Debussy: La Mer; Jeux; Khamma

Here's an old friend, back sounding better than ever. Ansermet's Debussy always boasted a robust clarity and energy that belied the fuzzy, impressionistic stereotype that dogs this composer's music. In fact, no French performances--not Munch's, Boulez's, Martinon's, Inghelbrecht's, or Paray's--subscribe to this theory, which actually is more characteristic of the German or English approach (think Barenboim, Barbirolli, Rattle, or Karajan). And so we find a sparkling La Mer that surges with vital force, swiftly flowing from its calm opening on to a really exciting finale. Ansermet reinforces his hard-edged sonorities by using the glockenspiel in the percussion section rather than the optional and softer sounding celesta, and by keeping the harps in natural balance with the rest of the orchestra. Similarly, the Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun proceeds far more boldly (and colorfully, it must be said) than usual, but without ever sacrificing its diaphanous textures. Even the Suisse Romande orchestra's famously strident wind section makes a positive contribution to this interpretive aesthetic, which works particularly well in the two late works, Jeux and Khamma, where clarity of texture enhances the composer's daring harmonic palette. The excellently remastered sound quality (simply incredible for the earliest sessions here which date from 1957) only enhances the timeless value of the performances themselves. A must for Debussians! --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com