BaL 18.05.24 - Debussy: Jeux

[richardfinegold]

Indeed, I am predisposed to like pretty much anything conducted by Jean Martinon (most recently the live ORTF Mahler 3) so upgraded the Debussy recordings with a Japanese SACD set of the four CDs a few years ago.

I have those Martinon recordings in a reissue from Brilliant Classics. Do you find the Japanese SACDs to be a major upgrade? What do you play your SACD recordings with?
The Brilliant is a major improvement over the LPs.

[HighlandDougie]

I have those Martinon recordings in a reissue from Brilliant Classics. Do you find the Japanese SACDs to be a major upgrade? What do you play your SACD recordings with?
The Brilliant is a major improvement over the LPs.

The Japanese SACDs are 2-channel so they are well suited to the Esoteric SACD player(s) - one in France and one in Scotland. Currently just back in (a very wet) Hong Kong so keen to see what new Japanese treasures Percival Records might have in stock with which to tempt me.

[cloughie]

I think that Jeux, for me, is a pleasant enough listen, but I cannot recall having sought it as a primary purchase though Inhave a number of recordings acquired as couplings of other Debussy or Ravel recordings for which my magnet has worked.

[CallMePaul]

I too was outdoors on a glorious day here in York, so didn't listen.

No mention of 'also recommended'.

"Also recommended" seems to have disappeared from BAL this season. I think a recent reviewer (can't remember who) said that she was required to select just one recommendation, but I would have thought that the final three played would count as "also recommended".

[MickyD]

Sadly "out of stock at the UK distributor", as I much preferred the excerpts played to Rattle. This seems to be an increasingly common problem with Harmonia Mundi, and I wonder if this isa prelude to deletion of the hard copy Cds and the recordings moving to download only, which does not suit everyone (I've not checked on Amazon but if it is not available via Presto they are likely to charge an exhorbitant price).

It's possible that Harmonia Mundi will re-release the Roth. They have already changed the covers of the original Actes Sud issues to their own house style, and the Jeux disc was part of a Debussy centenary cycle which had a special issue look about it. But yes, I have noticed that their CD formats tend not to hang around for long these days.

[MickyD]

… evidence here of afternoon BALs losing an engaged listenership? Can’t remember a time when there were no comments during/immediately after a broadcast

Or perhaps it’s Jeux…

I'm sure you're right... Saturday morning always signified Record Review to me. It's only later on in the week now that I think of checking what the contents of the programme were, and sometimes I forget it completely.

[gurnemanz]

… evidence here of afternoon BALs losing an engaged listenership? Can’t remember a time when there were no comments during/immediately after a broadcast

Or perhaps it’s Jeux…

Lieder often elicit a tumbleweed response: Schumann's Myrthen (BaL 29.10.22) had 14 contributions, three of which were from me.

However, I'm sure you're right to suggest that the afternoon slot will probably reduce interest in BaL generally.

[Pulcinella]

Lieder often elicit a tumbleweed response: Schumann's Myrthen (BaL 29.10.22) had 14 contributions, three of which were from me.

However, I'm sure you're right to suggest that the afternoon slot will probably reduce interest in BaL generally.

Time will tell, but we've had some good comments on some recent threads; it really can depend a great deal on the chosen work.
And we'll see how the alternative Tribune threads work out too: they might stimulate some interesting discussions.

[LMcD]

Lieder often elicit a tumbleweed response: Schumann's Myrthen (BaL 29.10.22) had 14 contributions, three of which were from me.

However, I'm sure you're right to suggest that the afternoon slot will probably reduce interest in BaL generally.

I shall listen to RR for the first time since it was moved when recordings of the Elgar 1st are discussed, because it's one of the few works of which I already have more than a couple of recordings and I'm not kidding myself that I'll never buy another! It's one of those works that seems to inspire wonderful concert performances and wonderful recordings,

[silvestrione]

It's an odd work, really, or hard to relate to. Its very unsubstantial quality seems to be its point, somehow. 'Ah, what shall I do tonight? I know, I'll put on a disc Debussy's Jeux. I love that bit where....'.With excited anticipation?...I think not.

But unique, probably a masterpiece.