Search - Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Guido Cantelli :: Debussy: La Mer; 2 Nocturnes; Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; etc.

Classic Cantelli Recycled

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 02/09/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Generally, I've been a big fan of EMI's new "Great Artists of the Century" series (see my reviews of titles featuring Karajan, Menuhin, Boult, du Pre, Furtwangler, etc), but this title from the most recent batch of releases has left me scratching my head a bit. Don't get me wrong, I love Guido Cantelli -- a brilliant conductor taken from the world all too soon -- and his Debussy recordings featured here are among the very best ever made, despite being recorded in mono in the early 1950s. It's just that this exact material has been available for years via the UK's Testament label (the Debussy on SBT 1011 -- see my review -- and the Ravel on SBT 1017), as these performances were licensed to that company by EMI. Now it seems EMI is calling the flock home, as it begins to reissue under its own name many of the treasured historical recordings that ten years ago they wouldn't touch. I hope this doesn't spell doom for Testament, a wonderful company that has been satisfying classical connoisseurs for more than a decade. Of course, EMI can afford to price their reissues at midline while Testament must charge full price, presumably to make up for all the licensing fees they incur. So overall, I'm torn. I'm happy that great music is being disseminated to a larger audience at an affordable price, but I just hope it's not at the expense of the little guy."

Good performances but elderly sound

Ivor E. Zetler | Sydney Australia | 01/15/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Guido Cantelli died aged 36 in a plane crash in 1956. He was a great musical talent and was regarded as the possible "successor" to Toscanini. These Debussy performances attest to his conductorial skills; the Philharmonia Orchestra deliver highly desirable results in this repertiore. Ultimately however I would not recommend this disc unless you are an avid Cantelli fan.



My reservations are based on the following reasons. Firstly while the performances are good, they are not that special and memorable. There are better versions available -Karajan/DG for La Mer or even better an extraordinary Abbado/Lucerne performance on DVD. Haitink is better in the Nocturnes (all 3)with crystal clear Phillips sound. Secondly the mono sound, while clear, is elderly and restricted in range.



I note that the same recordings are available on Testament at a far higher price. I see no reason to opt for that option given EMI's much more reasonable costing."