Ernest Ansermet French Music 32 CD Box Set Decca Classical Recordings 1951-1969

This CD set features the beautiful sounds of Ernest Ansermet and L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande performing classic French compositions by Maurice Ravel, Georges Bizet, Jacques Offenbach, Cesar Franck, Claude Debussy, Camille Saint-Saens, and Hector Berlioz among other famous French composers.  Conductor Ernest Ansermet was a friend of Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky and championed their music throughout his long career.  His Decca recordings with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande have achieved benchmark status for this repertoire.  This is a new unplayed box set with the original shrink wrap removed and a small split in the paper of the box as shown in the last photo.

Born in Switzerland, Ansermat was a mathematics professor, teaching at the University of Lausanne.  He began conducting at the Casino in Montreux in 1912, and from 1915 to 1923 was the conductor for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.  Travelling in France for this, he met both Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and consulted them on the performance of their works.  During World War I, he met Igor Stravinsky, who was exiled in Switzerland, and from this meeting began the conductor's lifelong association with Russian music.

In 1918 Ansermet founded his own orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.  He toured widely in Europe and America and became famous for accurate performances of difficult modern music, making first recordings of works such as Stravinsky's Capriccio with the composer as soloist.  After World War II, Ansermet and his orchestra rose to international prominence through a long-term contract with Decca Records.  From that time until his death, he recorded most of his repertoire, often two or three times.  His interpretations were widely regarded as admirably clear and authoritative.  Ansermet's double good fortune was to be at the peak of his powers in the mid-1950's at the dawn of stereo recording and this 32 CD set shows him in his prime, conducting French masterworks by Debussy, Ravel, Saint-Saens, Berlioz, Faure and many more.  The 32-unit quantity box set includes a compilation of orchestral music with piano and orchestra accompaniment, showcasing the timeless beauty of French classical music.  This beautiful box set is an out-of-print edition, making it a rare find for any collector or music enthusiast.

Disc 1
  1. Debussy: Symphonic Suite "Spring" 
  2. Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
  3. Debussy: Nocturne
  4. Debussy: Symphonic Poem "Sea" - 3 for orchestra Two Symphonic Drawings
  5. Debussy: Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra
Disc 2
  1. Debussy: "Video" for orchestra
  2. Debussy: Ballet music "Game"
  3. Debussy: Ballet music "Comma"
  4. Debussy: Dances 
Disc 3
  1. Debussy: The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian
  2. Debussy: Six Ancient Epigraphs 
  3. Debussy: Scottish March
Disc 4
  1. Debussy: Ballet music "Toy Box"
  2. Debussy: Small Suite
  3. Ravel: Pavane for the Dead Princess 
  4. Ravel: Elegant and Sentimental Waltz
  5. Ravel: Jester's Morning Song 
Disc 5-6
  1. Debussy: Complete opera "Pelleas et Melisande"
Disc 7-8 
  1. Debussy: Complete opera "Pelleas et Melisande"
Disc 9
  1. Ravel: Spanish Rhapsody
  2. Ravel: La Valse
  3. Ravel: Couperin's Tomb
  4. Ravel: Tzigane - Concert Rhapsody
  5. Ravel: Bolero
  6. Debussy: "Light of the Moon" from Suite Bergamasque 
Disc 10
  1. Ravel: Complete ballet music "Daphnis et Chloe"
  2. Ravel: "Ma Mere Roi" Suite
Disc 11
  1. Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major
  2. Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
  3. Major・Ravel: "Daphnis and Chloe" Suite 2
  4. Saint-Saens: Danse Death Op.40
Disc 12
  1. Ravel: Complete opera "Children and Magic"
  2. Romande Ravel: Scheherazade
  3. Ravel: Two Hebrew Songs
  4. Ravel: Three Poems by Stephane Mallarme
Disc 13
  1. Ravel: Complete opera "Spanish Hours"
  2. Ravel: La Valspari
Disc 14
  1. Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique Op.14
  2. Berlioz: Overture "Pirate" Op.21
  3. Berlioz: Overture "Roman Carnival" Op.9
  4. Berlioz: "Beatrice and Benedict" Overture
Disc 15
  1. Berlioz: From "The Punishment of Faust" Op.24
  2. Berlioz:  "Benvenuto Cellini" Overture
  3. Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 in C minor Op.78 "With Organ"
  4. Saint-Saens: The Spinning Wheel of Honfal Op.31
Disc 16
  1. Berlioz: Song Collection "Summer Night" Op.7
  2. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique Op.14 (Rehearsal)
Disc 17
  1. Franck: Symphony in D minor
  2. Franck: The Cursed Hunter
  3. Franck: Symphonic Poem "The Aeolians"
Disc 18
  1. Bizet: "Carmen" Suite
  2. Bizet: "Les Les Arles" Suite
  3. Bizet: Overture "Fatherland"
Disc 19
  1. Bizet: Symphony in C major
  2. Bizet: Children's Play Op.22
  3. Bizet: "The Beautiful Perth" Suite
  4. Offenbach: Overture "Heaven and Hell"
  5. Offenbach: Overture "Beautiful Helene"
  6. Herold: Overture "Zampa"
Disc 20-21
  1. Delibes: Ballet music "Coppelia"
  2. Delibes: "Sylvia" Suite
Disc 22
  1. Lalo: Ballet music "Nam-na"
  2. Lalo: Divertisman - Andantino
  3. Lalo: Norwegian Rhapsody
  4. Lalo: Scherzo for orchestra Lalo:
  5. Overture "The King of Chairs"
Disc 23
  1. Lalo: Spanish Symphony Op.21
  2. Chabrier: Habanera
  3. Faure: Requiem Op.48
Disc 24
  1. Chabrier: Rhapsody "Spain''
  2. Chabrier: Pastoral Suite
  3. Chabrier: Joyful March
  4. Chabrier: Slavic Dances ~ Opera "The Reluctant King''
  5. Chabrier: Polish Festival ~ Opera "The Reluctant King''
  6. Thomas: Overture "Mignon'' 
  7. Thomas: Overture "Raymond''
  8. Aubert: Overture "Black Domino''
  9. Aubert: Overture "Fra Diavolo''
Disc 25
  1. Chausson: Symphony in B flat major
  2. Faure: Suite "Pelleas et Melisande" Op.80
  3. Faure: Prelude "Penelope"
  4. Faure: Suite "Masque et Bergamasque" Op.112
Disc 26
  1. Roussel: Symphony No. 3 in G minor Op.42
  2. Roussel: Symphony No. 4 in A major Op.53
  3. Roussel: Feast of L'araigne'e
Disc 27
  1. Honegger: Christmas Cantata
  2. Honegger: Symphony No. 2
  3. Roussel: Small Suite for Orchestra Op.39
Disc 28
  1. Honegger: Symphony No. 3 "Liturgical Wind"
  2. Honegger: Symphony No. 4 "The Joy of Basel"
Disc 29
  1. Honegger: Pacific 231 - Symphonic Movement No. 1
  2. Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
  3. Dukas: "La Peri'' ~ Fanfare
  4. Dukas:"La Peri'' ~ La Peri - poeme dansee
  5. Magnard: Symphony No. 3
Disc 30
  1. Honegger: King David
Disc 31
  1. Martin: Concerto for seven wind instruments, timpani, percussion and strings
  2. Martin: Etudes for string orchestra
  3. Martin: Small Concerto Symphony
Disc 32
  1. Martin: Violin Concerto
  2. Martin: Oratorio "Peace on Earth''