Album

This 1999 double-disc of Debussy favorites, performed by Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, is a well-balanced compilation of recordings made in 1988 and 1989, with only one of the offerings, Printemps, dating from 1994. For this kind of atmospheric, evocative music, Dutoit is one of the world's foremost interpreters, and his approach to Debussy's orchestral works is lively and vibrant, as demonstrated in his effervescent readings of La mer, Jeux, and Nocturnes. These bright-toned and sprightly accounts are among this set's most memorable highpoints. The performance of Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, however, is possibly the most captivating of the album, not only in feeling completely intuitive and effortless, but also in its radiant colors and sparkling effects, scarcely rivaled anywhere else. The only piece that drags the collection down with its inescapable dullness is Le martyre de saint Sébastien; this suite of orchestral pieces, culled by André Caplet from Debussy's incidental music for Gabriele d'Anunzio's religious play, is stodgy and lifeless; even with Dutoit's and the MSO's best efforts, it comes off as a flat sequence of tedious tableaux. Other than this non-essential filler, this is a solid collection that represents the best of Debussy's orchestral scores in fine, and sometimes magical, performances. Decca's sound is remarkably clear, warm, and natural, and it holds up quite well in comparison with the label's later improvements in digital reproduction.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer La Mer: 3 symphonic sketches, L.109 Work Recorded 1989 23:00 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
1	1.De l'aube à midi sur la mer	8:51			$1.49
2	2.Jeux de vagues	6:12			$0.99
3	3.Dialogue du vent et de la mer	7:57			$1.49
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Jeux, L.126 (ballet) Work Recorded 1989 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
4	Jeux, L.126 (ballet)	17:23			$2.99
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Le martyre de Saint Sébastien (symphonic fragments arranged by Caplet) Work Recorded 1989 24:06 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
5	Act 1: La cour des lys	3:48			$0.99
6	Act 2: Danse extatique et final du premier acte	7:17			$1.49
7	Act 3: La passion	6:21			$0.99
8	Act 4: Le bon pasteur	6:40			$0.99
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, L.86 Work Recorded 1989 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
9	Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, L.86	10:44			$1.99
CD 2 of 2
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Images, for orchestra, L.122 Work Recorded 1988 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
1	1.Gigues	7:31			$1.49
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Images, for orchestra, L.122...2.Iberia Work Recorded 1988 20:02 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
2	1.Par les rues et par les chemins	7:21			$1.49
3	2.Les parfums de la nuit	8:16			$1.49
4	3.Le matin d'un jour de fête	4:25			$0.99
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Images, for orchestra, L.122 Work Recorded 1988 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
5	3.Rondes de printemps	7:31			$1.49
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Nocturnes, L.91 Work Recorded 1988 25:00 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Montréal Symphony Chorus Chorus/Choir, Charles Dutoit Conductor
6	1.Nuages	7:50			$1.49
7	2.Fêtes	6:19			$0.99
8	3.Sirènes	10:51			$1.99
Achille-Claude Debussy Composer Printemps, symphonic suite for chorus, piano and orchestra, L.61 Work Recorded 1994 16:04 Montréal Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Charles Dutoit Conductor
9	1.Trés modéré	9:41			$1.49
10	2.Modéré	6:23			$0.99