(Introduction - Cortege - Nocturne - Valse - Parade - Finale)
Francis Poulenc: "Les Biches" - Ballet suite
(Rondeau - Chanson dansee - Adagietto - Rag-Mazurka - Andantino - Finale)
2 files zip FLAC Mega Download
L'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris conducted by Roger Desormiere
Decca ACL 189 1963 LP/matrices: ARL 1798 -4KR / ARL 1280 -2KR.
Recorded: 15-20 June 1951 - La Maison de la Mutualite, Paris.
This is one of the finest Decca LP's; the Poulenc, especially, being quite superb for performance/sound-quality... Sleeve-note >>>
Not much interest? Give us time, TinEar! I don't have the Testament CDs as it happens, since I have a copy of the same ACL and am quite happy with it. Thanks for uploading this though, there's a very good chance your copy is cleaner than mine and you have done wonders with it - these are the authentic timbres for the music. One of my earliest LPs, as it happens, and certainly the way I first heard the Ibert. In spite of his status and wide repertoire Desormiere was not particularly well-served by the record companies, but by the time LPs arrived he was in poor health anyway.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Smith
I'm getting IMPATIENT.... (very few downloads: just 38/each..Boult's Planets: 250+)...so keep wondering if there's now much 'digestion-room' for such transfers - as so much is either cheap CD boxes - or from those numerous, free, CD-based sites (poor old A.Rose!!!).
DeleteBTW: This copy is 'extremely clean'; in fact was so easy to transfer (only the last minute of the Poulenc had some matrix 'roughness'): thus it supplanted the original Ansermet 'Petrushka' LXT (+ ACL reissue) - though have completed the former + the ACL 'Fire Bird'..and may add the original 1958 Petrushka mono LP..on CD now...except later mono tapings don't get reissued..
The Sylphides (not on CD) is already transferred and should be easy to edit - likewise the Sylvia/Coppelia - if I decide to do that - have LXT/ACL's..but the Capitol Rimsky-K LP is/was on CD - so 'no need' really to bother with those (or this??: which may, funnily, be 'much better' than the Testament CD/s (confirmation of that aspect would be interesting!)
Thanks for this very rare Desormière!
ReplyDeleteNot overly rare - but this 'sensible' coupling now requires buying (sic) 2 Testament CD's.
DeleteHave never listened to the Pretre/PCO 'Biches' (have original 1962 mono/stereo HMV's)..and the 'complete' digital HMV Pretre seems 'overlong'. The older Fremaux/CBSO (Quad+Stereo HMV's) is way too reverberant.
However, this is, currently, an absolute 'dud' in terms of downloads...
Perhaps its the timing: folk may be away as Monday was a Public Holiday in most of western Europe, unlike the U.K. which has messed around with the Bank Holidays and completely confused oldies like me. Even secular France observes the religious dates.
ReplyDeleteHaving listened carefully I can hear how clean your copy was and the superiority of your turntable - there's detail in the woodwinds I haven't heard before. The Pretre/PCO 'Biches' is a good performance, but doesn't have the the zip and spriteliness (the mot juste is perhaps 'elan') of Desormiere (who's one of those French conductors that never linger over loveliness but get on with it). Oddly enough Pretre does get a very French sound out of the Philharmonia for the complete score. I don't know the Fremaux.
As I mentioned earlier I do not have the Testament CDs, but if they have done to this what they did to the Wolff recordings of the same period, then I'll manage without - these Desormieres leap out of the speakers. Come on everybody, download and enjoy!
Andrew Smith
Could always blame the weather...but the 'tally' has hardly shifted..so a definite 'dud'...and hardly encourages one to plod-on with this lark!!
DeleteThere seem 'lots' of Desormiere Capitol LP's on eBay.com...presumably all with the French National (not my fave orchestra..).
Think I've most Wolffies..though disposed of the 'Invitation to the Dance' SXL - now only have a stereo 45 EP..and, aside from not having an apparently dire Tchaik.4, have 'Wolffies best' on LXT/RB/ACL/ECS + the original SXL of 'Overtures in Hi-Fi'...none in any 'to do' schedule.
Having transferred the original LXT of the PCO/Ansemet 'Scheherazade' I'll pass on that execrable-sounding disc as well..though might try the rare Ansermet LXT of Tchaik.6; rather good - despite the 'execrable-reviews'...(Decca should have found some 'bent'n'bought' reviewers!!).
Thank you for share this, I love both Ibert and Poulenc music, and I don't have the Testament CD (not necessary having your tranfers) but I don't have time to make any download or upload also.
ReplyDeleteThank you again.
Thank for this!
ReplyDeleteThis may be worth doing a 24/96 transfer..though have some more Desormiere's 'to do'...and, before I became lazee, was going to upload Albert Wolff's mono Auber overtures + 'Overtures in Hi-Fi'...and maybe some of his mono originals, of what later were issued in stereo (as with the Auber)......but............
Delete