Erik SATIE (1866-1925)
Gymnopédies (1888) [8:03]
Gnossiennes (1889) [7:46]
Trois Morceaux en forme de poire (1901) [12:17]
Heures séculaires et instantanées (1914) [3:14]
3 Valses distinguées du précieux dégoûté (1914) [2:41]
Avant-dernières pensées (1915) [3:10]
Nocturnes (1919) [7:02]
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Variations symphoniques (1885) [16:32]
Aldo Ciccolini (piano)
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire/André Cluytens
rec. 22-29 February and 1 March 1956, Maison de la Mutualité, Paris (Satie) and June 1953, Theâtre des Champs-Ëlysëes, Paris (Franck).
PRISTINE AUDIO PAKM087 [60:45]
These recordings of Erik Satie predate Aldo Ciccolini’s classic EMI recordings (review) by quite a few years. Andrew Rose of Pristine Audio reminds us in the notes for this release that Satie had become almost entirely forgotten since his death, and these 1950s recordings were also almost entirely ignored or dismissed when they were originally released. The early 1960s saw a surge in interest and this eccentric pioneer finally became fashionable, with Ciccolini “being credited almost single-handedly with bringing the little-known French composer to mass attention.”
There have been previous releases of Ciccolini’s 1956 Satie. The Idis label for instance produced a Satie edition in 2018, with these recordings on ARTMISIA0005. This is perfectly adequate, but Pristine’s Ambient Stereo XR remastering is a distinct improvement. These are mono originals, but the XR enhancement is natural sounding and unobtrusive, the heightened clarity and colour bringing Ciccolini’s elegant and stylish playing much more to life.
The pieces have now been arranged in chronological order, putting the famous Gymnopédies and
Gnossiennes first. It is interesting to hear how Ciccolini’s playing differs between the 1950s and 60s, but looking at the timings shows a fairly similar approach to tempi in general. With the later recordings you have wider dynamic range and better sonics in general. Ciccolini’s extremes are greater in the later recordings, for instance in dramatic outbursts in the opening Manière de commencement of Trois Morceaux en forme de poire. His interpretations grow in terms of élan and theatricality. The 1956 recordings have their own unique feel of newness and discovery, but are more domestic-salon when compared to the concert-hall scale of the later recordings. If you own and are happy with your EMI/Warner box of of Aldo Ciccolini’s Satie recordings then this earlier set might be considered superfluous, but if you want this view on what is now a nostalgic look back at the foundations of a now global phenomenon, then this Pristine Classical version is certainly the one to buy.
After bathing in Satie’s increasingly enigmatic music the addition of César Franck’s Variations Symphoniques comes as something of a surprise, but this is a satisfying filler for what would otherwise be all too brief a programme. This is another mono recording, and even the skilfully applied XR remastering can’t entirely distract from the mildly boomy/boxy sound of the original. Once again the sound has been enhanced quite considerably, and even though the piano still looms over the orchestra in terms of balance the distinctively red-blooded character of the performance as a whole has never sounded better to my ears; healthily carefree moments of badly tuned strings included.
Dominy Clements
