Search - Carl Maria von Weber, Maurice Ravel, Willem Pijper :: Weber: Jubel-Ouvertüre; Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin; Pijper: Symphony No. 3: Etc.

Pierre Monteux At His Best

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 12/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an interesting mix of music conducted by Pierre Monteux. There are favorite familiar pieces - Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin and Chabrier's Fete Polonaise - that are beautifully performed despite the Maestro was over 80 when these recordings were made and his sharp hearing had dulled somewhat. The surprise music here is the Pijper Symphony No. 3, which was composed for Pierre Monteux in 1926 and was a piece that he frequently programmed. The symphony lasts less than 15 minutes and is scored for a large orchestra with the percussion section getting quite a workout from the various instruments that are played including xylophone, various drums and tambourine. Unfortunately, the booklet says nothing about Willem Pijper beyond the fact the he was a Dutch composer and died in 1947. The symphony is somewhat avant-garde opening briskly with drum and strings with the music slowly building, then becoming quiet and introspective playing a melody that has a mysterious undertone. The melody becomes sensuous in tone with various instruments given brief solo passages, including a saxophone and piano. The full orchestra joins for the finale of the symphony with the music becoming more agitated until a tutti climax brings the piece to a rater abrupt close.



The Weber Jubel-Overture is not among that composer's best works and celebrates the victory over Napoleon culminating with a rendition of "God Save the King" to remind us that it was Wellington who saved Europe from the Emperor. The Elgar Enigma Variations are beautifully and sensitively played with Pierre Monteux proving how perfect a grasp he had of English music. The disc is nicely filled with music (almost 77 minutes) and the program is varied and well-performed by the London Symphony and BBC Symphony orchestras. The sound quality for the Weber is a bit rough but certainly not overly noisy; the remaining pieces are well recorded. This disc is a must for anyone who loves Pierre Monteux.

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