Music Lane

It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

Return to Music Lane

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Debussy really knew how to pay his delivery man

173.66.52.127
Posted on December 16, 2014 at 14:56:36
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006
 Some time ago I purchased a large collection of interesting piano records that I just recently had the time to belatedly go through. Among the records were all six records of Debussy recorded by Daniel Ericourt in 1961 and issued on Kapp Records. I have been listening to these wonderful recordings, and in digging around to find out more about Ericourt I came across the story of a lost Debussy piano piece that was only uncovered in 2001. He wrote the piece in payment (either partial or full) to his coal merchant during the winter of 1917, when coal was in short supply because of the war. Details of the story and the first page of the music are below, more info at the link attached. It's a charming little piece, and it's really cool to discover something like this. I had never heard of this.

Here is a performance of it by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

Here is the link, since embedded YT videos don't always show on mobile devices: http://youtu.be/XnnEiBb7Dyg

A year before he died in 1918, French composer Claude Debussy wrote a piece for his coal merchant, who in exchange kept him well-supplied in the freezing winter months during World War I.

Debussy wrote the merchant a grateful letter.

"You can understand I can't keep writing you piano pieces, but we desperately need this coal,"' he wrote.

The unpublished work remained undiscovered until it surfaced in 2001 in Paris, where it had been stored by the coal merchant's family in a trunk for nearly 85 years.

The piece, "Les soirs illumines par l'ardeur du charbon" ("Evenings Lit by Glowing Coal"), has made its way to a college in North Carolina, where it will make its U.S. performance debut today.

The occasion is a tribute to Daniel Ericourt, a master performer of Debussy's works who taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for 13 years. Ericourt died in 1998 at the age of 94.




 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
That's wonderful - Ericourt deserves such a tribute, posted on December 16, 2014 at 15:36:04
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 But what he REALLY deserves is for Universal to shake the coal out of their own Lederhosen and DO SOMETHING with those Ericourt/Kapp tapes that they've got languishing in the vaults in Hanover!!! I just have a mental image of the oxide deteriorating away!

Great story about the piece BTW!

 

I figured that Universal must own the tapes, because, posted on December 16, 2014 at 16:17:29
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006
 there is one snippet from them on the big DGG Debussy set (La Petit Negre). There was a short lived CD set issued on Ivory Classics, which was funded by the University of North Carolina. It was roundly praised for the performances and roundly denouced for the sound, with mentions of distorion and excessive tape hiss. They must have been made from umpteenth generation copies of the tapes, because the LPs sound great, with no hint of those problems. Maybe someday we'll have a good issue of them, if the tapes are still intact.

 

Wow, that's amazing. Thanks. nt, posted on December 16, 2014 at 17:46:54
rbolaw

 

RE: I figured that Universal must own the tapes, because, posted on December 16, 2014 at 18:46:09
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 I used to have that Ivory Classics set: I have no doubt that it was made from what were evidently poor copies of the LP's (maybe owned by the Earl Wild estate?), with that blasting distortion characteristic of damaged grooves in some sections. I couldn't stand it anymore and finally got rid of it. Back in the late 60's, I acquired three of the LP's myself, although they were already out of print even by then, and kept them until the mid-80's.

The big DG Debussy set contains quite a few more miscellaneous pieces than just "Le petit nègre", and the difference in SQ with the Ivory Classics set is night and day. It used to be (and maybe still is) available on Spotify - disc 18. That would be the best solution of all: a reissue of the whole Ericourt/Debussy set on the DG label, with the same care that was given to the miscellaneous pieces in the big DG Debussy set. Hope springs eternal.

[removed]

We had a little bit of a discussion about Ericourt's Debussy recordings on this board earlier this year (April I think). I don't think too much was discussed beyond what I've summarized above - [removed].

EDIT: I just removed the references to Andrew Rose and Pristine Audio per my later posts further up in this thread.

 

RE: Debussy really knew how to pay his delivery man, posted on December 17, 2014 at 03:31:23
garrod
Audiophile

Posts: 1391
Location: surrey
Joined: June 21, 2003
 The Ericourt, Debussy recordings had a UK LP release on the Decca bargain label Ace of Clubs in 1965. I have Volume 2 ACL-R 259. It states on both the front and back of the cover that they were recorded by Kapp.

 

RE: Debussy really knew how to pay his delivery man, posted on December 17, 2014 at 05:10:48
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Thanks! for sharing.

 

Do you know about this one?, posted on December 17, 2014 at 09:08:36
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

Sadly, not available in the US but...

Streaming it on QOBUZ and it's not a bad transfer, at least to my ears. No tape hiss or evidence it's a vinyl transcription.

Link below:


First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

As Governor Perry said, Oops!, posted on December 17, 2014 at 09:43:37
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 I think that was the one I was referring to when I mentioned the Pristine Audio version below. (I've not heard it BTW.)

So now, to try to untangle the confusion I've created:

There is NO Pristine Audio version of the Ericourt performances. There IS the one in your post (derived from LP copies) on the Naxos Classical Archives label which, at this time, is not available in the US.

Thanks for finding that, and I'm so sorry for creating the confusion!

EDIT: I've now deleted the misleading information from that earlier post.

 

Interesting - did not know about the Ace of Clubs incarnation - thanks! [nt], posted on December 17, 2014 at 09:48:18
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012

 

Unfortunately, only in mono, posted on December 17, 2014 at 10:22:58
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006
 as far as I can tell. There are only two discs, I don't know exactly what's on them. It's certainly curious that Decca would not have issued them in stereo, but I would still be interested to hear what they sound like. Stereo vs. mono is not that big of a deal with a solo piano.

 

Not sure it's from the LPs..., posted on December 17, 2014 at 10:31:55
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 If so, it's pretty darn clean transcription.

So am I really streaming it at 16/44.1 or mp3?

QOBUZ says it's 16/44.1 BUT, they say that all the time as it's set to that in my app presets.

Have it playing on the 'big system' via AirPlay to the Marantz NA-7004 and it sounds pretty good on the big JBL Horns.




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

Think it likely they were recorded in mono (1957)?, posted on December 17, 2014 at 11:50:29
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 Thinking the original KAPP Records were 'High Fidelity' Mono as well.


First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

They were issued in '61 and were in stereo, posted on December 17, 2014 at 13:00:34
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006
 although the stereo Kapps are very hard to find. I have only one, the one with the Etudes.

 

Hmmm., posted on December 17, 2014 at 13:21:43
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 NAXOS list the Preludes books 1&2 as 1960.

Love to know when they were recorded.

Link below:

The QOBUZ version of the below linked offering seems to be Mono but I can't tell as it's just a piano.

Not sure for solo piano that I much care. ;-)


First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

My info is based on what I read at another site - could be wrong [nt], posted on December 17, 2014 at 13:57:24
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012

 

There were stereo versions of all the LP's in the set AFAIR, posted on December 17, 2014 at 14:03:44
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 (Of course, after my boo-boo from yesterday, you may want to take that statement with a grain of salt!)

EDIT: Just wanted to add that the three single volumes I owned on LP were all mono. However, there are a couple of images of the stereo Kapp LP's in this series on the internet, e.g.:

 

I suspect that the Preludes were recorded earlier..., posted on December 17, 2014 at 15:51:34
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

and in Mono. That would explain the ebay seller as stating the 1957 date on the 2 LP set (see copywrite date on the record label picture above).

That said, I see references for it as KDX-6501S with the 'DX' meaning double album and the 'S' being for stereo, so who knows?





First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

Yes, it does exist..., posted on December 17, 2014 at 18:16:34
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 Link below:




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: I suspect that the Preludes were recorded earlier..., posted on December 17, 2014 at 19:40:59
unclestu
Dealer

Posts: 5851
Joined: April 13, 2010
 Hard to say: Stereo tapes start in in 1954, although many companies recorded in stereo many such recordings were not released till much later. IIRC RCA was one such company and some of their stereo recordings made in the 50's were not released till the mid 60's.

No reference on the jacket but IIRC some Kapps were recorded by the Mercury recording team, but may be I'm just getting old and forgetful.

 

Doesn't get much better than that., posted on December 17, 2014 at 20:01:33
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 Mercury in that time period was pretty good!

But see post below, I think it was recorded in 1960 and release in both mono and stereo.


First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

They were definitely issued in stereo, issued in late 1960, posted on December 18, 2014 at 05:47:38
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006
 as you can see from the announcement/review in Billboard. I think this was the first of Ericourt's Debussy recordings to be issued. The recordings could easily go back as far as 1957, I don't know. All of the Ericourt recordings are very scarce in stereo, and the two disc set of the Preludes is particularly hard to find. This could be for a couple of reasons. Right around this time, Kapp raised the prices on their classical titles, so a two record set in stereo would have been pretty expensive and a lot of people would not have thought it worthwhile to spring for a stereo recording of a solo instrument.



 

Yep, and you can buy it!, posted on December 18, 2014 at 07:19:54
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 Link below: Kapp KDX-6501-S where the 'DX' is a double album and the 'S' is Stereo.

Yet to find an image of the LP in Stereo so I assume most were sold as mono.




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

Bitchin! I love those oldie announcements and reviews!, posted on December 18, 2014 at 09:10:01
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 Maybe I've posted this before, but here's a link to some PDF's of vintage issues of Audio and other magazines. (I think I got it from one of the other forums here at AA.)

 

Ericourt Debussy Preludes, posted on December 18, 2014 at 16:14:31
Botanico92007
Audiophile

Posts: 729
Location: San Diego
Joined: March 15, 2006
 Schwann Record Catalog shows the double album of the Preludes first entered the catalog in 10-61 in both stereo and mono. There were a total of six Debussy LPs in stereo and mono. By 1964 all the discs were no longer listed in Schwann. I think this explains their rarity. They went out of print very quickly. This double album is the only one I ever found, although I looked for the others in stereo. Even the mono are hard to find.

There is no recording date on the album, only that the recording was recorded under the direction of E. Alan Silver, who was one of the founders of Connoisseur Society. The recording was done in New York. No engineer is listed. Bob Fine of Mercury fame did do recording for Kapp. I have one or two Kapp records where he is listed. If Fine did a recording for Kapp, he was usually listed in the album notes. Kapp only issued a very small number of classical recordings.



 

RE: Ericourt Debussy Preludes, posted on December 18, 2014 at 16:27:13
Botanico92007
Audiophile

Posts: 729
Location: San Diego
Joined: March 15, 2006
 Found a reference to the recording engineer. It was David B. Jones.

 

Very good work! , posted on December 18, 2014 at 17:19:13
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 I could not find a picture of that album cover in Stereo, only mono.

Even though I found plenty of references for Kapp KDX-6501-S so it had to exist.




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

Excellent - Thanks!, posted on December 18, 2014 at 19:24:46
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 I think Ericourt had one other LP (aside from the Debussy set) that he made for Kapp - an album of Waltzes or something. Of course, Kapp's other main pianist at that time was Ann Schein, who was quite the babe, judging from the album covers! She had at least three releases that I know of: Rachmaninoff 3 with Goosens, the Chopin Scherzi (I had this LP myself - I loved the cover drawing of her), and an album of miscellaneous Etudes.

Anyway, thanks again for the confirmation on the Stereo Preludes!

 

Found it as a download..., posted on December 18, 2014 at 19:50:02
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

If ya got a PayPal account I think you can buy a CD Quality download of it at the link below:

It's sublime, and the SQ is very good. And yes, I think it's even in stereo.




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

Ann Schein, posted on December 18, 2014 at 20:50:23
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006


I think there were at least four records that were issued on Kapp. That Rachmaninoff 3rd with Goosens was an EMI recording, IIRC. She was indeed a babe, and I like her playing. Goosens seems to have been a fan. Her records are also quite hard to find, especially in stereo. She taught at the Peabody Institute for quite a while, which may be why I seem to see more of them around here (in DC). I had a couple extra ones and sold them a little while ago. Turns out that they went to a former student of hers who was thrilled to get them, which I thought was great. It's nice when that happens. BTW, she is still performing, at 75 (she was only 19 when she started recording for Kapp in 1959).

From the Aspen Music Festival, 2012:





 

Forgot about that Chopin Second Concerto! ;-), posted on December 19, 2014 at 00:53:41
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 Are you saying that EMI did the recording of the Rachmaninoff Third for Kapp? The performance definitely did come out on the Kapp label:



I know she made a couple of recordings for the Ivory Classics label a few years ago too - I used to have the one with the Schumann Davidsbündlertänze etc. Not bad at all, even if I didn't keep it. I also think I have (will need to check) her collaboration with violinist Wanda Wilkomirska in the Prokofiev Sonatas for violin and piano - a late release on the Connoisseur Society label that somehow appeared on CD very early in the CD era.

 

RE: Unfortunately, only in mono, posted on December 19, 2014 at 03:23:21
garrod
Audiophile

Posts: 1391
Location: surrey
Joined: June 21, 2003
 Ace of Clubs as far as I'm aware was a mono only label. I am a great admirer of mono recordings so this does not bother me at all. I am pretty certain that you are correct in that there were two volumes in the Decca LP release. My copy, volume 2 is as follows - Preludes: Book 1, no. 5,8,10,11,12. Book 2, 3&12. Images: Reflets dans l'eau, Mouvement, Poissons d'or. Estamps: Soiree dans Grenade, Jardins sous la pluie.

 

RE: Forgot about that Chopin Second Concerto! ;-), posted on December 19, 2014 at 05:46:39
rbolaw
 I have that Prokofiev violin sonata LP. Excellent, but not my favorite on interpretive grounds. Too much classical restraint on Wilkomirska's part.

 

RE: Forgot about that Chopin Second Concerto! ;-), posted on December 19, 2014 at 07:18:29
vinyl phanatic
Audiophile

Posts: 1596
Location: Washington DC
Joined: May 22, 2006
 There I go, talking off the top of my head. The Rachmaninoff 3rd was engineered by E. Alan Silver, of Connoisseur Records. I must have been thinking of something else. Listening to the Chopin F minor as I write, and I really like it (sound is quite good, as well).

She just played a recital at the National Gallery back in May. I would have liked to hear her. It got a rave review in the Washington Post.

 

It is said that Picasso was a gourmand and regularly frequented the best of culinary palaces; he seldom paid., posted on December 19, 2014 at 10:14:37
tinear
Audiophile

Posts: 65782
Location: Kansas City, KS
Joined: April 9, 2006
 By middle-age, he was famous enough so that merely his signature on the bill was worth a meal. A popular story relates how, after a spectacularly extravagant feast with his friends featuring many terribly expensive wines, Picasso signed the bill, only to have the maitre d' request payment. "Monsieur's signature won't cover this." Picasso, it is said, then asked for the man's pen and a napkin--- and then proceeded to quickly sketch a small bird. "Merci," exclaimed the man, bowing as he left with his prize. Today, of course, that sketch most probably would buy a 3-star restaurant...

 

Ericourt 7th LP, posted on December 19, 2014 at 14:29:27
Botanico92007
Audiophile

Posts: 729
Location: San Diego
Joined: March 15, 2006
 I found the seventh Ericourt recording in the Schwann Catalog. You are right. It is listed as "Waltzes" and entered the catalog in 2-59. The stereo number is Kapp 9021-S. Unfortunately Schwann only listed the contents of these kinds of potpourris the first time the recording was listed.

 

RE: Ericourt 7th LP, posted on December 21, 2014 at 12:05:35
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26432
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012

Looks from the label as if it includes the Ravel "Valses nobles et sentimentales". And that "Danse de la poupée" could be an excerpt from Debussy's ballet, "La boite a joujoux" (?). Debussy's "La plus que lente" was included in Ericourt's Debussy set. (Looks as if the label wrongly attributes it to Ravel.) Don't know what's on the other side.

 

RE: Ericourt 7th LP, posted on December 21, 2014 at 14:50:12
Botanico92007
Audiophile

Posts: 729
Location: San Diego
Joined: March 15, 2006
 Thanks. I think you have it right for this side of the LP. Now I'm curious about what is on the other side. More French music?

 

Page processed in 0.044 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]