Such a wonderful work! One can unmistakably hear elements of the same musical language as the more full -blooded La Mer. But here refined and distilled to a purer essence. All the distinct elements of the earlier work are here taken much further along their constituent paths. The former overtly virtuosic orchestral flourishes are now sublimated into a seamless tapestry where the climaxes are more rigorously controlled and placed throughout the work with an unerring sense of inevitability. Individual instrumental lines formerly used for purely decorative and/ or melodic effects here take on the added function of creating almost pointillist textures of rapidly shifting instrumental timbres. With years of familiarity with the many scores of Hollywood film composers influenced by the music of Debussy and Ravel, it’s difficult to imagine now how revolutionary this must have sounded to audiences at the time of its creation.
I find this piece a lot more disturbing and bizarre than La Sacre. I have no idea what's going on here, even after watching the ballet which makes little sense. La Sacre seems straightforward in comparison. It might be less "shocking", but there's so much less to hold onto, at least with La Sacre I know there's a plot and a trajectory I can follow.
BEAU-TI-FUL... That's the magic of Debussy. Put your speaker on, not necessarily loud, close your eyes and let your imagination wander in free wheel. Soon enough, images will start to form in your mind, an awaken "reverie" that will perfectly match the music you're listening to. If not, then you should think of consulting... lol.
My exposure to the oeuvre of Debussy, as interpreted by the baton of Maestro Rattle, has been regrettably limited. The move has afforded me an exceptional occasion to experience this confluence of musical mastery.
Silky-smooth and ultra sexy. A gorgeous performance in my opinion. There's not an easy bar in this from start to finish and it's littered with ensemble booby-traps. You'd never know from this performance.
