The works on this recording were written at various periods in Claude Debussy's life, and reflect different aspects of him: from a young man stylistically unsure of himself to the confident maÃ®tre, from a jobbing composer struggling to fulfill sometimes incongruous commissions to a man worn down by illness and outer events. The disc opens with Printemps - a work originally for choir, piano and orchestra written in 1887 during Debussy's stay in Italy as a winner of the Prix de Rome, but only published 25 years later in an orchestration made by Henri BÃ¼sser under the composer's supervision. Three of the works that follow were commissions - the Rapsodie from a lady saxophonist, the Marche Ã©cossaise from an American general of Scottish descent and the Deux Dances from the instrument-maker Pleyel wanting to market a new model for a chromatic harp. Chronologically the last work on the programme, Berceuse hÃ©roique is Debussy's contribution to a tribute to the king of Belgium at the beginning of the Great War. Having rejected the idea of writing a heroic march in the safety of his own home he instead opted for a lullaby for piano, which he orchestrated the following year. The closing work on the disc, however, is Nocturnes, for which Debussy borrowed the title from a series of atmospheric paintings by James Whistler. Made up of three equally atmospheric movements, it is today one of Debussy's best-loved compositions for orchestra. Nocturnes also forms the end of a trilogy of Debussy albums from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Lan Shui. Critical acclaim for the team range from 'superb' (BBC Music Magazine, about La mer) and 'unquestionably world-class' (Klassik-Heute. De, about the orchestra) to 'a magnificent disc' - the French magazine Classica's verdict on the three ballet scores Jeux, Khamma and La BoÃ®te Ã joujoux.

Tracklist:

Printemps, L. 61 (Orch. H. Büsser): I. Très Modéré
Printemps, L. 61 (Orch. H. Büsser): II. Modéré
Rapsodie For Orchestra & Saxophone, L. 98 (Orch. J. Roger-Ducasse)
Marche Écossaise Sur Un Thème Populaire, L. 77 (Version For Orchestra)
Berceuse Héroïque, L. 132 (Version For Orchestra)
2 Danses, L. 103: No. 1, Danse Sacrée
2 Danses, L. 103: No. 2, Danse Profane
Nocturnes, L. 91: No. 1, Nuages
Nocturnes, L. 91: No. 2, Fêtes
Nocturnes, L. 91: No. 3, Sirènes

UPC: 7318599922324
Label: Bis
Release Date: 6.7.19
Format: CD

Debussy / Singapore Symphony Orch / Shui - Nocturnes / Printemps (CD)