Apparently,
Guido Cantelli was what they used to call "demanding." He ran hard, tight rehearsals and he pushed his musicians past the limits of their abilities and patience. But while such behavior would never be allowed today,
Cantelli's few recordings preserve performances of exquisite poise and exemplary polish. On this superbly remastered disc, all
Cantelli's
Debussy recordings, plus his Pavane pour une infante defunte of
Ravel, are returned to the catalog. Listeners who have never heard
Cantelli will be astounded by the textural clarity, the linear intensity, and the ineluctable inevitability of his
Debussy performances. The sensual haze of the Prélude à l'aprés-midi d'un faune is pointillistic rather impressionistic. The wind and waves of La Mer are light in motion. And the agony and the ecstasy of Le martyre de Saint Sébastien are the numinous made luminous.
Cantelli's Pavane pour une infante défunte may be a bit dry for some listeners, but it has an objectivity that suits the coolness of its colors. The
Philharmonia Orchestra was EMI's London studio orchestra known for its ensemble virtuosity.
Cantelli may have demanded a lot, but the playing on these performances is among the most polished and elegant ever recorded. EMI's originals from 1955 and 1957 were tremendous in their day and these remasterings are honest and real.