It’s always satisfying to be able to welcome a new recording of music by this neglected master, and this one has a lot going for it. Generally fine playing (some rhythmic unsteadiness in the violins aside–particularly in the second part of Le buisson ardent), and rich, vivid sonics do full justice to Koechlin’s basically gentle and atmospheric writing while projecting the climaxes with plenty of brilliance. La course de printemps (The Spring Running) comes from the series of “Jungle Book” tone poems, and while Heinz Holliger takes his time getting started, he enjoys finer playing and sound than Segerstam (on Marco Polo) but isn’t quite as polished as Zinman (recently reissued on RCA France).
Segerstam also provides the only competition for Le buisson ardent (The Burning Bush), and here Holliger clearly has the edge with his finer orchestra and more immediate sound. This two-part tone poem includes a prominent part for Ondes Martenot and has nothing to do with the Bible. Rather, it’s based on Romain Rolland’s novel, Jean-Christophe–not that this matters particularly when listening to the music. As with so much of Koechlin’s more dreamy and evocative inspirations, it needs a firm guiding hand, which is exactly what Holliger provides. He shapes the long second part with particular confidence, its quiet episodes never dragging. Koechlin’s music thrives on a curious mixture of the ancient (modally-tinged themes) and modern (free use of dissonance and advanced orchestral technique), and if this particular combination whets your appetite, you will find this disc very enjoyable. [1/14/2003]
