Search - Debussy, Casadesus, Orchestre National de Lille :: La Mer / Nocturnes / La Damoiselle Elue

The Harmonia Mundi recording of La Mer, the first to come from a French source in quite some time, is a revelation. It shows the score in a new light--not with soft pastels and so-called "Impressionism," but something far more searching and stark. Paying scrupulous attention to Debussy's dynamic markings (including the many small crescendos and diminuendos deposited throughout the score) and encouraging his battery to strut its stuff, Jean-Claude Casadesus (who trained as a percussionist) achieves a vibrancy and dynamism that places the account in a league of its own. The performance is full of telling detail. Somehow, for example, Casadesus manages to link the opening of the third movement to Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande--a striking insight. The Lille orchestra outdoes itself, though every now and then one notices some out-of-tune chording or a small slip--reminders that this is a provincial orchestra making such a glorious sound, not one of the world's virtuoso bands. Harmonia Mundi's recording is outstanding, with excellent balances, tremendous presence, and a natural atmosphere. The companion pieces--La Damoiselle elue and the Nocturnes--are equally well done. What a find! --Ted Libbey