Description

Ravel’s Piano Concertos & Debussy’s Fantasie: Zoltán Kocsis and Iván Fischer / Philips Digital Classics (Audio CD)

Name: Ravel’s Piano Concertos & Debussy’s Fantasie: Zoltán Kocsis and Iván Fischer / Philips Digital Classics (Audio CD)
Brand: PHILIPS Digital Classics
SKU: 028944671322
Price: 119.99 USD
Availability: InStock

UPC: 028944671322

MPN: 446 713-2

Brand Name: Philips Digital Classics

Overview

This acclaimed 1996 Philips Digital Classics CD is a thrilling showcase of 20th-century French concerto music, featuring two of Hungary’s finest classical musicians: pianist Zoltán Kocsis and conductor Iván Fischer, leading the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The program pairs Maurice Ravel's contrasting, brilliant piano concertos—the witty and jazz-inflected Piano Concerto in G Major and the dramatic Concerto for the Left Hand—with Claude Debussy’s ethereal early work, the Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra. Recorded in stunning BITSTREAM digital sound, this album offers sophisticated and vibrant interpretations of these Modern Classical masterpieces, essential for any collector of high-fidelity orchestral and piano recordings.

Product Features

Format: CD, Album, Digital Recording (DDD)
Genre: Classical
Style: Modern, Impressionism, 20th Century Concerto
Total Playing Time: 57:36
Catalogue No.: 446 713-2
Record Label: Philips Digital Classics
Country of Release: Europe (Made in Germany)
Released: 1996
Soloist: Zoltán Kocsis (Piano)
Conductor: Iván Fischer
Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra
Recording Technology: BITSTREAM recording, ensuring high-quality digital sound.
Condition: Used Very Good.

Interesting Facts

Kocsis and Fischer Synergy: Both Zoltán Kocsis (1952–2016) and Iván Fischer were co-founders of the highly-regarded Budapest Festival Orchestra in 1983. Their collaboration on this recording represents a peak synergy between two of Hungary's most influential musical minds of the late 20th century.
Ravel's Contrasts: Maurice Ravel composed his two piano concertos nearly simultaneously (completed in 1931). The G Major Concerto is a sunny, neoclassical work blending Mozartean clarity with blues and jazz influences. The Left Hand Concerto is a darker, powerful commission written for pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I, requiring a massive, virtuosic sound from a single hand.
Debussy’s Early Style: The Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra is an early work by Claude Debussy, composed in 1889-1890. It shows the composer transitioning from Romanticism toward the Impressionist style he would later perfect. Though Debussy withdrew the work after its initial rejection, it remains a lovely and substantial piece, capturing the youthful flair and French elegance of his nascent period.
BITSTREAM Recording: This album utilizes Philips' BITSTREAM technology, a pulse-density modulation technique used in the analog-to-digital conversion process. This was a leading-edge technology in the 1990s, aiming to produce recordings with extremely low noise and high sonic clarity, capturing the full dynamic range of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Track Listing

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto In G

Allegramente 7:44
Adagio Assai 8:10
Presto 3:40

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto In D (For The Left Hand)

Lento 7:45
Allegro 4:58
Tempo I 4:53

Claude Debussy: Fantasy For Piano And Orchestra

Andante Ma Non Troppo - Allegro Giusto 6:25
Lento E Molto Espressivo 7:06
Allegro Molto 6:15

Publishers

Label: Philips Digital Classics (446 713-2)
Recording Producer: Wilhelm Hellweg
Balance Engineer: Onno Scholtze
Recorded At: Italian Institute, Budapest, Hungary (1995–1996)
Phonographic Copyright (p) & Copyright (c): 1996 Philips Classics Productions

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Hashtags

#RavelPianoConcertos #KocsisFischer #BudapestFestivalOrchestra #DebussyFantasie #20thCenturyClassical #PhilipsDigitalClassics #ModernFrenchMusic #PianoConcertoCD #LeftHandConcerto #BuyClassicalCDsOnline #4467132

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Ravel's Boléro and French Orchestral Showpieces: Debussy, Dukas / Budapest Symphony Orchestra (Vintage LP)

UPC: Not provided. MPN: SLPD 12491 Brand Name: Hungaroton

Overview

This spectacular 1984 Hungaroton LP features the renowned Budapest Symphony Orchestra under the baton of György Lehel, presenting a cornerstone collection of French orchestral repertoire. The album is centered around Maurice Ravel’s hypnotically famous Boléro and his evocative Rapsodie Espagnole. Complementing these are two masterpieces of French Impressionism and tone poetry: Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Paul Dukas’s L’Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). This rare classical vinyl record is an essential find for collectors seeking vibrant, high-quality recordings of late Romantic and Impressionist orchestral music.

Áttekintés (Hungarian Translation)

Ez a lenyűgöző, 1984-es Hungaroton nagylemez a neves Budapesti Szimfonikus Zenekar előadásában, Lehel György vezényletével a francia zenekari repertoár alapvető gyűjteményét mutatja be. Az album középpontjában Maurice Ravel hipnotikusan híres Boléro-ja és az evokatív Rapsodie Espagnole áll. Ezt kiegészíti két remekmű a francia impresszionizmusból és a zenekari költészetből: Claude Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Egy faun délutánja) és Paul Dukas L’Apprenti Sorcier (A varázslóinas). Ez a ritka klasszikus bakelit lemez nélkülözhetetlen a késő romantikus és impresszionista zenekari zene élénk, kiváló minőségű felvételeit kereső gyűjtők számára.