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SATIE_&_DEBUSSY_PARIS_1910

𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐎𝐓 — 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 Few personalities of the nineteenth century allow us to trace the cultural history of Romantic Europe as fully as 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐭 (𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟏–𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟎). Her…

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐔 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓 Sergiu Celibidache was one of the most original, demanding and controversial conductors of the twentieth century. Although he possessed the…

## 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 Arturo Toscanini became legendary for stepping onto the podium and conducting vast symphonies, operas and choral works **entirely from memory**. To…

𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗞𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟 — 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗠𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 The relationship between 𝗜𝗴𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗸𝘆 and 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 was one of the most significant artistic friendships of the years immediately…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗩 — 𝗔𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬 — 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The central question surrounding 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 as a composer has always been difficult, almost uncomfortable:…

𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗙𝗙’𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 The music of 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗶 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗳𝗳 is instantly recognizable: long-breathed melodies, darkly glowing harmonies, immense climaxes, tolling bells, dense piano textures and an almost…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗜𝗜 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕-𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝟯.𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕-𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 In this chapter, 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 approaches 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁’𝘀 𝗕-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮…

𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗭𝗜𝗡́𝗦𝗞𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝟭. 𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗩𝗦𝗞𝗬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥, 𝗢𝗣. 𝟳𝟭 — 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 Recorded at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, September 1956 Westminster This should unquestionably occupy one…

𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗞𝗬-𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗞𝗢𝗩’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is frequently described as a supreme orchestrator, as though colour were the principal—or even the only—reason for his enduring importance. The description is accurate but incomplete. His…

𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗭 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗭𝗧’𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 Franz Liszt’s reputation has often been distorted by two opposing myths. To some listeners, he remains primarily the supreme nineteenth-century virtuoso: the dazzling showman who transformed the piano into…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗬𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 Selecting the greatest violin sonatas requires more than identifying the most famous or technically demanding pieces. The essential criterion is the quality of the…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥-𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 Any attempt to identify the fifteen greatest chamber-music recordings must begin by acknowledging that “greatest” cannot mean merely the most technically perfect. A genuinely historic chamber…

𝗘𝗨𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Eugene Ormandy remains inseparable from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the famously sumptuous sonority that became known throughout the world as the “Philadelphia Sound.” During his extraordinary tenure—first…

𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗭 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Fritz Reiner was one of the supreme orchestral disciplinarians of the twentieth century. His conducting combined extraordinary precision, rhythmic tension, transparent textures and an almost unequalled ability…

𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗞 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Bernard Haitink’s greatness was rarely proclaimed through theatrical gestures, violent tempo manipulation or the deliberate imposition of a conductor’s personality upon the score. His authority emerged gradually,…

𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗔𝗭𝗘𝗟 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Lorin Maazel was one of the most technically formidable conductors of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He possessed an exceptional ear, an almost photographic memory, absolute…

𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗨 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Sergiu Celibidache occupies a unique and paradoxical position in the history of recorded performance. Few major conductors distrusted recording technology more profoundly, yet few left behind such…

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Charles Munch was one of the most spontaneous, incandescent and unmistakably French conductors of the twentieth century. His finest performances combine rhythmic freedom, nervous energy, luminous orchestral…

𝗟𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗞𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗞𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Leopold Stokowski was one of the most imaginative, controversial and influential conductors in recording history. His art was founded not only upon interpretation, but upon the very…

𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔 𝗚𝗜𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Carlo Maria Giulini possessed one of the most unmistakable conducting personalities of the twentieth century. His authority did not depend upon theatrical aggression, autocratic display or…

𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗢 𝗧𝗢𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Arturo Toscanini was one of the decisive figures in the creation of modern orchestral performance. His reputation was built upon fidelity to the written score, rhythmic discipline,…

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗔𝗗𝗢 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Claudio Abbado’s finest recordings reveal a conductor whose authority rarely depended upon weight, domination or theatrical self-display. His interpretations were founded upon listening, transparency, rhythmic flexibility, instrumental…