# 100 Favorites: # 31



## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

*Debussy: La Mer; Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; Jeux 
Pierre Boulez, New Philharmonia Orchestra (CBS/Sony)*










Such voluptuous, propulsive, and bewitching sounds! Is there any music more sensuous, more tactile than this?

Jean Martinon's Debussy recordings with the Orchestre national de l'ORTF are renowned, and I enjoy them very much. But I think Boulez's Debussy recordings from the 1960's are more colorful, more mysterious, and more electric. Plus the Philharmonia produces a more sumptuous sound than the French orchestra. Eventually, I'll get around to buying the 2-disc set compiling all of the Debussy recordings that Boulez made for Columbia. In the meantime, this "Great Performances" budget release with the tacky newsprint cover is more than sufficient. It's been one of my favorites for a long time, and I expect it will continue to be for a long time to come.


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