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Debussy: Jeux, La Mer, Nocturnes / Lorin Maazel, Vienna Po


Release Date: 09/14/1999 
Label:  Rca Victor Red Seal Catalog #: 64616   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Claude Debussy
Conductor:  Lorin Maazel
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,  Arnold Schoenberg Choir
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 1 Hours 7 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews

[F]rom the standpoint of ravishing tone and orchestral balance, these performances are on the highest level... The highly polished "Fêtes" is a miracle of orchestral detail, and it's not all engineering. I certainly wouldn't recommend Maazel's slow tempo in "Sirènes" to any less accomplished conductor... [In Jeux] Maazel is one of the conductors who emphasizes the music's sensuous orchestration rather than trying to "tighten" it up, like Ansermet or Boulez... [T]he performance is wonderful...

-- James Miller, FANFARE

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...Maazel and the [Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra] are a panacea, a timely reassurance that all's right Read more in the world of music. Conductor and orchestra consider every detail and make it their own, and the playing itself is beyond compare...

-- American Record Guide [1-2/2000]
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Works on This Recording

1.
Jeux by Claude Debussy
Conductor:  Lorin Maazel
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1912-1913; France 
 Date of Recording: 01/1999 
Venue:  Live  Musikverein, Vienna, Austria 
Length: 18 Minutes 26 Secs. 
2.
La mer by Claude Debussy
Conductor:  Lorin Maazel
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1903-1905; France 
 Date of Recording: 01/1999 
Venue:  Live  Musikverein, Vienna, Austria 
Length: 23 Minutes 59 Secs. 
3.
Nocturnes (3) for Orchestra by Claude Debussy
Conductor:  Lorin Maazel
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,  Arnold Schoenberg Choir
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1897-1899; France 
 Date of Recording: 01/1999 
Venue:  Musikverein, Vienna, Austria 
Length: 24 Minutes 31 Secs. 

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 1 Customer Review )
 Who says the Vienna Phil. Can only play Germanic  August 15, 2014 By Barron S Hampton B. See All My Reviews "This is a splendid recording, and like the Ravel discs Mr. Maazel and the VPO did for RCA, the sound is gloriously transparent and spacious. The perfection of the VPO's largest instrument (the Musikverein) is stunningly reproduced here. The performance of these French masterworks is so clean and agile, with the limpid textures, layered sounds, and shimmering colors all beautifully done. A great orchestra, even one so steeped in the Germanic tradition, like the VPO, can do marvels with this music. They come to it, perhaps, with a freshness, and Maazel lets them indulge in this glorious music. I only wish the Prelude d'pres midi d'une faune were here. Don't hesitate to nab this gem." Report Abuse
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