In their latest Debussy volume, Jun Märkl and his fine French players turn to orchestrations of piano works by the composer's contemporaries or later admirers. They capture perfectly the flash and dazzle of the Suite bergamasque, particularly in the high-voltage opening and closing movements, and charm us with the graceful Petite Suite and Printemps. Things turn altogether altogether chillier in Robin Holloway's 2002 orchestration of En blanc et noir, written during the first world war, but the sun shines again in Debussy's early and only attempt at a symphony, for which frustratingly, he wrote only one movement, the tease.
Debussy: Orchestral works Vol 6 – review
Stephen Pritchard
Orchestre National de Lyon/ Märkl
(Naxos)
(Naxos)
Contributor
Stephen Pritchard
Stephen Pritchard has written on classical music for most of his 45 years in journalism. He was the Observer's first readers' editor, and prior to that was a managing editor and production editor
Stephen Pritchard
The GuardianTramp
