Ravel, Franck: Orchestral Works

A Franck rarity coupled with a trio of Ravel masterpieces: a valuable addition to the Eloquence series of newly remastered reissues devoted to Eduard van Beinum. Although the Dutch conductor was renowned as an exponent of Austro-German composers from Mozart to Mahler, Van Beinum was master of a wide palette of orchestral timbre which made him an ideal interpreter of French repertoire, and a worthy successor to Willem Mengelberg as music director of the Concertgebouw Orchestra: a post he held from 1945 until his early death 14 years later. Previous Eloquence compilations of Van Beinum’s Berlioz (4825569) and Debussy (4646362) are distinguished by their refined, idiomatic sound, which fits the music like a glove. Composed by César Franck around the same time as his more frequently heard Symphony, Psyché is an extended tone-poem, not dissimilar in mood to the Daphnis et Chloé ballet of Ravel and also requiring a chorus in its complete form. Like most performances, this 1953 Philips recording omits the passages with chorus to make a 20- minute suite, satisfying on its own terms, and played with notable sensitivity by the Concertgebouw. Coupled on its first release with (of all things) the Seventh Symphony of Bruckner, Psyché is joined here by Franck’s ever-popular concertante work for piano, the Symphonic Variations, in a 1943 Telefunken recording with Geza Anda as soloist and originally issued by Deutsche Grammophon. One of the first post-war recordings made by Decca in the Conc

Tracks

1~1~César Franck - Psyché
1~2~César Franck - Variations Symphoniques
1~3~Maurice Ravel - Rapsodie Espagnole (First International Cd Release On Decca)
1~4~Maurice Ravel - Boléro (First International Cd Release On Decca)
1~5~Maurice Ravel - La Valse (First International Cd Release On Decca)

Details

Format: CD
Artist: Eduard Van Beinum, Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest
Release Date: 13 April 2018
Genre: Classical Music
Label: ELOQUENCE / DECCA
Distributor: Universal Music