Eloquence Debussy: Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien; Six Épigraphes antiques; Khamma; La Boîte à joujoux CD

This volume of Debussy’s dramatic works and ballet music is dedicated, by and large, to ‘rarities’ by the composer. Few of Debussy’s works have divided critical opinion  more than ‘Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien’, banned as it was by the Archbishop of Paris six days before its premiere. The beautiful, rarefied ‘Six Épigraphes Antiques’ were orchestrated by Ernest Ansermet himself and both the Egyptian-based ‘Khamma’ and ‘La Boîte à joujoux’, a ballet based on the secret life of toys, are very rare indeed. Trifle though it might be, the ‘Marche écossaise’ receives its first release on CD – significant, given the conductor recorded it only once.