussy's pictures, but equally magical in its own way. The central section (Fand's song) is one of the most memorable things AB ever wrote, which is saying something.

[mathias broucek]

Instead of the latter, which I personally consider a disappointingly pallid piece of near-juvenilia, if you don't know it may I respectfully suggest Bax's The Garden of Fand? It's an utterly compelling picture of the Hebridean / Irish corner of the Atlantic, glinting gulf stream seas to contrast with Debussy's pictures, but equally magical in its own way. The central section (Fand's song) is one of the most memorable things AB ever wrote, which is saying something.

Seconded on the Bax. Frank Bridge's The Sea is good too. There's a nice BIS record of the Debussy, Bridge and Glazunov

[jayne lee wilson]

I must demur from MJ about Glazunov's The Sea, I think its one of his best works, especially if Svetlanov is doing it...... (& 24 is quite old enough to write a masterpiece...)...

But you want the all-time, epic, humdingering, mazy and meandering, gloriously fantastical sea-poem? Are you ready to take it on? Then take an earful of....

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/ciurlionis-complete-works-for-orchestra-lithuanian-national-symphony-orchestra-juozas-domarkas/ds5s8rk5rka2b

Continuous play for almost half an hour ...Oh but wait.... there's even a 37-minute original version......

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphonic-Poems-M-K-Ciurlionis/dp/B000000WLH/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=ciurlionis&qid=1577736439&s=music&sr=1-15

[teamsaint]

I must demur from MJ about Glazunov's The Sea, I think its one of his best works, especially if Svetlanov is doing it...... (& 24 is quite old enough to write a masterpiece...)...

But you want the all-time, epic, humdingering, mazy and meandering, gloriously fantastical sea-poem? Are you ready to take it on? Then take an earful of....

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/ciurlionis-complete-works-for-orchestra-lithuanian-national-symphony-orchestra-juozas-domarkas/ds5s8rk5rka2b

Continuous play for almost half an hour....Oh but wait.... there's even a 37-minute original version......
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphonic-P...=music&sr=1-15

Glazunov? Young enough to teach Elgar the odd thing ........

Anyhow, reedy to give the Ciurlionis another go......but it seems Frank Bridge didn’t make the cut......

[jayne lee wilson]

There's a live concert, almost too vividly recorded, which has both Glazunov (best recording I've heard) and Ciurlionis (not the very best account, but fine) with a startling Debussy ....a terrific occasion in the Moscow Great Hall, trumpets blaring and glaring....you may need the scopolamine...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Svetlanov-Symphony-Orchestra-Russian-Federation/dp/B013OYVBFQ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=exton+sea&qid=1577736944&sr=8-2

Can't find CD or lossless anywhere though...but just grab it if you do....have a hunt in HMV.jp....

[Bryn]

There's a live concert, almost too vividly recorded, which has both Glazunov (best recording I've heard) and Ciurlionis (not the very best account, but fine) with a startling Debussy ....a terrific occasion in the Moscow Great Hall, trumpets blaring and glaring....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Svetlanov-Symphony-Orchestra-Russian-Federation/dp/B013OYVBFQ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=exton+sea&qid=1577736944&sr=8-2

Can't find CD or lossless anywhere though...but just grab it if you do....have a hunt in HMV.jp....

See https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...75980--the-sea for FLAC download at a sensible price, or on CD with different cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Ciurlio.../dp/B00152U0IY

[jayne lee wilson]

See https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...75980--the-sea for FLAC download at a sensible price, or on CD with different cover: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Ciurlio.../dp/B00152U0IY

Great that Presto have it, but the CD looks a bit dodgy to me....not the Exton is it......so what's the licensing label? Its important as the sound especially in the Debussy can be a little fierce but Exton tonmeisters have as usual managed it well...
Applause after each work, BTW - very enthusiastic after the Ciurlionis, and no wonder - its some culmination!

More on the other one here.... apparently from the Svetlanova archive....

https://www.cdandlp.com/evgeny-svetlanov/ciurlionis-sea-debussy-la-mer-glazunov-sea-rec.1973-1993/cd/r119172703/

Looks OK, Caveat Emptor but probably worth a shot if you don't take the Presto files.......

[AmpH]

There's a live concert, almost too vividly recorded, which has both Glazunov (best recording I've heard) and Ciurlionis (not the very best account, but fine) with a startling Debussy ....a terrific occasion in the Moscow Great Hall, trumpets blaring and glaring....you may need the scopolamine...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Svetlanov-Symphony-Orchestra-Russian-Federation/dp/B013OYVBFQ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=exton+sea&qid=1577736944&sr=8-2

Can't find CD or lossless anywhere though...but just grab it if you do....have a hunt in HMV.jp....

This one ??

https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Classical-Collection-Orchestral-Music_000000000065307/item_Umi_2558188

[Bryn]

Great that Presto have it, but the CD looks a bit dodgy to me....not the Exton is it......so what's the licensing label? Its important as the sound especially in the Debussy can be a little fierce but Exton tonmeisters have as usual managed it well...

More on the other one here.... apparently from the Svetlanova archive....

https://www.cdandlp.com/evgeny-svetlanov/ciurlionis-sea-debussy-la-mer-glazunov-sea-rec.1973-1993/cd/r119172703/

Looks OK, Caveat Emptor but probably worth a shot if you don't take the Presto files.......

Indeed. No provenance offered for the CD version on Amazon. The Presto Classical FLAC option looks to be safest.

[verismissimo]

… 24 is quite old enough to write a masterpiece...

Some people think that Mendelssohn was past it by then … not that I'm one of them.

[BBMmk2]

Lucerne FO, Abbado c/w Mahler’s 2nd!!!

[Master Jacques]

There's a nice BIS record of the Debussy, Bridge and Glazunov

Hear, hear! The fact that the orchestra isn't a European Rolls-Royce outfit has led to this superlative BIS disc being given short shrift in some places. But for me Lan Shui and his Singapore forces came up with a compellingly lucid La Mer, outstandingly recorded, a real revelation with a refreshingly different angle on the piece; while their Bridge is as good as any on the market. They even manage to make Glazunov's trickle of inspiration sound reasonably like a tidal flow!