The recorded sound and incredible balance have never been matched, IMO. You can follow the score of L'enfant (recorded in 1961) and hear every detail of the amazing orchestration as clearly as if you were sitting onstage with the players and cast. And, as you say, the idiomatic qualities of singing, playing and conducting are astounding. Why would anyone even bother to record L'enfant during the past 60 years? They'll never equal this one. LR
Thank you! Have had these recordings since the mid 1970s and as you point out, nothing lives up to them. Perfect scores, perfect casts, perfect conductor.
When the Maazel first came out, it was compared unfavorably with the Bour recording but the Maazel had two advantages: It was in stereo AND it was actually good, really good. Oh, wait, a third advantage: it was available, and still is! I have heard both and perhaps Bour has a slight edge but the mono undercuts matters. More recently, it has been again available, but, yeah, it was better than Ansermet in its day but Maazel is the first recommendation. Bour faded from view as a recording artist but served for years leading assorted German radio orchestras and there are lots of stereo airchecks floating around, including many premieres and avant-garde performances. Never got the glory of Boulez,. Not sure he cared. Maazel's competition in "L'heure espagnol" was an ancient, truly ancient. 78 set from1929 conducted, well, by one Georges Truc and a fine cast.. It is also, amazingly, available today, but Maazel remains the obvious first choice. Had Conchita Supervilla recorded more than her solo, of course, even Maazel would have been forced to concede.
Absolutely reference recordings for both - been waiting for these to get mentioned. Definitely plays to Maazel's naturally cool precision. I rather like his version of Stravinsky's The Song of The Nightingale symphonic poem (recorded roughly around the same period) for very much the same reasons - precise, sharp edged with glittering sonorities. Great stuff.
It's wonderful that not only are these the reference recordings of Ravel's operas but also that Maazel has one of the finest versions of Daphnis as well, in that case with the Cleveland Orchestra. Ravel's exacting orchestrational and dramatic style was well-suited to Maazel's meticulous baton technique.
It sometimes feels as if there was a golden era of Deutsche Grammophon, when you could trust almost anything they put out would be of excellent quality.
You know, the Paris Olympics have renewed my interest in French music recently. I just ordered the Sir Colin Davis's Philips recording of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini to go with my copy of his Philips Les Troyens. With that in mind, would you consider doing a talk about Berlioz's operas?
Dave, I have a suggestion for the best recordings EVER! Rimsky-Korsakov's The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh by Gergiev. An absolute masterpiece and an amazing recording! Anyways, thanks for the video.
I have the Cluytens but honestly have never listened to it. How does it stack up to the ones you've mentioned? I can't seem to get past the hammering or the castanets or the ticking clocks or whatever that sound is supposed to be in the intro. It always sounds like a record with bad scratches.
Same orchestra renamed from “Orchestre national de la RTF” to “Orchestre national de l’ORTF” to “Orchestre national de France” between 1950 and present
L‘Enfant et les Sortilèges is one of those underrated pieces. The orchestral writing is superb.
The recorded sound and incredible balance have never been matched, IMO. You can follow the score of L'enfant (recorded in 1961) and hear every detail of the amazing orchestration as clearly as if you were sitting onstage with the players and cast. And, as you say, the idiomatic qualities of singing, playing and conducting are astounding. Why would anyone even bother to record L'enfant during the past 60 years? They'll never equal this one. LR
Thank you! Have had these recordings since the mid 1970s and as you point out, nothing lives up to them. Perfect scores, perfect casts, perfect conductor.
This is a marvelous recording and Collette and Ravel was a marriage made in heaven.
Would also recommend the Ernest Bour recording from 1953 the diction has that old fashioned clarity much like the Desormiere Peleas
When the Maazel first came out, it was compared unfavorably with the Bour recording but the Maazel had two advantages: It was in stereo AND it was actually good, really good. Oh, wait, a third advantage: it was available, and still is! I have heard both and perhaps Bour has a slight edge but the mono undercuts matters. More recently, it has been again available, but, yeah, it was better than Ansermet in its day but Maazel is the first recommendation.
Bour faded from view as a recording artist but served for years leading assorted German radio orchestras and there are lots of stereo airchecks floating around, including many premieres and avant-garde performances. Never got the glory of Boulez,. Not sure he cared.
Maazel's competition in "L'heure espagnol" was an ancient, truly ancient. 78 set from1929 conducted, well, by one Georges Truc and a fine cast.. It is also, amazingly, available today, but Maazel remains the obvious first choice.
Had Conchita Supervilla recorded more than her solo, of course, even Maazel would have been forced to concede.
This repertoire was tailor made for maazel’s art of conducting. Wonderful recording!
Absolutely reference recordings for both - been waiting for these to get mentioned. Definitely plays to Maazel's naturally cool precision. I rather like his version of Stravinsky's The Song of The Nightingale symphonic poem (recorded roughly around the same period) for very much the same reasons - precise, sharp edged with glittering sonorities. Great stuff.
I would put the Maazel "L'efant" in the "The Greatest Recordings of All Time" category - it's THAT good.
Yes!
It's wonderful that not only are these the reference recordings of Ravel's operas but also that Maazel has one of the finest versions of Daphnis as well, in that case with the Cleveland Orchestra. Ravel's exacting orchestrational and dramatic style was well-suited to Maazel's meticulous baton technique.
It sometimes feels as if there was a golden era of Deutsche Grammophon, when you could trust almost anything they put out would be of excellent quality.
You know, the Paris Olympics have renewed my interest in French music recently. I just ordered the Sir Colin Davis's Philips recording of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini to go with my copy of his Philips Les Troyens. With that in mind, would you consider doing a talk about Berlioz's operas?
Dave, I have a suggestion for the best recordings EVER! Rimsky-Korsakov's The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh by Gergiev. An absolute masterpiece and an amazing recording! Anyways, thanks for the video.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I will certainly check it out.
@@tarakb7606 you will love It
I didn't mean that way. I know the recording very well. It's wonderful, as you say.
I have the Cluytens but honestly have never listened to it. How does it stack up to the ones you've mentioned? I can't seem to get past the hammering or the castanets or the ticking clocks or whatever that sound is supposed to be in the intro. It always sounds like a record with bad scratches.
Great choice as always. Didn’t the l’ORTF morph into Orchestre National de France?
Same orchestra renamed from “Orchestre national de la RTF” to “Orchestre national de l’ORTF” to “Orchestre national de France” between 1950 and present