BaL 20.04.13 - Debussy's Pelléas et Melisande

[Nick Armstrong]

That's bad, but I think this is worse...

Yes those Wergo issues were in a class of their own

But they were intentionally camp.

What's scary about the P&M cover is that it's a serious label and someone thought it was a good idea...!

[jayne lee wilson]

Caliban, I am happy with the Membran Desormiere which I believe is taken straight from the EMI, though the sound is very close. Best singing this side of 1941!

There is an Andante release which is OOP and expensive to come by and which apparently is cleaner sounding, but also contains the Truc and Coppola excerpts from 1927-8.

Personally speaking, I would avoid Pristine in general. Mr Rose is too interventionist for these ears, though I have not heard what he's done with Desormiere.

Interventionist maybe, but often with wonderful results...my recent aquisitions have included Walter's 1947 Mahler 5 and Munch's Boston SO VW 8, not to mention Pretre's early 60s Poulenc, Katin's Mendelssohn and the Trio Santoliquido in Brahms and Haydn... heard as 24/48 downloads these are a lovely listen, the Poulenc and Mahler the best transfers, by some distance, of those much-released performances.

He's just done Walter's stereo Mahler 2... excerpts sound startling.

(What's that? Oh yes, Debussy - staying with Haitink and Karajan, considering the newish Testament Inghelbrecht)

[Tapiola]

Interventionist maybe, but often with wonderful results...my recent aquisitions have included Walter's 1947 Mahler 5 and Munch's Boston SO VW 8, not to mention Pretre's early 60s Poulenc, Katin's Mendelssohn and the Trio Santoliquido in Brahms and Haydn... heard as 24/48 downloads these are a lovely listen, the Poulenc and Mahler the best transfers, by some distance, of those much-released performances.

He's just done Walter's stereo Mahler 2... excerpts sound startling.

(What's that? Oh yes, Debussy - staying with Haitink and Karajan, considering the newish Testament Inghelbrecht)

Must be the purist in me, jlw. I find Rose's oft-time descriptions of how he gets his results (e.g. using Solti's Ring as a reference and for balances, acoustical properties etc in order to make his version of the Krauss Ring) rather alarming.

[Barbirollians]

I have owned the Karajan for about three years but only got round to listening to it in lockdown today . Lovely singing especially from Von Stade and I like HVK’s way with the score and the gorgeous BPO playing a great deal .

[Belgrove]

It’s a very special work Barbs.

Karajan’s was the recording by which I came to know and love it. von-Stade and Van Dam always impressed, but Stilwell seems to bleat when under pressure, like the sheep that pass by in Act 4. Having read variously that it was conceived as a reaction against Wagner, it always seemed overtly Wagnerian to me, and I know realise this is due to Karajan’s interpretation of the score. If you’re in the mood to explore further, then the version I now favour above all others is Haitink’s concert performance with the Orchestre National De France, which is unsurprisingly less of a hot-house but cooler, more subtle and moving. This makes the violence of the spying scene with Yniold all the more shocking; the final scene is so sad but luminous. The cast is without flaw. Rattle’s concert performance with the LSO is also very fine, Gerhaher’s Pelleas being as damaged an individual as Finley’s Golaud (all the fault of Arkel, who is a decidedly less sympathetic character than is normally portrayed).

[Barbirollians]

It’s a very special work Barbs.

Karajan’s was the recording by which I came to know and love it. von-Stade and Van Dam always impressed, but Stilwell seems to bleat when under pressure, like the sheep that pass by in Act 4. Having read variously that it was conceived as a reaction against Wagner, it always seemed overtly Wagnerian to me, and I know realise this is due to Karajan’s interpretation of the score. If you’re in the mood to explore further, then the version I now favour above all others is Haitink’s concert performance with the Orchestre National De France, which is unsurprisingly less of a hot-house but cooler, more subtle and moving. This makes the violence of the spying scene with Yniold all the more shocking; the final scene is so sad but luminous. The cast is without flaw. Rattle’s concert performance with the LSO is also very fine, Gerhaher’s Pelleas being as damaged an individual as Finley’s Golaud (all the fault of Arkel, who is a decidedly less sympathetic character than is normally portrayed).

Thanks Belgrove - I shall listen to this a few more times before looking for an alternative I think but I get your hot house point and the bleating !