BaL 11.06.22 - Debussy: La Mer

[mikealdren]

One of those pieces that Toscanini did to perfection imv and never mind the recording quality thus I've never bothered to buy other versions good as I am sure they are.

Totally agree, the first LP version I bought (NBC) and only his other versions come close for me.

[BBMmk2]

I wonder how many there are, in the catalogue?

[Pulcinella]

I wonder how many there are, in the catalogue?

Alpie's list gives you a clue, BBM.


(Though there may be others that are still streamable, I guess!)

[gurnemanz]

Many people will have the Haitink Philips Duo Debussy Orchestral Music which appeared in 2006. It is still very much around as a Decca twofer. La Mer from this set was William Mival's BaL choice in 2008.

It is one of my four CD versions: Two Toscaninis on the complete RCA box and von Karajan 60s DG - all already mentioned above.

[Pulcinella]

We had a thread on La Mer a few years' back, prior to a Rob Cowan survey in the Gramophone. He chose Halle/Elder. On the forum, I seem to remember mentions for Karajan (by the way, there are three BPO/Karajan, two on DG, one on EMI), particularly his 60s DG, and the Lucerne/Abbado, which now remains my favourite.

Rob Cowan's article is available here:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/debussy-s-la-mer-a-complete-guide-to-the-best-recordings

I hadn't known this:

iii features brass ‘fanfares’ ... that would – had Debussy left them in – be on page 157 of my Eulenberg score, above forte woodwind and tremolando strings. The story goes that the ‘fanfare’ tune so resembled the five-note title-phrase of the then relatively recent song ‘Ciribiribin’ (Alberto Pestalozza, 1898) that every time the passage appeared in concert there would be titters among the audience. Hence its excision, which in my view is a great shame, as it suggests a desperate alarm amid the storm.

which might explain why I've enjoyed some versions (those that restore it) more than others, though I should have realised what was going on.

[Bryn]

Rob Cowan's article is available here:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/debussy-s-la-mer-a-complete-guide-to-the-best-recordings

I hadn't known this:



which might explain why I've enjoyed some versions (those that restore it) more than others, though I should have realised what was going on.

Hmm. now that begs the question, which recordings to be considered this time offer the restoration of these fanfares? I must dig out the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Pierre Monteux (RCO Live) which I presume is in the big RCO radio recordings box.

[LHC]

Many people will have the Haitink Philips Duo Debussy Orchestral Music which appeared in 2006. It is still very much around as a Decca twofer. La Mer from this set was William Mival's BaL choice in 2008.

It is one of my four CD versions: Two Toscaninis on the complete RCA box and von Karajan 60s DG - all already mentioned above.

I've got the Haitink on the Philips Duo.

I also have a copy on LP with Maazel conducting the Cleveland Orchestra coupled with Scriabin's Poeme de l'extase, which I don't think has ever made it to CD.

[richardfinegold]

Many people will have the Haitink Philips Duo Debussy Orchestral Music which appeared in 2006. It is still very much around as a Decca twofer. La Mer from this set was William Mival's BaL choice in 2008.

It is one of my four CD versions: Two Toscaninis on the complete RCA box and von Karajan 60s DG - all already mentioned above.

Also available on Bernard Haitink, The Phillips Years

[Barbirollians]

Also available on Bernard Haitink, The Phillips Years

Haitink , O de P/Barbirolli , Lucerne/Abbado and 1930s Toscanini for me.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have the two Barbirolli recordings, which are very fine, but I put Previn/LSO ahead of any I've heard. Apparently EMI's early digital recording method was a particular good one (though I don't know the details), but it was considered too expensive, so was abandoned (or perhaps modified) after this technically superb recording.

[Darloboy]

Many people will have the Haitink Philips Duo Debussy Orchestral Music which appeared in 2006. It is still very much around as a Decca twofer. La Mer from this set was William Mival's BaL choice in 2008.

It is one of my four CD versions: Two Toscaninis on the complete RCA box and von Karajan 60s DG - all already mentioned above.

The 60s Karajan was Jonathan Swain's BaL First Choice in November 1996.

[Bryn]

Rob Cowan's article is available here:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/debussy-s-la-mer-a-complete-guide-to-the-best-recordings

I hadn't known this:



which might explain why I've enjoyed some versions (those that restore it) more than others, though I should have realised what was going on.

See http://www.orchestralibrary.com/Niew...assInserts.pdf

and https://groups.google.com/g/rec.musi.../c/SCHzUnmnAlE

[Pulcinella]

See http://www.orchestralibrary.com/Niew...assInserts.pdf

and https://groups.google.com/g/rec.musi.../c/SCHzUnmnAlE

Now all I've got to do is wait for my study score (Eulenberg edition) to arrive!

[Bryn]

Now all I've got to do is wait for my study score (Eulenberg edition) to arrive!

Not the 1997 critical edition from Durand?

[RichardB]

As RC says, Abbado has rethought all the details of balance in the work in a way that (sometimes surprisingly) gets closer to the notated dynamics than other performances I've heard, as for example in the climax of the first movement (which I'm sure I mentioned when La Mer was discussed here before, although the search function isn't being very helpful to me today) where not even Boulez gets the right balance as notated in the score

I may also have mentioned that the first time I heard La Mer was at a concert of MTT conducting the Concertgebouw, which indeed knocked me overboard. I've just put on his recording with the Philharmonia.