The Earliest Recordings of Edgard Varèse

I posted a 1950 LP of Edgard Varèse's music about 15 years ago and speculated at the time that it might be the earliest recordings of his works. Not so - since then I've become aware of three 78s of his music dating from the 1930s. This post presents two of them.

The first dates from 1934 and involves an instrumental ensemble conducted by Nicholas Slonimsky, best known these days as a writer on music. The work is "Ionisation" (which also can be heard in the LP I mentioned above). If you are not familiar with Varèse's works, think "The Rite of Spring" combined with the ambient noises of a large city. Add percussion, sirens and other sounds. But don't think there is anything random about the result - Varèse's timbre-centric music has been highly influential. "Ionisation" is for percussion ensemble.

Nicholas Slonimsky conducts 'Ionisation' in Havana

The second work is "Octandre," at least its Third Movement, in a performance by a wind and brass ensemble led by Walter Goehr. This dates from 1937, and is part of a five-volume set called "The Columbia History of Music by Eye and Ear," put out by English Columbia.

Slonimsky himself conducted a recording of "Octandre" for Musicraft in 1938, but that disc hasn't come to light yet.

Both performances are fairly proficient, in music that is striking today as it was 90 years ago.

More Varèse is coming up on the main blog.

LINK to early Varèse recordings