La Chute de la Maison Usher

This film by Jean Eptein is the adaptation of a new eponymous Edgar Poe. For Kafka, the musical intention was to transmit on an emotional level, through the writing of the soundtrack, the anguishing and strange atmosphere that transpires throughout the film in each image.

Debussy Centenary Discoveries offers new insights into a captivating, inventive and influential musical genius. Each recording on these 3-CDs is in some way a first: Chanson des brises and Diane aux bois make their debut appearance in any form; the unfinished opera La Chute de la Maison Usher is heard just as Debussy left it; the Chansons de Charles d'Orléans appear in their original version, while Debussy's transcriptions of his own Jeux and Khamma, and of works by Schumann, Raff and Saint-Saëns, are also new to the catalogue. Pianists Philippe Cassard and Jean-Pierre Armengaud are among the musicians who lead this fascinating voyage of discovery.

The fourth and final installment in a complete edition of Debussy songs might not seem to be a chartbuster, but that's just what this release by British soprano Lucy Crowe has become, and it deserves every bit of its success. In fact, you might even pick this one over the other three if you're looking to sample Crowe's approach: the program is exceptionally well put together, and it begins with Debussy's first published song, Tragédie, of 1881. There are several other early songs, giving insight into the young Debussy's romantic life as well as hints of the musical language to come and some real experiments (you could sample the Rondel chinois). From there, the program proceeds to later music but is not strictly chronological: instead Crowe leads you onto a path of extremely quiet songs wherein Debussy challenges the soprano to reside in her upper register, and Crowe meets the challenges beautifully. The tension is remarkable, with just a single piano solo and a pair of songs to Debussy's own texts (Nuits blanches, or Sleepless Nights) with baritone Christopher Maltman to break it. The music broadens out with some later songs, ending with Debussy's swan song, Noël des enfants qui n'ont plus de maisons, of 1915. The contributions of pianist Malcolm Martineau are substantial; he produces some truly eerie sounds in the quieter pieces. Highly recommended and often haunting.

Collection de nouvelles fantastiques d'Edgar Allan Poe traduites par Charles Baudelaire et publiées dans les recueils Histoires extraordinaires et Nouvelles histoires extraordinaires, auxquelles vient s'ajouter le poème Le Corbeau, traduit par Stéphane Mallarmé. …

Robert Orledge's research into Debussys sketches and incomplete drafts has resulted in the unearthing and reconstruction of numerous lost masterpieces, the piano versions of which are given their première recordings here. Unknown versions of famous pieces such as La Fille aux cheveux de lin and an unused movement from Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien appear alongside the ecstatic Prélude de lHistoire de Tristan. This uniquely valuable programme also includes the life-affirming suite for No-ja-li (Le Palais du Silence) with narration.