The Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969) became one of the greatest conductors of our century. After periods in Paris and Lausanne, followed by a meeting with Stravinsky, he was invited by Diaghilev to become conductor of the famous Ballets Russes. In 1918, Ansermet gave world premieres of a huge number of works including Stravinsky's "Histoire du Soldat" and, in 1920, those of the "Chant du Rossignol", Pulcinella and the Mass. He also conducted other premieres of which "Parade" by Eric Satie (1917), "The Three-cornered Hat" by de Falla (1919), "Chout" by Prokofiev (1923) and the Capriccio for Piano by Stravinsky (1929) are the best known. After the war, Ansermet gave the world premiere of Britten's "Rape of Lucrecia" in 1946 with Kathleen Ferrier and Peter Pears. He founded the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in 1940 which he continued to conduct until 1967 and with which his name will always be associated. He was also the founder of the world famous Lucerne Festival in 1937.

 

The anthology represented here gives us a rare snapshot of Ansermet conducting classical composers - Haydn and Beethoven - as well as composers he was closely associated with - Bartók and Debussy. These rare recordings date from the Edinburgh Festival concerts in 1958 with the Philharmonia and the studio performances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1964, a time when Amsermet was turning more towards conducting classical composers. It gives us a rare glimpse of Ansermet conducting "live" compared to his vast catalogue of Decca studio recordings and has been sourced from the BBC and the British Library Sound Archive.

 

The disc features an interview with Robert Chesterman where Ansermet describes his relationship with Debussy.

 

 

Beethoven: Symphony No.4*
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra*
Haydn: Symphony No.85**
Debussy: Nocturnes**†
Debussy: Iberia*

Philharmonia Orchestra* / BBC Symphony Orchestra** / BBC Ladies Chorus†
Recorded: Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 28 August 1958* / BBC Studios, London, 2 February 1964**† / Geneva, 1969‡