COATES 

Russian Music      

Recorded 1922-24         

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer:  Ward Marston 

Short Notes  

In the second of our Albert Coates series this summer, we turn to one of his widely-acknowledged strengths - Russian music. Coates was Anglo-Russian, born in St. Petersburg, where he spent his childhood, he began his musical studies in Russia before moving first to Germany and then to England.

At the time of its release, Albert Coates' 1922 recording of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 was hailed by The Gramophone magazine as "the most successful symphony on the gramophone so far" - and it remains a fine interpretation today.

The three recordings here were made at the end of the acoustic era, and have been superbly transferred and restored for Pristine Classical by Ward Marston. Another collector's delight.

Review of Symphony No. 5, The Gramophone, 1924        

"This symphony was completed in 1888 ; it stands apart from the others, as Mrs. Newmarch says, by reason of religious sentiment in the introductions to the first and second movements and yields to none of the composer's works for sheer brilliancy of orchestration; this probably accounts for it having recorded so well.

First Movement. Introduction, Aminnte.---Part I.-Clarinets with strings accompanying , out the leit-motiv or motto theme of the work ; this tune, of supposedly Polish folk song origin, is heard in all four movements of the symphony in some form or other ; it is intensely sombre and has about it the same atmosphere as Chopin's little C minor Prelude. The succeeding Allegro con anima is begun more slowly by the conductor than is usually the case, and its halting melancholy is thereby emphasised ; but it grows in animation when the clarinet and bassoon give way to the strings and the strings to the brass, and achieves the speed indicated in the heading as this side ends. Part II-There is a kind of musical bridge over to the second tune which contains some very piquant string pizzicati under held chords for wood and horns the alternating wood and string chords just before the entry of the second tune inevitably recall Beethoven. The second tune on wood and horns with a balancing phrase for strings is not developed, and yet another one appears, marked motto cantabile ed expressivo, on the strings ; a beautiful tune akin to similar lyrical tunes in the Sixth Symphony and the Pianoforte Concerto ; this is worked up to a climax formed by the re-entry of the second tune. The orchestra hints urgently at the first tune as this side ends. Part III. -Soon long notes on the horns bring us back to familiar ground, and the bassoon (with its usual comic suggestiveness) sings the first tune ; the other tunes make their due appearance and this side ends with the alternating wood and string chords heard in Part II. Part IV.--This begins with the emphatic second tune with its companion contabile, which is worked up into a climax of greater force than before, leading to a coda formed from the first tune, which follows an inverse process; for instead of increasing in animation to the close the music dies down through clarinets and strings to the low mutterings of a roll on the timpani. Thus the stage is set for the slow movement following.

Second Movement. Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza. Part I.-A solemn note is apparent in the opening string chords leading to the beautiful horn tune which lingers long in the memory; the oboe joins in a brief dialogue with the horn, this being the first appearance of the second tune, which later undergoes some development; clarinets, bassoons and strings in this order form a bridge back to the first tune now imbued with the rich colour of the 'cellos, with flute and oboe embroideries. Violins now come into prominence with a fuller version of the second tune rising to a climax typical of the composer-a climax formed by urging the tune ever higher ; the music is just reaching the third tune as this side ends. Part II.-This third tune is by way of relief to the highly charged music that has gone before and is heard on clarinet and bassoon, 'cello, and violins; suddenly the brass blare out the motto theme, and this is followed by a series of detached string chords which hold us in suspense. Then the violins with thrilling effect sing out the beautiful opening tune, developing a climax of great power as this side ends. Part III.- -It culminates in another dramatic entry of trumpet and trombone, and a final and very tender statement of the second tune on the strings (by way of coda); clarinets have the last word. The instrument tone is especially good all through this movement.

Third Movement. Valse. Allegro Moderato. Parts I and II.- -Here is welcome contrast-a light-hearted valse tune on the strings artfully contrived. Notice the Iong, spun phrase between the first two statements of the torte which is much more effective than immediate repetition. Oboe, bassoon, and clarinet (in its lower register) have some grateful music to play, and then clarinet and bassoon have the valse tune with string arpeggi. Later on comes a delicious pendant phrase for the bassoon, humorously flavoured. Rapid string and flute passages follow as the middle section of the movement, and for delicate handling are a great contrast to the previous movements. The valse tune steals in again on top of the quaver passages which die away as it obtains control of the music (compare Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, slow movement, on repetition of the first tune). All proceeds as before until the code then, heard as an almost apologetic undertone, clarinet and bassoon sigh out the motto theme; but the music ends with defiant double fortes.

Fourth Movement. Andante maestoso. Part I. The motto theme now in the major key is invested with the full majesty of the strings; brass have some ponderous chords and then above string triplets and brass the motto theme on wood-wind becomes a triumphal march. The music changes from major to minor in a new tune and quickens (allegro vivace), but the note of rejoicing persists. Closely associated with it is a sprightly phrase for the oboe, of which much use is made. The music subsides to a heavy rhythmic tread as tins side ends. Parts II. and III.-A version of the first tune of the slow movement is now heard on wood-wind leading to a magnificent statement of the motto theme on trumpet and trombone, with brilliant upward rushes on strings and wood. From here onwards the tunes previously heard are worked out with most exciting orchestral devices, too detailed for analysis here. A big climax and a long roll on the timpani lead to the coda ; the apotheosis of the motto theme. This is projected against a background of swinging wood-wind triplets (moderato assai e molto maestoso)----it is indeed motto maestoso. Tchaikovsky literally hurls great splotches of vivid colour on his canvas until we are carried off our feet by the sheer exhilaration of it all. The final bars are a version of the allegro con anima tune of the first movement. Brahms disliked this movement, and it is easy to imagine its exuberance offended his reserved nature. Less sensitive persons will delight in it. The material may not be remarkable, but the way it is set out is masterly. Those who follow with scores should notice that invariably a few bars that have ended a side are repeated again at the beginning of the next side. This, from all points of view, seems to me the most successful symphony on the gramophone so far. (Miniature score, Goodwin and Tabb, 8s.)."

NEWMAN PASSAGE
The Gramophone, "Analytical Notes and First Reviews", June 1924 (www.gramophone.net)

MP3 Sample  Tchaikovsky Symphony 5, 1st mvt.         

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Recorded 1941

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer:  Andrew Rose    

Jacques Jansen Pelléas

Irène Joachim Mélisande

Henri Etcheverry Goraud

Germaine Cernay Geneviève

Paul Cabanel Arkel

Leila Ben Sedira Yniold

Emile Rousseau Le berger

Armand Narçon Le médecin

Chorus Yvonne Gouverne

Orchestre Symphonique

Roger Désormière conductor

Short Notes  

Recorded in Paris during German occupation in 1941 and released in France in 1942, this recording took some time to gain wider appreciation. Today it is regarded as perhaps the finest performance of Debussy's only completed opera ever to have been recorded.

Yet the sound quality apparently HMV France achieved in 1941 was understandably less than ideal - and less than a decade later this was being heavily criticised in "The Record Guide".

This new 32-bit XR-remastered release aims to change all that for good - the tone is rich, powerful, and extended both at the top end and into the deep bass. Pitch correction has aided some sides' tendency to drift flat, and the overall balance and vocal clarity are superb. A fabulous restoration of a true classic!

Recording Notes

This recording was one of a number suggested and supplied to me by devoted collector John Philips, and I'm grateful to him for an excellent, near-mint set of French EMI LPs to work from. It's not unusual for LP reissues to provide excellent source material for 78rpm remastering, especially where the LPs were made using the best possible transfers from original metal master parts and then not subjected to major processing.

This is the happy case here - the EMI transfers were generally very well carried out, with perhaps two sides falling down slightly quality-wise across the entire opera. At times I've had to deal with varying amount of swish, but overall the sound quality has been excellent, especially after re-equalisation in the XR remastering process. This tonal correction has completely transformed what is already regarded as the reference performance of this opera. I've also been able to correct the tendency on some sides for the pitch to gradually drift downwards, using Capstan technology to eliminate wow and make other general pitch corrections.

The end result is a full-sounding 1941 recording, with real depth and an extended upper range, that is a far cry from its dim, thin and somewhat sharp (A4=450Hz) starting point.

Andrew Rose   

Review of EMI edition   

"The strength of the performance owed much to the fact that Irene Joachim, Jacques Jansen and Henri Etcheverry had already sung the work many times under Désormière at the Opéra-Comique. Irene Joachim had studied the role of Mélisande with its creator, Mary Garden; and both she and Jansen had been coached by Georges Viseur, who with Messager had been the repetiteur for the opera's first performance. Jansen with his free, youthful-toned production and Joachim with her silvery voice and intelligent response to every verbal nuance, set standards for the doomed lovers that, though nearly equalled, have never been surpassed; but even more impressive is Etcheverry's interpretation of Golaud, a role in which, arguably, he has yet to be rivalled. Leila ben Sedira gives one of the most convincing portrayals ever heard of the child Yniold; and Germaine Cernay and Paul Cabanel (who alone is just a trifle free with the text in places) fill the parts of the older characters with distinction. In this recording, the placing of the voices is such that every single word is crystal clear. More important every word is invested with meaning by a native French cast - in other versions allowances sometimes need to be made for non-French singers - which had immersed itself totally in the emotional nuances and overtones of the text. Every shade of expression is caught, but nevertheless the overall feeling is of subtle Gallic understatement - with Golaud's self-tormenting jealousy and Pelléas's final inability to resist declaring his love for his brother's mysterious, fey wife creating the great emotional climaxes."

from Gramophone Good CD, DVD & Download Guide, 2007

Memories of Pelléas et Mélisande's beginnings   

"The singers read through Pelléas at my house, with no one else present. Debussy played his score on the piano, singing all the roles in that deep, cavernous voice of his which often meant transposing lines an octave down, but whose delivery gradually became irresistible. The impression produced by that music on that occasion was, I believe, unique. To begin with there was a kind of mistrust, a resistance, then an ever closer attention, with the emotional temperature rising until the last notes of 'Melisande's death', which fell amid silence and tears. At the end all of us were carried away with excitement, burning to get down to work as soon as possible.

During the weeks that followed, rehearsals took place amid growing enthusiasm; each scene was gone over twenty times without any of the singers showing the least sign of temper in the face of the composer's demands - and he was very difficult to satisfy. With the first orchestral read-through began a series of gloomy days and discouraging rehearsals. Debussy had had the generous but unfortunate idea of getting the orchestral material copied by a friend who was hard up, but who was a mediocre copyist and a somewhat rudimentary musician, and it took three or four rehearsals simply to get the corrections sorted out. In the meantime a new difficulty had arisen, of some seriousness, to do with the changes of scene. Although the stage of the Opera-Comique looks fairly large, it has such small exits and such narrow wings that it is impossible to manoeuvre even a flat through them, and we were having to make on average three rapid changes per act! Debussy, imagining that these changes would be more or less instantaneous, had linked the different scenes with music that was far too short. He had to return to work, grumbling and raving, and I went to see him every day to snatch away the notes he had written between one rehearsal and another; that is how he wrote the wonderful interludes which provide such a moving commentary on the action"

Andre Messager, 'Les premieres representations de Pelleas,' ReM, 7, 1 May 1926, pp. 110-12, as quoted in from "Debussy Remembered" by Roger Nichols

MP3 Sample  Act 1 - first two tracks (approx. 10 mins)         

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