Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony since 1995, has form conducting Debussy. One of his earliest recordings was of the Images with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for DG in 1970, and he previously recorded the ballet score Jeux with the London Symphony Orchestra for Sony in 1991.

These two works are among Debussy’s greatest achievements. The centrepiece of Images, a triptych called Iberia, evokes Spain. It follows in the footsteps of older French composers like Bizet and Chabrier but displays a more earthy quality. The other Images are Gigues, a piece that quotes the old Scottish reel, The Keel Row, and Rondes des Printemps, a charming tone picture depicting the French provincial countryside.

The ballet Jeux (1913) was composed for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Initially Debussy thought the scenario trivial: three young adults looking for a lost tennis ball, and flirtatiously playing hide-and-seek. In the event he produced an elusive masterpiece. Pierre Boulez regarded Jeux as having a stronger long-term influence than Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, which premiered two weeks later and obliterated Debussy’s score from view.

The first thing to note about this new release on the San Francisco orchestra’s home label is the clarity and fullness of its SACD sound. The recording engineers place Debussy under an arc light. This suits Iberia perfectly: the garish colours of the fete in the final section and the warmth of Les Parfums de la Nuit have never been so palpable. Elsewhere, though, all-important half lights and shadows are conspicuously lacking. Jeux is stunningly played and cleanly balanced, but turn to another recent SACD disc from Lan Shui and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for a genuine sense of mystery. Older French performances under Ansermet, Martinon and Armin Jordan display a more transparent, mercurial touch. Recommended, but with reservations.


Composer: Debussy
Composition: Images, Jeux, La Plus Que Lente
Performer: San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas
Catalogue Number: SFS Media 82193600692 (SACD)

Limelight subscriptions start from $4 per month, with savings of up to 50% when you subscribe for longer.