I suspect this release is a dream come true for avid collectors of piano rarities. Although the complete flat disc recordings with Grieg, Saint-Saëns, and Debussy at the piano are not new to CD, Ward Marston’s newly minted transfers unveil levels of tone color, presence, and definition that far surpass previous reissues. The same goes for the complete surviving recordings by noted French pianists Louis Diémer and Raoul Pugno, along with a unique test pressing that features Jules Massenet accompanying soprano Georgette Leblanc.
Those familiar with the Grieg, Debussy, Diémer, and Pugno sides are all too aware of the source material’s pitch fluctuations causing an irritating vibrato-like “wow”, as if the pianists had been recorded underwater. Thanks to a software program developed by Dimitri Antsos, the problem is at long last eliminated and the recordings sound better than ever. Consequently, we can experience Pugno’s unusually slow, hypnotically sustained tempo for the Chopin F-sharp Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 without getting seasick; and we can better ascertain Debussy’s limpid tone as he accompanies Mary Garden in three of his Ariettes Oublées and Mes longs cheveux descendent from Pelléas et Mélisande Act 3.
Listeners who think of Grieg’s Lyric Pieces as lightweight fluff tinted in delicate pastels will be surprised, even startled by the composer’s intensity, nervous energy, and headlong tempos. As for the Saint-Saëns and Diémer recordings, see my previous comments (type Q10463 in Search Reviews). Ward Marston and his colleagues deserve big bravos and heartfelt thanks for the care, intelligence, and expertise with which they present these important recorded documents to the public. [6/24/2008]
