# Debussy's orchestral music - favorite conductors?



## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Debussy wrote some killer orchestral music, in fact he was a master of orchestration. Many have made recordings of much of it, and it can be hard to get right. Who did it best?

Personally, I haven't heard much - Boulez, Karajan, Remoortel. Of these I have to say Boulez wins out. (Not too big on Karajan's Debussy at all). However, I'm about to pull the trigger on one of two double CD sets of his orchestral music: one is Charles Dutoit with the Montreal Symphonie, the other Bernard Haitink with the Royal Concertgebouw. Leaning toward the Dutoit as I love his Ravel, and I don't know any Haitink, but I do love that orchestra. 

Anyone familiar with any of these conductors and their recordings? Who are some other good ones?


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

There is a 4 CD set by Jean Martinon that I can recommend very highly. I also like Boulez and Dutoit. Not familiar with Haitink's Debussy.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Munch and the BSO is very good, but of its era Boulez is excellent. Don't know Haitinck's Debussy, but he did a Daphnis et Chloe with the BSO in the late '70s that's very good.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Some favourites:

Celibidache - La Mer/DG and Nocturnes/DG (the last one a very unusual performance, must hear)
Stokowski - La Mer/Decca, Prelude/Decca
Martinon - Printemps, Fantaisie

Martinon's set of orchestral music can be found on a Brilliant 4CD Box too.


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

Going back a bit - like 90 years - the house conductor of HMV France, Pietro Coppola, made some pioneering Debussy 78s which I treasure.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

D Smith said:


> There is a 4 CD set by Jean Martinon that I can recommend very highly. I also like Boulez and Dutoit.


I agree with your list. But personally, the Brilliant Classics set conducted by Martinon is how I want Debussy to sound.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Martinon; I'm not familiar... but a four disc set of Debussy on the famously cheap Brilliant label sounds right up my alley.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

flamencosketches said:


> Martinon; I'm not familiar... but a four disc set of Debussy on the famously cheap Brilliant label sounds right up my alley.


I was indifferent to Debussy's music until I heard Martinon's recordings. I don't know what he is doing, but at least to my ears, Debussy finally made sense.

It looks EMI combined his Ravel/Debussy recordings in one box. I'm not as taken with his Ravel interpretations, but if it costs the same as the one with Debussy alone, you might as well spring for the whole thing.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

If crystal clarity is important, then Boulez.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I also enjoy Martinon. His approach is quite forthright. The very different (seemingly far more concerned with Debussy's sometimes delicate sound world) Boulez is almost the opposite and I like it, too. I must say, though, that I like Armin Jordan's recordings as a sort of middle ground.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Surprised that no one has mentioned Roger Désormière. He was the conductor for the first complete recording of "Pelléas et Mélisande" in 1941 and I haven't heard a better performance (in my opinion) of "La Mer" than his 1950 recording with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Mono, obviously, but the performance is to die for.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Karajan's version of La Mer and Apres Midi are classics. I know it's not fashionable in some circles to like Karajan but these performances are special.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I quite like Karajan in Debussy and Ravel, didn't expect them to be that good - both EMI and DG 
ones. 

I don't know his late DDD DG release of La Mer & Prelude ..., only the earlier, analogue ones.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

DavidA said:


> Karajan's version of La Mer and Apres Midi are classics. I know it's not fashionable in some circles to like Karajan but these performances are special.


Karajan's CD with those two works and a couple of Ravel's was my introduction to the orchestral works of both composers. It's not bad at all, but I prefer Boulez. Karajan is surprisingly versatile.


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

My favorite La Mer is Fritz Reiner's.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Interesting... I love Reiner's conducting (I'm listening to his Mahler 4 right now, actually) but have not heard any of his Debussy.

I read yesterday that Sviatoslav Richter considered La Mer as one of his three favorite pieces of music alongside Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Wagner's Ring cycle. Never would have guessed.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

.... which led me to the question of any Russian-Soviet recordings of _La Mer_ (the Melodiya company showed some interest in French 20th century music generally, including later composers like Milhaud, Honegger, Francaix etc.):

With a quick search, I found that at least Mravinsky, Svetlanov and Temirkanov recorded it. 
None are in my collection, though. You see the Svetlanov LPs quite often, at least.


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

Here's the link to this edition - (Note: you'll need to search through the selections for the Debussy compositions) -






This edition also contains first-rate recordings of Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Franck, and Ravel.


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## Bourdon (Jan 4, 2019)

These recording are there among the best with gorgeous sound.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)




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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

This set has a lot going for it.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

*I like the box with Dutoit, Ansermet, Haitink and Chailly on Decca.:*
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0000CESR6/ref=dm_rogue_cd


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I know this set has a lot more than orchestral music so the conductor is irrelevant, but I've enjoyed this immensely for the past year. Cluytens and Martinon may be the most well-known French specialists, but the contributions of Rattle, Jordan, Nagano, Conlon, Giulini and others are all wonderful. Highly recommended. May be the only Debussy you'll ever need (or want).


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I definitely want that set. What'd you pay for it?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

mbhaub said:


> . . . Giulini . . .]


I was surprised at how good of a Debussy interpreter Giulini was.


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2019)

For La Mer I think Karajan's 60's recording is a revelation, although I would not generally consider him a natural Debussy conductor. Giulini/Philharmonia is also very fine.

For Debussy in general, I particularly love Paul Paray (recorded for Mercury), Ansermet, and the old Boulez/Sony (NOT Boulez DG). I hold Martinon with respect but the audio on his EMI series does not please me. I also generally like the Erato recordings made in the 70's and 80's, Alain Lombard, Armin Jordan, they got the orchestral sound right with good French orchestras.


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2019)

flamencosketches said:


> I definitely want that set. What'd you pay for it?


I got it for $65, at least a year ago. Some great recordings, padded somewhat with non-essential transcription which I will probably never get to, but a great value nevertheless. Has some of the very fine Boulez recordings.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Monteux, Reiner, Martinon, Boulez...Haitink is good, too


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bill Cooke said:


> My favorite La Mer is Fritz Reiner's.


yes, outstanding, so is his "Iberia".


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

Reiner, Ansermet


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

DavidA said:


> Karajan's version of La Mer and Apres Midi are classics. I know it's not fashionable in some circles to like Karajan but these performances are special.


Critics labeled Karajan's "Das Mer" as bit to Teutonic for their tastes upon release. I'm inclined to agree, although the playing is impressive


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## Der Titan (Oct 17, 2016)

I own the 4 CD box with Martinon. A very good box. But the strange thing is, I like La Mere, the Nocturnes and Apres midi. This is the wonderful first CD to which I have listened very often, but I never warmed op to other pieces.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I've never found an older La Mer I liked by him but I treasure most of Stokowski's Debussy from the early 1950s far more so than his later remakes. In particular I enjoy the *Children's Corner Suite*, *Nocturnes*, *Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun *and *Clair de Lune *-- not all "orchestral" pieces at birth but typically played as so.

















I also enjoy Coppola's early recordings and Boulez's Cleveland *La Mer *recording as well. Another conductor I enjoy in Debussy, Lan Shui, released the three ballets last year in a recording -- *Jeux*, *Khamma *and Caplet's orchestration of *La boite a joujoux*.









Another vintage conductor, Victor de Sabata, recorded a wonderful *Jeux *in Rome.


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