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The brilliant Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra get their teeth into two of the greatest orchestral works of the twentieth century: La Mer by Debussy and Stravinsky?s Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring). 

The premieres of these distinctive works were given less than a decade apart in Paris, so make a perfect yet contrasting pairing for this live concert-experience recording from Acousence Classics: A marvel in Studio Master quality. 

There are few compositions which have been met with such an extreme reaction as Le Sacre du Printemps. The scandal surrounding its premiere has not been matched since. The balletic sensibilities of The Rite may have led the audience to expect a work full of soaring melodies (as per Swan Lake) but instead they were met with unsettlingly powerful music full of driving rhythms and never-before-heard instrumental sounds which caused near riots and booing loud enough to drown out the offending orchestra! Despite its shaky start Le Sacre du Printemps has become a modern classic whose challenging character has not been lost and which contains numerous examples of tonal and rhythmic innovations of the music of the twentieth century. 

La Mer showcases Debussy at his orchestral best evoking clear images of the power and varying moods of the sea. Although it was not met with the same immediate dislike as The Rite, it was not without its difficulties, namely the orchestra found it very, very hard to play! 

Luckily the Jonathan Darlington and the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra are more than up to the task these demanding pieces require. This is another unmissable recording from this *** orchestral team.