Document

  1995
    September 1995
        Orchestral
                Massenet Orchestral Suites.

Massenet Orchestral [Suite] Suites. New Zealand Symphony Orchestra / Jean-Yves Ossonce.

Naxos (Super budget price) (CD) 8 553124/5 (two discs, oas: 69 and 66 minutes: DDD).

8 553124 – Herodiade – Ballet music. Suite No. 1, Op. 13. Suite No. 2, "Scenes hongroises". Suite No. 3, "Scenes dramatiques". 8 553125 – Suite No. 4, "Scenes pittoresques". Suite No. 5, "Scenes napolitaines". Suite No. 6, "Scenes de feerie". Suite No. 7, "Scenes alsaciennes".

Selected comparison:

Monte-Carlo Op Orch, Gardiner (2/93) (ERAT) 2292-45858/9-2

This pair of discs usefully fills a niche in the catalogue. Even Massenet's most fervent admirers, among whom I count myself, are unlikely to want to listen to his orchestral scores often, but there is some music here that warrants occasionally being taken down off the shelf. Naxos bring together all seven of the numbered orchestral suites, plus the ballet music from Herodiade, itself a rarity in the continued absence of a complete commercial recording of the opera (a lacuna soon to be rectified). Even in his orchestral music it is interesting to see how Massenet could be inspired when the spirit of the eternal feminine hovered above, as in Desdemona's "Melodrame" from the Scenes dramatiques. In general, the slow movements tend to be the most pleasing: the "Apparition" in the Scenes de feerie conjures a similar magic to the enchanted world of Cendrillon and "Sous les tilleuls" in the Scenes alsaciennes has solo cello and clarinet singing a delicate love duet under the lime trees. Outer movements are too often written in lower-grade ballet music style, rhythmically heavy-footed and drumming home their tonic keys at the end as though the whole corps de ballet are jumping up and down on the spot.

The obvious comparison is with John Eliot Gardiner's two Erato discs, which include four of the suites together with a couple of short fillers. As a rule, Gardiner can be characterized as the snappier conductor, insisting upon sharp accents and spruce rhythms, where Ossonce prefers a more relaxed approach, which wears well on repeated listening. Erato's recording quality is similarly the more forward; Naxos have given Ossonce and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra a more spacious ambience. Where Naxos score is in their completeness. Gardiner may be right that the colourless Scenes hongroises and Scenes napolitaines are weaker music, but it is nice to be able to make up our minds for ourselves. The Naxos discs also offer more generous playing time. When Massenet is hardly being prodigal with his inspiration, a pair of super-budget CDs may seem just the answer.

RTF



		This pair of discs usefully fills a niche in the catalogue. Even Massenet's most fervent admirers, among whom I count myself, are unlikely to want to listen to his orchestral scores often, but there is some music here that warrants occasionally being taken down off the shelf. Naxos bring together all seven of the numbered orchestral suites, plus the ballet music from Herodiade, itself a rarity in the continued absence of a complete commercial recording of the opera (a lacuna soon to be rectified). Even in his orchestral music it is interesting to see how Massenet could be inspired when the spirit of the eternal feminine hovered above, as in Desdemona's "Melodrame" from the Scenes dramatiques. In general, the slow movements tend to be the most pleasing: the "Apparition" in the Scenes de feerie conjures a similar magic to the enchanted world of Cendrillon and "Sous les tilleuls" in the Scenes alsaciennes has solo cello and clarinet singing a delicate love duet under the lime trees. Outer movements are too often written in lower-grade ballet music style, rhythmically heavy-footed and drumming home their tonic keys at the end as though the whole corps de ballet are jumping up and down on the spot.



		The obvious comparison is with John Eliot Gardiner's two Erato discs, which include four of the suites together with a couple of short fillers. As a rule, Gardiner can be characterized as the snappier conductor, insisting upon sharp accents and spruce rhythms, where Ossonce prefers a more relaxed approach, which wears well on repeated listening. Erato's recording quality is similarly the more forward; Naxos have given Ossonce and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra a more spacious ambience. Where Naxos score is in their completeness. Gardiner may be right that the colourless Scenes hongroises and Scenes napolitaines are weaker music, but it is nice to be able to make up our minds for ourselves. The Naxos discs also offer more generous playing time. When Massenet is hardly being prodigal with his inspiration, a pair of super-budget CDs may seem just the answer.