Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Home of La Belle Epoque, the French pavilion includes the mysterious beginnings of cinema in France, the bohemian Symbolist artists, Ravel and his gang Les Apaches, and the ever eccentric Erik Satie. And special guest Ken Young muses about coat-tailing Debussy for a day.

Opening ceremony of the 1900 Paris World Fair

“A thousand vague marvels in nature have at last found their interpreter.” Jean Cocteau on Debussy

“Eggs and lamb cutlets were the centre of these friendly occasions. But what eggs and what cutlets! I’m still licking my cheeks – on the inside as you can imagine. Debussy – who prepared these eggs and cutlets himself – had the secret (the innermost secret) of these preparations.”  Erik Satie on Friday lunches with Debussy

“Happy 150th birthday, Claude!” from Radio New Zealand Concert staff

Right: Claude Debussy

Chat Noir poster; Erik Satie self-portrait as tombstone bust; Vincent van Gogh, self-portrait

Music

SAINT-SAENS: L'assassinat du duc de Guise
(Harmonia Mundi HMC 90 1472)

DEBUSSY: La cathédrale engloutie, from Preludes Bk 1
(Onyx 4004)

SATIE: Gymnopédie No 2
(Decca  470 290)

DEBUSSY: Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses, from Preludes Bk 2
(Onyx 4004)

PALESTRINA: Coenantibus illis
(Arcana A 358)

DEBUSSY: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
(DG 427 250)

DEBUSSY: String Quartet in G minor Op 10
(Harmonia Mundi HMI 98 7057)

RAVEL: Daphnis & Chloe
(London D 115520)          

SATIE:  Morceaux en forme de poire
(EMI Classics D 100380)                             

RAVEL: Menuet Antique
(Sony MH2K 63316)                         

DEBUSSY: Pelleas et Mélisande
(EMI CMS 5 67057)                                               

RAVEL: Jeux d’Eaux
(London 433 515)                                      

RAVEL: Shéhérazade
(EMI CDC 7 54204)                 

RAVEL: Miroirs
(Sony MH2K 63316)                          

DELAGE: Quatre poems hindous
(Elektra Nonesuch D 114883)

RAVEL: Daphnis & Chloe
(London D 115520)                          

RAVEL: Daphnis & Chloe
(BSO Classics 0801)

DEBUSSY: Cloche a travers les feuilles, from Images
(Warner 8573 83940)

DEBUSSY: Danses sacree et profane
(Telarc CD 80694)

DEBUSSY: Brouillards, from Preludes Bk 2
(Decca 452 022)

DEBUSSY: Iberia II. Les parfums de la nuit
(Naxos 8572296)

SATIE: Gymnopedie No 1
(Decca 470 290)

DEBUSSY: Nuages, from Nocturnes
(Naxos 8570993)

DEBUSSY: Pelleas et Melisande
(Naxos 8570993)

JAVANESE TRAD: Sampak  
(ARC EUCD 1902)

DEBUSSY: Pagodes, from Estampes
(Decca 452 022)

DEBUSSY: Sirenes, from Nocturnes
(Naxos 8570993)

SATIE arr DEBUSSY: Gymnopedie No 1
(Decca 421 527)

DEBUSSY: Pour remercier la pluie au matin, from 6 Ancient Epigraphs
(Philips 454 471)

DEBUSSY: Prelude to Act II: La chamber jagique, from Le Martyre de St Sebastian
(Naxos 80572297)

DEBUSSY: Voiles, from Preludes Bk 1
(Decca 452 022)

SATIE: Je Te Veux
(Decca 470 290)

STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring
(Sony SMK 64109)

1908 film Assassination of the Duke of Guise – music by Camille Saint-Saëns

Gallery: Expo Belle Epoque - a visual tour of 1880-1914