Orchestrations by Zoltán Kocsis – Works by Debussy and Ravel CD

Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra · Júlia Hajnóczy (soprano) · Conducted by Zoltán Kocsis Hungaroton Classic, 2003 · Stereo CD 

UPC: 5991813210623 | Catalogue No.: HCD 32106

Overview

In this inspired and richly textured Hungaroton Classic release, the late Zoltán Kocsis — one of Hungary’s greatest musical figures — unites his pianistic intimacy with Debussy and Ravel and his mastery of orchestral color as conductor and arranger.

The album presents new orchestrations by Kocsis of several piano and vocal works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, recorded with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra and featuring soprano Júlia Hajnóczy.

? An homage from one colorist to another — Kocsis reimagines Debussy’s and Ravel’s piano worlds in radiant orchestral hues.

Product Details

• Label: Hungaroton Classic – HCD 32106
• Format: CD, Album, Stereo
• Country: Hungary
• Release Year: 2003
• Genre: Classical
• Style: Impressionism, 20th Century Orchestral
• Audio: Stereo Digital
• Duration: 73 minutes (approx.)

Performers:

• Soprano: Júlia Hajnóczy (tracks 3–8)
• Conductor: Zoltán Kocsis
• Orchestra: Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracklist

About the Album

This album captures Zoltán Kocsis’s orchestral imagination at its most refined. Renowned for his interpretations of Bartók, Debussy, and Ravel, Kocsis here applies his deep understanding of piano texture to expand these works into new symphonic landscapes — faithful in spirit, yet vibrantly reimagined.

Highlights include:

• Debussy’s Ariettes oubliées — now clothed in shimmering string and woodwind colors, perfectly complementing Júlia Hajnóczy’s translucent soprano.
• Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin — presented with Kocsis’s own orchestrations of the Fugue and Toccata, seamlessly blending with Ravel’s original orchestral movements.
• Debussy’s Images oubliées — given a glowing orchestral dimension, preserving the composer’s evocative harmonic language.

The recording also features Ravel’s own orchestrations, such as Menuet antique, creating a dialogue between original masters and modern interpreter.

Critical Notes

Kocsis’s orchestrations reveal a deep sympathy for French impressionism. His restraint and attention to tone color — muted strings, divided violins, soft harp arpeggios — evoke the misty, iridescent atmosphere characteristic of Debussy and Ravel.

“Right from the outset of C’est l’extase langoureuse, the divisi muted strings create that vaporous veil so characteristic of Debussy. Kocsis paints a glowing canvas with delicate pastel orchestral colors…”

Hajnóczy delivers the Verlaine songs with poetic sensitivity, while the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra responds with remarkable finesse and textural clarity under Kocsis’s direction.

The overall sound is natural and well-balanced, with Hungaroton’s engineering capturing both the luminosity of the orchestra and the intimate vocal lines.

About Zoltán Kocsis (1952–2016)

Zoltán Kocsis was a Hungarian pianist, conductor, and composer, twice awarded the Kossuth Prize and Liszt Ferenc Prize. A towering figure in Hungarian music, he was principal conductor of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 until his passing in 2016.

Known for his intellectual depth and technical brilliance, Kocsis brought renewed life to Bartók, Liszt, Debussy, and Ravel, and his legacy as a champion of modern Hungarian music remains unparalleled.

“For Kocsis, orchestration was not transcription — it was illumination.”

Edition Features

• Original orchestrations by Zoltán Kocsis (Debussy & Ravel)
• Includes two Ravel orchestrations and several world premiere recordings
• Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra in high-resolution digital stereo
• Detailed booklet notes in English and Hungarian
• Hungaroton Classic release – collectible and audiophile-grade