Even though these Vanguard recordings of
Erik Satie's orchestral works date back to 1968 and are at least ADD, if not AAD, listeners may be reassured in knowing that the original analog tapes have been extraordinarily well preserved, and that the enthusiastic performances by
Maurice de Abravanel and the
Utah Symphony Orchestra sound quite fresh and vivid, even by today's standards. Part of this double-disc's terrific sound quality is due to the responsive acoustics of the Mormon Tabernacle, but credit is due equally to the full-out playing of the
USO in music it found especially delightful, and to the engineers who took pains in positioning the microphones to capture every part with natural effect.
Satie's three ballets, Parade, Les aventures de Mercure, and Relâche appear complete, along with shorter, lesser-known works, such as La belle excentrique, the Cinq grimaces pour "Un songe d'une nuit d'été," and, for the first time on disc, En habit de cheval. The arrangements on disc two by
Debussy, Desormiere,
Poulenc, Manuel, and
Milhaud may be of less interest than
Satie's authentic scores, yet the pieces Le fils des étoiles and Jack-in-the-Box are rarely heard in any form, and are entertaining bonuses for
Satie fans.