Edgard Varèse: Offrandes; Intégrales; Octandre; Ecuatorial

On this CD:

1. Offrandes, for soprano & chamber orchestra
Composed by Edgard Varese
Performed by Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Jan DeGaetani, Thomas Paul
Conducted by Arthur Weisberg

2. Intégrales for winds & percussion
Composed by Edgard Varese
Performed by Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Jan DeGaetani, Thomas Paul
Conducted by Arthur Weisberg

3. Octandre, for winds, brass, & percussion
Composed by Edgard Varese
Performed by Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Jan DeGaetani, Thomas Paul
Conducted by Arthur Weisberg

4. Ecuatorial, for bass, chorus, brass, piano, organ, 2 ondes martenots, & percussion
Composed by Edgard Varese
Performed by Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Jan DeGaetani, Thomas Paul
Conducted by Arthur Weisberg

Tracks:

Tuning Up
Amques (Original Version)
Po ectronique
Arcana
Nocturnal
Un Grand Sommeil Noir (Orchestral Version)

Tracks:

Un Grand Sommeil Noir (Original Version)
Offrandes: Chanson de laut
Offrandes: La Croix du Sud
Hyperprism
Octandre: Assez lent
Octandre: Trvif et nerveux
Octandre: Grave - Animt jubilatoire
Intales
Ecuatorial
Ionisation
Density 21.5
Drts: 1st Episode
Drts: 1st interpolation of organized sound
Drts: 2nd episode
Drts: 2nd interpolation
Drts: 3rd episode
Drts: 3rd interpolation
Drts: 4th episode
Dance for Burgess

Amazon.com essential recording

For a composer who is (now) recognizably part of the 20th-century classical canon, the French émigré Edgard Varèse's output was astoundingly meager. Just 15 compositions from his entire life (he destroyed the compositions from his early years, and was a merciless editor of his own material in general) made it out to the listening world. Varèse was caught in the chasm between the music of yesterday and the music of tomorrow: scoring music for modified theremin, steamboat whistles, or air sirens, all balanced with the force of a large orchestra; writing pieces based on the flows of water and wind because that's what shapes the earth; using the concepts of chemical reactions and specific gravity as a basis for his music. Using extremes of contrast, dissonance, and variety in sound, Varèse's pieces had power in the way he attacked and shaped the sound he imagined. From Ionisation (1929), scored almost entirely for unpitched percussion, to the electronic-only, three-dimensionally produced Poeme Electronique (1958), he's provided a foundation that many genres, musicians, and composers were to build from not only for the next 40 years, but inevitably beyond. --Robin Edgerton

Customer Reviews:

Superb with just one reservation.......2006-11-10

This complete works of Varèse, superbly performed and recorded, is a fine accomplishment. My only disappointment was its version of Poème Elèctronique being the sole representation of that ground-breaking work that still holds up for me today as one of the finest pieces of electronic music yet created. It is interesting to be able to hear the version in this collection, which appears to be a loving restoration of what must have been primarily the raw, performing version, to be further enhanced during its performances in a very large space? What I miss in the present version is the more clearly heard textures of its huge sound palette; the resonant and often humerous interplay between them, and its dramatic sweep as it was presented on a sparcely documented stereo mix that first appeared on a Columbia Records LP, later reissued on a CD, now out of print. That one is surely more like an actual performance, presumably mixed to re-create as well as possible then what it might have sounded like over its four hundred loudspeakers in the Philips Pavillion. I hope there will be further reissues. To me the CBS version's drama and energy are more like that of the performances of the other pieces in this wonderful Complete Works set. -Curt Wittig

Go ahead, test your intelligence..........2006-06-18

Frank Zappa used to play Varese to test the intelligence of his friends, and most of them used to look at him like he was "out of his f---ing mind" as he put it. As a major Zappa fan, I bought this compliation, and I love every minute of it. This 2 CD set contains all of Varese's work (needless to say, Edgar wasn't very prolific). You really hear Varese's influence in Zappa's work. Some favorite pieces are Deserts, Poem Electronique, and Un Grand Sommeil Noir (Original Version). Varese's music reminds me of universes being created, in all their violence, beauty, and glory. Instruments crashing down upon one another. This music is reminiscent of Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh and his orchestral work especially. Varese is one of the great American composers, like Aaron Copland, John Cage, and Conlon Nancarrow. Superb....

The definitive recordings........2005-11-09

Riccardo Chailly once said Varèse was going to be the Brahms of the XXI Century. I really don't know if he will be right or wrong, specially because of the very conservative auditoriums we have all around the world, but it should be this way, as the french composer has died too many years ago and his music should be understood but most of the public. It's sad to know that composers, like the own Mahler said, use to be years, decades, even centuries in advance to the general public .

Anyway, it's very important for the popular knowledge of this composers to have recordings like this, in which everything works perfectly as if it was a clock. After many years having some good recordings conducted by Boulez (Sony) and Nagano (Erato) mainly, we have now the possibility of listening one of the most musical and technical orchestra & baton of this time: The Concertgebouworkest and Riccado Chailly.

Most of the versions in this 2CDs set are the best I know, specially the orchestral works, played with conviction and precision by the Concertgebouworkest, an orchestra that had some problems with Mr.Chailly when they begin to play this, for them, `rare' music. The way Arcana sounds its incredible, full of power, mistery and perfection, the performing of Ameriques is breathtaking and I can only compare it with the truly outstanding version by Pierre Boulez with the CSO for DG. Deserts is a new dimension in Chailly's hands, really terrible and full of dark emotions.

Of course, there are little things that could be a bit better, like the Spanish sung in Ecuatorial, better sung in Nagano's version, but generally the performing is marvellous and the instrumental and ondes Martenot's playing in this piece is perfect in Chailly's version.

The ASKO Ensemble versions are outstanding too, showing a very modern Varèse. The performing of Ionisation, that great jewel, listened with a good Hi-Fi system is a experience not to be lost.

The recordings are very good, not outstanding, as it sounds like distant sometimes, but clear and with good definition, of course better with good electronics.

Booklet and presentation of the box is marvellous too; as it has to be in real event in recorded music in the last decades.

Sound Splitting Music.......2002-06-25

First, let me state that I am a long-time Varese fanatic. I first heard Ionisation live at a contemporary music concert in my town when I was 12, and I was hooked. I immediately bought the old Robert Craft double album on Columbia and played it until there were scratches on the scratches. So I was overjoyed to see a modern "complete" recording with up to date sonics. For the most part, I haven't been too disappointed with the performances either.

Chailly is great on much of this music. Ameriques and Arcana are sonic extravagazas. And this is the best recording I've heard of Nocturnal and Ecuatorial. Chailly does a good job with the chamber pieces of the 20s and 30s, though I agree with other reviewers, Boulez is much clearer on Ionisation. Chailly misses some of my favorite parts, and I find it hard to hear the first snare drum theme. (I'm also quite partial to Craft's version, but I don't think it's available anymore.)

I also must add to the chorus of exceptions on the questionable material. The orhestrated version of the solo song has no place on this CD. It doesn't sound like Varese, more like Debussy, and though the song is quite impressionistic, I think we presume too much to orchestrate it and pass it off as "complete" Varese. And neither Tune Up nor Dance for Burgess really add much to our understanding of Varese, and are of questionable value. I suspect that Varese would have destroyed them completely had he been able. Much better to have a recording of the revised version of Ameriques. The revision is so extensive, that a side by side comparison would be illuminating.

All in all, I like this CD. Chailly's take on Varese is big and passionate, something that I think both Boulez and Craft miss. Abravanel comes close to this passion, but Chailly wins because of the gorgeous sonics. I highly recommend this CD to those interested in exploring the unique sound world of Varese.

An aural knockout.......2002-02-01

Here are two discs with some of the most exciting 20th-century music around. Chailly and the Concertgebouw give definitive readings of Varèse's complex pieces, some written for a huge orchestra, and recorded in typically opulent London sound.

My favorites are, without a doubt, "Ameriques" and "Arcana," two explosive showpieces that will give your sound system quite a workout. But far from being merely loud, the scores have many beautiful textures (including quiet ones) scattered throughout the orchestra, and Chailly captures much of the glittering detail.

I even like "Tuning Up," which may seem like a less substantial work to most ears. To be fair, if the piece is not the last word in Varèse's imagination, it is clever enough for its short duration, and as with everything on this disc, the orchestra sounds superb and totally undaunted. Their virtuosity is both satisfying and thrilling, especially in such seldom-performed music.

Make sure your neighbors are away before turning up the performance of "Ameriques," though - the last few pages will blow your roof off.

Tracks:

Offrandes - Jan Degaetani/Paul Dunkel/Goerge Haas/Stanley Walden/Donald MacCourt/Paul Ingraham/Allan Dean..
Integrales - louis Fazio/Thoms Nyfenger/George Haas/Arthur Bloom/Paul Ingraham/Thmas Lisenbee..
Octandre - Paul Dunkel/George Haas/Arthur Bloom/jDonald MacCourt/Paul Ingraham/Allan Dean/John Swallow..
Ecuatorial - Thomas Paul/Allan Dean/Thomas Lisenbee/Ronald Anderson/Louis Ranger/Garrett List..

Music Track:

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