WDR Cologne Symphony Orchestra & Ernest Ansermet - Debussy: The Martyrdom of St Sebastian

This recording of a broadcast performance by North West German Radio of Debussy's The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian comes from 1952. It features one of the greatest conductors of the time, Ernest Ansermet, conducting the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Cologne Radio Choir, and leading soloists from the period.

The legendary Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet had been a friend of Claude Debussy, and was highly respected for his readings of composer's works. He was the first to conduct Debussy's poetic drama Le Martyre de Saint S�bastien in Germany, at the Wallraffplatz broadcasting studios in Cologne on May 5, 1952. At its Paris premiere in 1911, the piece had provoked a regular scandal with its mixture of unabashed eroticism and religious ecstasy. North West German Radio commissioned a German translation for the broadcast which was used in this recording. All the soloists were female, with internationally acclaimed soprano Anny Schlemm joined by Margot Guilleaume, Anni Bernards and Martha Deisen.

Personnel: Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cologne Radio Choir, Ernest Ansermet (conductor)

Cast: Will Quadflieg (Sebastian), Bernhard Minetti (Narrator), Margot Guilleaume (�rigone), Anny Schlemm (Vox sola, Vox coelestis and Anima Sebstiani), Anni Bernards, Martha Deisen (The twins Marc and Marcelien)