The CD of the Month for January 2020 features the Hallé orchestra under Sir Mark Elder who bring us an excellent Debussy album with works from across the composer’s career.
Recorded following the highly acclaimed Proms performance and featuring stand-out soloists Anna Stéphany and Sophie Bevan, who were hailed by reviewers.
The enigmatic Nocturnes date from 1897-9 and show the composer at the height of his orchestral powers, in music that is highly evocative of mood and which displays amazing instrumental writing.
Mastery of instrumental writing is further evidenced in the technically demanding Première Rapsodie, which calls upon the full range of emotions from the soloist, here the Hallé’s Principal Clarinet, Sergio Castelló López.
The album also features a world premiere recording of Colin Matthews’s orchestration of the piano piece Les soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon, unknown until its discovery in 2001. This arrangement follows Matthews’ universally acclaimed orchestrations of the Debussy Préludes.
Here are the Debussy Nocturnes from this recording:
