Debussy: La Mer, Le Martyre de saint Sébastien

A very fine Anglo-Spanish offering for Debussy year, the centenary of the composer’s death. Heras-Casado is a conductor who gets the details right: There are many lovely touches that he draws from the score—a perfectly judged pizzicato here, a lovely blend of cymbal and harp there. The Philharmonia are in top form, making some quite ravishing sounds in La mer, while the Prélude blossoms gloriously, aided by some deliciously languid wind-playing. The seldom-heard Saint Sébastien fragments are the highlight here and, again, the Philharmonia are magnificent in evoking its shimmering landscapes. What a score, what playing, and what fabulous recorded sound.