Our Summer BAL No 80: Ravel Shéhérazade

[Nick Armstrong]

At the advice of everyone who disagrees with me, thanks - I will give the songs another listen!

.. and with Suzanne Danco, please. All those things, and more.

Or give Régine Crespin a whirl, S_A



Maître Jacques, is the Danco recording you have in mind also with Ansermet (though not the Suisse Romande orchestra, but the Paris Conservatoire)?

[Master Jacques]

Or give Régine Crespin a whirl ... Maître Jacques, is the Danco recording you have in mind also with Ansermet (though not the Suisse Romande orchestra, but the Paris Conservatoire)?

I have the later, Suisse Romande version in mind (in the Eloquence transfer, which is lovely and clear) ... or did have, until I heard Danco's live performance available in Supraphon's wonderful, 15-CD Ančerl Live recordings box, with Ančerl and the Czech Philharmonic. Her interpretation is much as in her other studio and live readings (including a good one under Munch) but the wonderfully plush string cushion of the CPO strings complements her gorgeousness.

Crespin is lovely too. It's altogether been a very luck work on disc, with Janet Baker, plus Heather Harper's Grand Prix du Disque winner - soaring wonderfully above the stave under Boulez and that special, mezzo heart of the voice - also among my favourites.

[Pulcinella]

I have the later, Suisse Romande version in mind (in the Eloquence transfer, which is lovely and clear) ... or did have, until I heard Danco's live performance available in Supraphon's wonderful, 15-CD Ančerl Live recordings box, with Ančerl and the Czech Philharmonic. Her interpretation is much as in her other studio and live readings (including a good one under Munch) but the wonderfully plush string cushion of the CPO strings complements her gorgeousness.

Crespin is lovely too. It's altogether been a very luck work on disc, with Janet Baker, plus Heather Harper's Grand Prix du Disque winner - soaring wonderfully above the stave under Boulez and that special, mezzo heart of the voice - also among my favourites.

Interestingly (?), Decca chose the Danco version for their big Ansermet French music box:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ernest-Ansermet-French-Music/dp/B00DT2322E

Créspin still features though, in the Berlioz Nuits.

[gurnemanz]

Crespin is lovely too. It's altogether been a very luck work on disc, with Janet Baker, plus Heather Harper's Grand Prix du Disque winner - soaring wonderfully above the stave under Boulez and that special, mezzo heart of the voice - also among my favourites.

Not to forget Maggie Teyte in a beautiful version with Hugo Rignold and the Royal Opera House Orchestra. Abbey Road 1948.

[Belgrove]

Since the Ravel song cycle seems to be generating more interest than the other works in the concert, might it be a candidate for discussion in Our BAL threads?

[Pulcinella]

Since the Ravel song cycle seems to be generating more interest than the other works in the concert, might it be a candidate for discussion in Our BAL threads?

With 100 listings on the Presto site, I'm not overly inclined to compile our own, but if you did decide to launch a Summer BaL thread you could possibly give this pointer to currently available recordings, some of which are not the orchestral version (and there will be some duplications):

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/56165--ravel-sheherazade/browse?size=10&view=large&sort=relevance

I'm a little surprised that it's not been covered as either a BBC or a Summer one, as far as I can tell, even with such classic versions for newer ones to compete against.

[Belgrove]

Our Summer BAL No 80: Ravel Shéhérazade

As Pulcinella has mentioned on another thread, Ravel’s Shéhérazade has not featured in BAL or Our Summer version, and it does appear to have its adherents. There are many versions which neither Pulcinella or I have the time or energy to list, but Prestomusic’s list of what is currently available on that site is here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...sort=relevance

Having listened to the canonical Crespin/Ansermet again this morning to check, it confirms my prejudices. I dislike the tone of that orchestra and Crespin seems too old/experienced and frankly rather bored to my ears. I prefer a younger, fresher voiced singer who makes you believe the oft repeated ‘Je voudrais voir’ in Asie.

As ever, Boulez’s Ravel with the Cleveland Orchestra reveals detail and provides nuance, and Anne Sophie von Otter conveys youthful awe in the kaleidoscopic vistas in Asie (along with the unthinking cruelty), and the artful ambiguity of L’indifférant. Lovely flute playing in La flûte enchantée too. I have a soft spot too for Dutoit with the Montreal SO with another fresh-young voiced Catherine Dubosc (it being the generous coupling with a knock-out L’Enfant et les sortilèges, which is very much my first choice for this work).

Over to you…

[Belgrove]

Just started a new thread on Our Summer BAL…

[Nick Armstrong]

I have the later [than the Paris Conservatoire orchestra performance], Suisse Romande version in mind (in the Eloquence transfer, which is lovely and clear) ... or did have, until I heard Danco's live performance available in Supraphon's wonderful, 15-CD Ančerl Live recordings box, with Ančerl and the Czech Philharmonic. Her interpretation is much as in her other studio and live readings (including a good one under Munch) but the wonderfully plush string cushion of the CPO strings complements her gorgeousness.

Crespin is lovely too. It's altogether been a very luck work on disc, with Janet Baker, plus Heather Harper's Grand Prix du Disque winner - soaring wonderfully above the stave under Boulez and that special, mezzo heart of the voice - also among my favourites.

Quoting from the ‘other Scheherazades’ Prom thread, I must confess to not knowing the Danco performances referred to here, so I intend to make it my business to do so, as I love this work. Extremely helpful to learn about the Czech version as well as the two French recordings

Other than Crespin, I have Margaret Price with Abbado but sumptuous as it is, never warmed to it…

[Pulcinella]

I find that I have eight versions on the shelves:

Augér/Philharmonia/Pešek
Baker/New Philharmonia O/Barbirolli
Berganza/O du Capitole de Toulouse/Plasson
Connolly/BBCNOW/Søndergård (BBC MM)
Créspin/OSR/Ansermet
Danco/OSR/Ansermet
Harper/BBCSO/Boulez
Otter/Cleveland O/Boulez

Very hard pressed to choose my favourite: spoilt for choice!

One French (language) question though: if L'Indifférent is a Jeune étranger, why does the narrator use the informal 'tes' (Tes yeux sont....) rather than the formal vos?
Poetic licence?

[Nick Armstrong]

One French (language) question though: if L'Indifférent is a Jeune étranger, why does the narrator use the informal 'tes' (Tes yeux sont....) rather than the formal vos?
Poetic licence?

Two of the standard uses of Tu are to address those to whom one is close (friends or more), and to address non-adults.

So its use in the poem conveys to me both an (imagined) intimacy, and the youth of the object of the (older) narrator’s musings…

[Pulcinella]

Two of the standard uses of Tu are to address those to whom one is close (friends or more), and to address non-adults.

So its use in the poem conveys to me both an (imagined) intimacy, and the youth of the object of the (older) narrator’s musings…

That makes perfect sense; thanks.
I'd forgotten about the non-adult use, but the possible intimate association is a wonderfully plausible idea too.

[cloughie]

I find that I have eight versions on the shelves:

Augér/Philharmonia/Pešek
Baker/New Philharmonia O/Barbirolli
Berganza/O du Capitole de Toulouse/Plasson
Connolly/BBCNOW/Søndergård (BBC MM)
Créspin/OSR/Ansermet
Danco/OSR/Ansermet
Harper/BBCSO/Boulez
Otter/Cleveland O/Boulez

Very hard pressed to choose my favourite: spoilt for choice!

One French (language) question though: if L'Indifférent is a Jeune étranger, why does the narrator use the informal 'tes' (Tes yeux sont....) rather than the formal vos?
Poetic licence?

You may well have nine the Gerar/Coppola is a historical recording in the Warner Ravel box which I think we discussed some time ago! There are as you say axwealth of choice of good ones - all those you mention and others including von Stade/BSO/Ozawa, Auger/SWDRSO/Bour, Soderstrom/BBCSO/Boulez and Harper/BBBCSO/Boulez.

[Pulcinella]

You may well have nine the Gerar/Coppola is a historical recording in the Warner Ravel box which I think we discussed some time ago! There are as you say axwealth of choice of good ones - all those you mention and others including von Stade/BSO/Ozawa, Auger/SWDRSO/Bour, Soderstrom/BBCSO/Boulez and Harper/BBBCSO/Boulez.

You are right.
Completely forgotten about and not mentioned in the woefully inadequate index in the booklet that comes with that Warner set!

[Opinionated Knowall]

There are as you say axwealth of choice of good ones - all those you mention and others including von Stade/BSO/Ozawa, Auger/SWDRSO/Bour, Soderstrom/BBCSO/Boulez and Harper/BBBCSO/Boulez.

A shout out for Maria Ewing/Simon Rattle