Piero Coppola. Debussy from the 1920s

Back again so soon?  Well, I will try to get this project done and up for your listening pleasure soon.  This is the first of 3 cds worth of rare recordings by Piero Coppola, who was at this time the “house” conductor and musical director for La Voix de son Maître, the French branch of His Master’s Voice.  His discography during these years is very large indeed, but his work has not been reissued with much regularity with the exception of Prokofiev’s own recording of his 3rd Piano Concerto, accompanied by Coppola.  There WAS a series of 8 cds issued by the Dante/Lys label a few years ago, but the label is now defunct, sad to say.  In this series of posts, I am featuring recordings that were NOT included in that series, in this case earlier versions of works by Debussy that were re-recorded to take advantage of better recording techniques.  Some signs of the early electric recording techniques, or more accurately, what the recording companies often did to compensate for a perceived lack of a heft in the lower end at this time, comes in the form of reinforced orchestration for some low string passages.  In Caplet’s orchestration of the Children’s Corner Suite you can hear this rather grotesquely, but generally the sound is quite pleasingly balanced for the time, and far better than many of the dry studio recordings from the period.

Coppola’s ability to bring out color and sensuality, and always find a beautifully singing musical line, is coupled with a refusal to dawdle, notably in the briskly economical La Mer.  I find this refreshing, and perhaps even unique.  The issue of vibrato in orchestral string playing at this time is fascinating to study.  Generally there IS less vibrato overall, but to hear the difference between this overall leanness and a truly intentional non-vibrato effect listen to Nuages from the Nocturnes.  The color that Coppola conjures from the strings is startling at first, but, I think, very appropriate for the way the musical lines move.  There are some rough edges to some of the playing, including a few issues of wind intonation gone off a bit, but overall the unforced eloquence of the playing wins over the imperfections.

A huge round of thanks to Ward Marston for making available to me his large collection of Coppola recordings, and even better, making the disc to digital transfers (except for the electrical Chabrier, an old effort of mine).  To allow us to dub more recordings, Ward entrusted the editing and side joins to me.  Thank you Ward!

Debussy:  La Mer
Orchestre Symphonique du Gramophone
La voix de son Maître W 1022/24
Matrices: CN 336/37 & 294/97
Recorded February 18, 22 & 26, 1929

Debussy: Nocturnes
Orchestre Symphonique du Gramophone
La voix de son Maître W 947/49
Matrices: CK 3048/53
Recorded May 31, 1928

Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Orchestre Symphonique du Gramophone
La voix de son Maître W 837
Matrices: CFR 475/76
Recorded April 1, 1927

Debussy:  Children’s Corner Suite (arranged by André Caplet)
Orchestre Symphonique du Gramophone
La voix de son Maître P 707/9
Matrices: BFR 118/23
Recorded October 14, 1926

Chabrier: España
Orchestre Symphonique des Concerts Pasdeloup
La voix de son Maître  W 542
Matrices: CT 337/38
Recorded January 17, 1924

Chabrier: España
Orchestre Symphonique du Gramophone
La voix de son Maître L 678
Matrices: CT 4009/10
Recorded June 4, 1928

Piero Coppola, Conductor