Messiaen: Catalogue d'oiseaux

Catalogue d'oiseaux / La Fauvette des Jardins

Anatol Ugorski
Deutsche Grammophon "Trio" 474 345 (3 CDs)

Contents:

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 1 (1956-58)

1. Le Chocard des Alpes
2. Le Loriot
3. Le Merle bleu

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 2 (1956-58)

4. Le Traquet Stapazin

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 3 (1956-58)

5. La Chouette Hulotte
6. L'Alouette Lulu

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 4 (1956-58)

1. La Rousserolle Effarvatte

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 5 (1956-58)

2. L'Alouette Calandrelle
3. La Bouscarle

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 6 (1956-58)

4. Le Merle de roche

Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Book 7 (1956-58)

1. La Buse variable
2. Le Traquet rieur
3. Le Courlis cendré
4. La Fauvette des Jardins (1970)

Performer: Anatol Ugorski (piano)

Playing time: 181'

Recording dates: March & April & July & November 1993 (Berlin); reissued: 2003

There are multiple quality performances & recordings of this set of music. This one is a slight preference. One interesting thing about these pieces & these performances is that they are very recognizable as the identical music. Maybe that should not count as "interesting" but as someone accustomed to medieval music, I suppose the precision of a modern score is a change of pace.

The classic recording which was a favorite for years:

Catalogue d'Oiseaux

Peter Hill
books 1-3: Unicorn Kanchana 9062
books 4-6: Unicorn Kanchana 9075
book 7 / Fauvette: Unicorn Kanchana 9090

The above actually holds up rather well, even if I do have a slight preference for this newer recording.

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