This recent release from Naxos collects the composer’s major orchestral
works, which were recorded during several studio sessions in late 2014. In
addition to the 1897 tone poem
L’apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer’s
Apprentice) and the Fanfare from
La péri (1912), the recording
includes the entire ballet, along with Dukas’s earlier Symphony in C Major
(composed 1895–96, published 1908). The conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud in the
liner-notes avows his intention to represent the composer’s scores
faithfully, and this is borne out in uniformly compelling performances of
all the works on this CD.
As familiar as
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice may be, the score merits
rehearing because of Tingaud’s masterful treatment. Details emerge in
various places, with the woodwind textures particularly clear, and the brass
prominent without being domineering. The rich string sound that Tingaud
achieves supports the textures throughout and demonstrates effective nuances
in tempo and dynamics. It will be difficult to supplant the Stokowski
recording that was used in Disney's
Fantasia but this fine
performance stands well against that reading and others. The Tingaud is
compelling for its careful attention to detail, rather than the broad
strokes applied by some conductors. The drama implicit in this score emerges
vividly.
Equally familiar is the 1912 Fanfare that Dukas added for performance of
his 1911 ballet
La péri. This piece for brass ensemble is probably
the best-known part of the ballet. In this recording, Tingaud’s spacious
tempos allow the brass sonorities to resonate well. The phrasing suggests a
strong orchestra, with the inner voice appropriately prominent. As demanding
as the horn parts can be live, this
recording does not betray the stress that sometimes occurs.
Rather, the sense of pitch is reliable throughout and, more than that, the
articulations are as precise as the careful bowings of the string sections
apparent in the ballet and the Symphony. In this recording the Fanfare leads
directly to the entire ballet, which Tingaud offers in a masterful reading.
The recording benefits from fine sonics, with the subtle details of Dukas’s
score rendered faithfully. As much as the music supports the scenario of
La péri, this performance stands well on its own.
The greater part of the disc is devoted to Dukas’ forty-minute Symphony in
C. A three movement work, the score shows some affinities with the
three-movement Symphony in D by César Franck. This conductor makes the
sonata structure of the first movement aurally tangible. This movement has
greater weight than the other two, and is nicely balanced by the lyrical
piece that follows. The tripartite form of the second movement is a good
foil for the sonata structure, yet the concluding rondo remains relatively
light. It stands well under Tingaud’s leadership and benefits from
appropriate variations in tempo and phrasing.
All in all this is a fine addition to the estimable discography for Dukas,
which includes recordings by Ansermet, Martinon and Boulez. The fine playing
of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is supported well by admirable
engineering. Those who are unfamiliar with Tingaud’s work will find an
outstanding introduction to it in this disc: a major new conductor.
James L Zychowicz
Previous review: John Whitmore
