SPEAKERS CORNER / DECCA SXL-2160/2: Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty ANSERMET 2011 SS
C$
200
$
140
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Description
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Background -
For 50 years he directed an orchestra that was second-rate in tone and technique, yet Ernest Ansermet drew performances from it that cut right to the heart of the music. A musician of catholic taste, Ansermet was a reliable, insightful interpreter of composers from Mozart to Martin. His recordings in the 1950s and 1960s with the Suisse Romande Orchestra, which he founded, retain strong interest for collectors who value nuance over tonal sheen. These recordings are of especial interest as they provide a link to composers active in Paris in the early twentieth century, with whom Ansermet was closely associated.As a child, he studied math with his father, a teacher, and music with his mother. Ansermet's early training seemed to add up to a career in mathematics; he specialized in that subject at Lausanne University, graduating in 1903. Ansermet served as a professor of mathematics from 1905-1909. But during this time his interest in music only increased; he kept an eye trained on the technique of local conductors, and took courses in music with Alexandre Denéréaz, Otto Barblan, and Ernest Bloch. Ansermet sought further advice on conducting from Felix Mottl in Munich and Artur Nikisch in Berlin, then concentrated mainly on teaching himself the art of the baton.
His first professional efforts were leading the summer Kursaal concerts in Montreux (1912-1914), and conducting symphonic concerts in Geneva (1915-1918). In 1918 he organized the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, from the start performing a substantial amount of contemporary French and Russian music. Ansermet befriended many of the great progressive composers of the time, especially Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Igor Stravinsky. Through Stravinsky, Ansermet met Serge Diaghilev and was appointed principal conductor of the latter's Ballets Russes, touring with the company to Paris, London, Italy, Spain, South America, and the United States. During a 1916 tour Ansermet made his first recordings with the Ballets Russes orchestra -- the beginning of a half century of making intriguing records with less-than-stellar ensembles. Through his association with the Ballets Russes, Ansermet was able to premiere many of the period's most important dance scores, including Falla's Three-Cornered Hat, Prokofiev's The Buffoon, Satie's Parade, and Stravinsky's Pulcinella. As an extra-curricular wartime diversion, on September 28, 1918, Ansermet premiered Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat in Geneva.
He developed the reputation of -- in the words of Nicholas Slonimsky -- "a scholarly and progressive musician capable of fine interpretations of both classical and modern works." Although the Suisse Romande Orchestra, with which he recorded for Decca in the 1950s and 1960s, could be criticized for its wiry strings and sour woodwinds, the group delivered to Ansermet highly accurate performances notable for their clear textures and delicate timbral balances.
Ansermet was, not surprisingly, a gifted conductor of Classical-era music, but he had little opportunity to record it. He is best remembered for his sui generis recordings of the music of his French contemporaries Debussy, Ravel, and Roussel, and his Swiss compatriots Honegger and Martin. But Ansermet was also a strong champion of such other contemporary composers as Bartók and Britten, premiering the latter's opera The Rape of Lucretia. He retired from conducting in 1967, to the end performing and committing to disc such rarities as Magnard's Symphony No. 4.
Ansermet's compositions include a symphonic poem, Feuilles de printemps; he also orchestrated Debussy's Six épigraphes antiques, among other pieces. His publications include Le Geste du chef d'orchestre (1943) and Les Fondements de la musique dans la conscience humaine (1961), in which he used mathematics to discredit 12-tone and other advanced compositional techniques. - James Reel
This Sleeping Beauty, arguably the finest of Tchaikovsky’s ballets, was recorded in 1959 with Ernest Ansermet on the podium leading L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. These meticulously manufactured Speakers Corner LPs demonstrate well what Kenneth Wilkinson and colleagues achieved with their famed “Decca tree” stereo microphone array. The sound represents the best of the ffss era. Strings are beautifully textured, always a plus in Tchaikovsky when violins and cellos soar in unison a couple of octaves apart. The brass section has a crisp bite and woodwinds are truthfully represented, both the pleasant woodiness of the clarinets and the not-so-pleasant tartness of the 1959 OSR’s oboes. The harp is tactile, and small percussion instruments are easily heard over an orchestral tutti as they are in life. Ansermet had a gift for bringing this sort of music to life. Complete ballet scores on disc or in concert can get repetitive—that’s why there are so many ballet suites—but the conductor here takes full responsibility for presenting a cogent narrative. Tempo choices are perfect. - Andrew Quint, TAS
"The ballets, recorded in stunning stereo sound in 1958 (Nutcracker, Swan Lake) and 1959 (Sleeping Beauty). Each of the three finds Ansermet completely sympathetic, and his faculty for taking seriously music that others treat lightly makes these wonderfully rewarding performances. Each ballet, of course, has its share of drama, and even of emotion. (Has anyone ever made a simple descending one-octave major scale sound as passionate as Tchaikovsky does in The Nutcracker’s climactic act II Pas de deux?) But, the emotion here is always at least one level removed from the direct, composer-to-listener communication of the “Pathétique”; after all, these are basically fairy tales... the ballets are the real reason to obtain this set, and those receive my strongest recommendation." -- Richard Kaplan, Fanfare Magazine
'Ansermet's set is skilfully put together, and conducted with real sympathy and penetration, not as a ballet but (I mentioned this when discussing his versions of Tchaikovsky's other full-length ballets) as a dramatic tone poem. It's full of endearing human touches-the knitters, the young Aurora, the two white cats, and the wicked ogre' Gramophone review for Sleeping Beauty, November 1959.
?'His symphonies are ballets, his ballets are symphonies'; such has often been said about Tchaikovsky’s lengthy dance compositions. This opinion is not entirely due to the fact that these works had to please the audience without being danced to after Diaghilev’s legendary ballet company was dissolved. Rather more, Tchaikovsky’s instrumental and incidental music is pervaded by movement and dance rhythms that act as a musical scaffolding.
Almost as legendary as the incomparable heritage of Russian music is the reputation of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, whose recordings are famed for their lush and saturated sound colouring. Ansermet transforms the score into a veritable firework of sound, without ever straining after cheap effects by means of a thunderous sound; the strings are clean and warm in all registers, the brass volleys blare out keenly, and the percussion is dauntlessly resolute. This performance and Decca’s customary excellent sound recording render great homage to this music. All the more reason to be glad that this particular Sleeping Beauty has been awakened at long last.
This is a BRAND NEW & FACTORY SEALED 3-LP box set issued by the famous reissue audiophile label, "SPEAKER CORNER / DECCA" in 2011 - a super RARE audiophile title that is out of print! The 3-LP boxed set made by SPEAKER CORNER is a highly collectible title from their catalog - a superb CLASSICAL title featuring the music of -
Tchaikovsky // Ernest Ansermet
Performers / Credits -
• Composed By – Tchaikovsky• Conductor – Ernest Ansermet
• Liner Notes – Peggie Cochrane
• Orchestra – L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande
• Violin [Solo] – Lorand Fenyvès (tracks: C1.b, F1.e)
Title and Tracks -
The Sleeping Beauty (complete ballet)
Track Listing -
Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor: Ernest Ansermet
Orchestra/Ensemble: Suisse Romande Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1888-1889; Russia
A1.a. Prologue
A1.b. No. 1 March
A1.c. No. 2 Danse Scene
A1.d. No. 3 Pas De Six - Intrada - Adagio
A1.e. Variation 1: Candite Fairy
A1.f. Variation 2: Flour Fairy
A1.g. Variation 3: Falling Crumbs Fairy
A1.h. Variation 4: Canary Fairy
A1.i. Variation 5: Violente Fairy
A1.j. Variation 6: Lilac Fairy - Coda
B1.a. Prologue - No. 4 Finale
B1.b. Act 1 - No. 5 Scene
B1.c. No. 6 Waltz
C1.a. Act 1, No. 7, Scene
C1.b. No. 8 Pas D'action (a) Adagio; (b) Maids Of Honour And Pages; (c) Aurora's Variation; (d) Coda
C1.c. No. 9 Finale
D1.a. Act 2, No. 10 Entr'acte And Scene
D1.b. No. 11 Colin-Maillard
D1.c. 12 (a) Scene; (b) Dance Of The Duchesses; (c) Dance Of The Baronesses; (d) Dance Of The Countesses; (e) Dance Of The Marquises
D1.d. No. 13 Farandole: (a) Scene; (b) Dance
D1.e. No. 14 Scene
D1.f. No. 15 (a) Pas D'action; (b) Aurora's Variation; (c) Coda
E1.a. Act 2, No. 16 Scene No 17
E1.b. No. 17 Panorama
E1.c. 19a Symphonic Entract And Scene
E1.d. 19b Finale Act 3
E1.e. No. 20 March
E1.f. 21 Polacca
E1.g. 22 Pas De Quatre - Intrada
E1.h. Var I - Waltz
E1.i. II Polka - Silver Fairy
E1.j. IV Diamond Fairy Coda
E1.k. 23 Pas De Caractère - Puss In Boots And The White Cat
F1.a. Act 3, No. 24 Pas De Quatre - Adagio Variation 1; Variation 2: Coda
F1.b. No. 25 Pas De Caractère - Red Riding Hood And The Wolf
F1.c. No. 26 Pas Berrichon - Hop-o'my Thumb
F1.d. No. 26a Cinderella And Prince Fortune
F1.e. No. 27 Pas De Deux Variation 1: Prince Desire, Variation 2: Aurora - Coda
F1.f. No. 28 Sarabande
F1.g. No. 29 Mazurka And Apotheosis
The title is from the rare SPEAKER CORNER / DECCA series of audiophile LPs.
- Speakers Corner / Decca RECORDS
- LPs made in Germany
- Pressings are in STEREO
- Box includes a 8 page booklet.
Speakers Corner Reissue made with 180-gram audiophile Vinyl.
Recorded March and April 1959 at Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland by Roy Wallace
Producer: James Walker - Comes in a luxurious boxed set
- Record vintage = limited edition, made in 2011 (out of print)
- LP catalog # SXL 2160-1-2
CONDITION Details:
The BOX SET is in Mint condition. Everything is factory sealed and perfect.
A Short Note About LP GRADING -
- Mint = Only used for sealed items.
- Near Mint = Virtually flawless in every way.
- Near Mint Minus = Item has some minor imperfections, some audible.
- Excellent = Item obviously played and enjoyed with some noise.
- Very Good Plus = Many more imperfections which are noticeable and obtrusive.
For best results, always properly clean your LPs before playing them (even for brand new LPs).
The LP is an audiophile quality pressing (any collector of fine MFSL, half speeds, direct to discs, Japanese/UK pressings etc., can attest to the difference a quality pressing can make to an audio system).
Don't let this rarity slip by!!!
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