The Hallé, as this British orchestra is known these days, has a long history with Debussy and might be said to have great institutional knowledge of his music. Conductor Mark Elder has continued this tradition and has issued a series of Debussy recordings that have yielded new details even in familiar orchestral works. The world may not have been clamoring for a new reading of Prélude à l'après d'un faune, but the reading here is fresh and compelling, with a seductive flute line at the beginning bringing a hint of the East, ...
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The Hallé, as this British orchestra is known these days, has a long history with Debussy and might be said to have great institutional knowledge of his music. Conductor Mark Elder has continued this tradition and has issued a series of Debussy recordings that have yielded new details even in familiar orchestral works. The world may not have been clamoring for a new reading of Prélude à l'après d'un faune, but the reading here is fresh and compelling, with a seductive flute line at the beginning bringing a hint of the East, and a full-on blast of erotica in the middle. Instrumental detail is the hallmark of Images, presented in full (not just the usual excerpt of Ibéria, which loses a dimension): the castanets in Ibéria are heard as if from a distance, and many small touches emerge in the gentle outer movements, Gigues and Rondes de printemps. The program also includes a pair of lesser-known works originally for piano, one arranged for orchestra by Debussy. Although issued on the Hallé's own label,...
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