# Debussy - Philharmonia, Giulini ‎– La Mer / Trois Nocturnes



## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

This week's _Vinyl's Revenge_ shares music from an old "bargain bin" disk I've enjoyed immensely over the years. I'm sure I've discussed in past shares my purchase of a handful of discs from _I Grande Concerti _a series by Longanesi Periodici. Founded by Leo Longanesi in 1946 the publishing house was taken over in 1977 by Italian Messagg erie.

These records, mostly reissues or studio or broadcast recordings, were in the bargain section of this old record store because the liner notes were in _Italian _ - I'm certainly not fluent, but the lack of English notes didn't take away anything from my listening pleasure…

Walter Legge, the Philharmonia's founder, and Karajan, then its principal conductor, had heard Carlo Maria Giulini in Milan around 1955, and engaged him to record *Vivaldi*'s _Four Seasons_ and *Bizet*'s _Jeux d'Enfants_. In 1959 Giulini recorded two *Mozart *operas, _Figaro _and _Don Giovanni_, with the orchestra, the former being preceded by more than 100 hours of rehearsal.

CMG's Philharmonia recordings for EMI are legendary: as well as the Mozart operas, he recorded the *Verdi *_Requiem _and _Four Sacred Pieces_ as well as orchestral recordings including _Dvorak_'s _New World Symphony_ and *Tchaikovsky* 's _Pathetique Symphony_, *Mussorgsky*'s _Pictures at an Exhibition_, *Brahms*'s complete symphonies and, as presented here, the much admired 1962 *Debussy*'s _La mer_ and _Nocturnes_, an album that has become highly collectable for its sensitive interpretation and atmospheric sound; according to Discogs  there are 15 different reissues of this disc, not counting the CD couplings of this pair of Debussy triptychs with other Debussy and French works recorded by CMG for the EMI label.

The works themselves don't require much introduction, other than to say they are examples of Debussy's impressionist style and incisive orchestration - from the waves of the Sea crushing the coastline to the ethereal humming chorus of mermaids closing his three nocturnes for orchestra.

Happy listening








*Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)*
_La mer_, esquisses symphoniques pour orchestra, L 109
_Nocturnes_, tryptique symphonique pour choeur de femmes et orchestra, L 91

Philharmonia Chorus (L. 91)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Carlo Maria Giulini, conducting

Label: Longanesi Periodici ‎- GCL 06
Series: I Grandi Concerti 
(EMI Re-issue, Recording first issued in 1962)

_YouTube _URL - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6swnss9F7SFEHTYCWxuNhOZ9WJl5R4OS


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