The account by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic of twentieth-century music by French composers is decidedly shorter than the collections for Gustav Mahler and the “Schoenberg-Stravinsky axis.” There are, of course, the “usual expected suspects,” Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, each represented by the entirety of a single CD. Only one other CD remains, which consists of a single composition by Olivier Messiaen.
The Debussy CD begins with two of his own “usual suspects.” The first of these is the “Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune” with the flute solo taken by Emmanuel Pahud; and it is followed by his La mer (the sea), which the composer described as “three symphonic sketches.” The remainder of the CD is devoted to orchestral versions of piano music. The first of these is the score for the ballet “La boîte à joujoux” (the toy-box), whose piano score was orchestrated by André Caplet. The remaining three tracks presented three of the piano preludes in orchestrations by Colin Matthews. I must confess that I was particularly drawn to “La boîte à joujoux,” simply because I was so unfamiliar with it; and it did not take long for listening to emerge as a what-have-I-been-missing event.
Marie-Therese Gauley in her costume for the title role of “L'enfant et les sortilèges” (photograph by Henri Manuel, public domain in France, from Wikimedia Commons)
The Ravel disc begins with the complete performance of the one-act opera “L'enfant et les sortilèges” (the child and the spells), setting a libretto written by Colette. The whole affair is shamelessly silly, which is probably why I find it irresistible! Since this was a studio recording, multiple roles were taken by all but one of the vocalists. As readers might guess, that “one” was mezzo Magdalena Kožená (Lady Rattle), singing the title role! I have had many encounters with this music; and it always leaves me with a smile (along with a few belly-laughs as the plot unfolds). Rattle’s account definitely allowed the music to stand up on its own without staging. It was then followed by the orchestral version of the Ma mère l'Oye suite, which had originated as a piano duet performed by six-year-old Mimi Godebski and her seven-year-old brother Jean. Having performed that four-hand version with one of my neighbors, I am a sucker for any opportunity to revisit the music!
The Messiaen selection is one of his massive undertakings inspired by the New Testament. The Wikipedia page for “Éclairs sur l’Au-Delà…” translated the title as “lightning over the beyond.” However an entire paragraph is devoted to explaining both the denotations and connotations of the title. This is one of those compositions inspired by the New Testament Book of Revelation, which may well be the deepest dive into imaginary rhetoric to be found in any sacred writings.
I must confess that, when I listen to Messiaen, I rarely commit myself to teasing out all of those denotations and connotations in either the music or the text that inspired that music. I am content to “go along for the ride,” and I am seldom disappointed. Rattle’s recording (which was also included in the Warner Messiaen anthology) was a teasing reminder that I should take that ride more often.
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