Search - Henri Dutilleux, Georges Prêtre, Serge Baudo :: Dutilleux: Concertos; Orchestral Works

Dutilleux: Our greatest contemporary composer?

Kirk Falconer | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 07/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Is Henri Dutilleux the greatest classical composer of the late 20th and early 21st centuries? If such matters were subject to a poll, I suspect he'd get my vote.



Difficult to categorize, the comparatively few works of this French composer draw from several schools of modern music. Yet, at the same time, they seem to pick up where Debussy and Ravel left off. Dutilleux's music is richly sonorous, full of subtle colours and diaphanous textures. But it can also uniquely challenge the ear.



Perhaps an indication of Dutilleux's rising stock is this latest collection of major works, EMI's, which is the third, to my knowledge. The larger and highly polished Chandos collection with Yan Pascal Tortellier is, overall, tough to beat. However, EMI features other great conductors and orchestras, plus a few entries that are, in my view, also tough to beat.



First and foremost is the performance of Tout un monde lointain by cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, supported by Serge Baudo and the Paris Orchestra. Issued previously under EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century", this performance is remarkable for its power and insight. Over five movements, it emerges like a force of nature. While the concerto has been well recorded elsewhere, this version is like none other.



Another standout is The Shadows of Time performance of Michel Plasson and the Toulouse Orchestra. I have heard other recordings of this piece, including a renowned version conducted by Seiji Ozawa (on Erato). However, prior to Plasson, I never fully appreciated the special poetry of this work. The quality of the recording certainly helped.



Other strong performances include the violin concerto, L'Arbe des songes (Capucon and Chung) and Le Loup (Pretre), an interesting orchestral amalgam of pieces taken from an early ballet by Dutilleux.



Less impressive to me is the performance of Metaboles (Plasson again). It should be said, however, that I haven't heard many good recordings of this work, as most sound wooden and ungainly when compared against the standard set by Charles Munch (Apex).



No one collection can fully satisfy. While I wouldn't want to go without Chandos-Tortellier, the new EMI set is well worth the price for a few performances alone, and acts as a terrific introduction to a composer that lovers of music should know better.





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