Jean Martinon - Ravel: Orchestral Works (1975) [2020 SACD Definition Serie]

A project to commemorate the 110th anniversary of Martinon's birth. A new and complete reissue of the magnificent Ravel, recorded in one go with the Orchestre de Paris in 1974.

A new and latest reissue from the original analog master tapes in his home country.

A masterpiece by the master Martinon, on par with his series of Debussy recordings. An important recording that made the sound of Ravel in a new era known globally, using the Orchestre de Paris, which had a short history at the time. A latest reissue of French recordings from the 1970s, with the power of the old EMI label. This time, the previously commercially available 5-disc SACD single layer set has been compiled into a 4-disc set.

Martinon's series of recordings with the Orchestre National de France, where he was music director until 1974, are highly regarded, and Debussy's complete orchestral works and Symphonie Fantastique are particularly famous on the old EMI label. On the other hand, this recording with the Orchestre de Paris itself is rare, and considering that the Orchestre National de France was also a rival at the time, it is likely that his resignation had a major impact. It is unclear whether this Ravel was originally scheduled to be recorded with the Orchestre National de France but was changed, or whether it was originally planned to be recorded with the Orchestre de Paris, but it is gratifying to see the interesting combination of Martinon and the Orchestre de Paris come to fruition. At the time, Martinon was a leading figure in the French conducting world and was synonymous with French music performances after the death of Munch, so this project also attracted attention as a world-class conductor. At that time, the Orchestre de Paris had changed some of the wind instruments from the French-style instruments that had been used until the 1960s to global instruments, and was trying to break away from the traditional local sound. In that sense, they may have wanted to preserve the magnificent sound represented by Ravel in the heyday of LP records in the 1970s. The recording itself follows the traditional French recordings by EMI, so the emphasis is on the sound image rather than the sound field.

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Tracks:

Disc 1
1. Bolero
2. Une barque sur l'ocean
3. Ma mère l'oye (Ballet)
4. Alborada del gracioso
5. Rapsodie espagnole

Disc 2
6. Sheherazade
7. La valse
8. Le tombeau de Couperin
9. Menuet antique
10. Pavane pour une infante defunte
11. Valses nobles et sentimentales

Disc 3
12. Daphnis and Chloe

Disc 4
13. Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
14. Piano Concerto in G Major
15. Tzigane

Personnel:

Aldo Ciccolini, piano (13, 14)
Itzhak Perlman, violin (15)
Paris National Opera Chorus (12)
Orchestre de Paris
Conducted by Jean Martinon