David Hurwitz reviews the recording “Stéphane Denève conducts Debussy” for Classics Today:

David Hurwitz Classics Today
This is Debussy in the great French tradition, the sort of playing and conducting that used to be associated with national schools of performance.  (…) What Denève has done is recreate this sonority in his Debussy performances, and the result is marvelous. (…) Much of Denève’s success also stems from his consistently lively, flowing tempo choices. These Nuages float across the sky with a welcome sense of purpose and emotional point.  (…)

Iberia’s three movements cohere as a single span—clearly Debussy’s intention, but something we seldom actually hear either in concert or on disc. And as for La Mer, well, it’s just as exciting as hell. (…) Chandos has provided terrific SACD multichannel sonics for this production, which may well be headed straight for reference status. A major achievement.

Read the whole article and watch the video on Classics Today here

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