Biography

War again intervened when, in 1940, the Nazis insisted that the name of the Colonne Orchestra be changed (its founder had been Jewish). Paray left Paris, seeking positions in Limoges, Marseilles and finally Monte Carlo, where he became a central figure among French artists in the Résistance movement. After the war he again led the Colonne Orchestra from 1945 to 1952. Always a sought-after guest conductor, Paray's 1951 appearance before the just-reconstituted Detroit Symphony Orchestra led to his appointment as Music Director in 1952. It is from these years that the majority of his recorded legacy dates.

Like most French conductors, Paray was expected to record French music, and if this type-casting denied us the range covered by his weekly DSO concerts, we are still the better for it. Paul Paray's Mercury Living Presence recording sessions produced some of the most enduring readings of Ravel, Debussy and Chabrier standards we are ever likely to hear. He left Detroit, reluctantly, in 1963 and was active with French broadcasting orchestras right up to the end of his long life. Paray died in October, 1979.

We should not forget that he sublimated a promising career as a composer to the needs of the baton, leaving only a few (but expertly crafted) early works that Chausson would have been proud to claim. A list of compositions is available (a short Paray bibliography is also found on this page). If you would like to know more about important dates in Paul Paray's life, a biographical chronology is also available.

The working life of Paul Paray was interrupted by two World Wars, embraced a revolution in musical thought and  is now preserved on a medium whose rudiments barely existed when he was born.  That he achieved only minor international celebrity is to be regretted today only in that he left behind a smaller legacy of recordings than has been accorded the famous "names" (Toscanini, Walter - your choice) who led larger orchestras.  More to the point, he was French, at a time when conductors were still typed by nationality.  The breadth of his repertory is only partly represented by his recordings, and his modest achievements as a composer relegated to footnotes of a time when Debussy, Ravel, Roussel and Milhaud were rewriting musical syntax and grammar.  We have much to celebrate in the life of Paul Paray, and (hopefully!) future glories to look forward to, as exemplified by the three compact discs shown below:

Mercury Living Presence appears to have emerged unscathed from the carnage visited on its former parent company, Philips, as new owner Universal Music has given no indication that any Paray recording will be deleted from the Mercury catalog.  The disc headed by the Chausson Symphony brought together the last stereo tapes of French music Paray made for the company.  The Mendelssohn disc indicated their willingness to continue with his non-French repertoire, and the inclusion of a mono recording in the Schumann symphonies set leads one to hope that Mercury is not finished with digital documentation of his early work with the Detroit Symphony.  As a composer, Paray is represented by yet another new recording of his Mass, with the hope that more of his small but exquisite body of compositions will join it on disc.
 

Admirers of Paul Paray

• Peter Guttmann's reviews of a number of Paray's best Mercury recordings.

A personal observation

The list below was prepared from records in my own personal collection and material found in Le Grand Baton No. 46. (LGB is the journal of the Sir Thomas Beecham Society. It is offered in the hope that more people will investigate the Paray legacy and contact Universal (or other companies) with the demand that they continue to restore Paul Paray's recordings to circulation. The list is divided by companies and into two sections, recordings now (or once) available on compact disc and those that only existed as 78s or Lps and which current languish in the vault. For the most part I have used titles as they appeared on the disc or record.

All recordings immediately below were made with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, unless otherwise noted. DSO dates and recording venues were supplied by Charles Greenwell, former music director of WQRS-FM, Southfield, MI which, sadly, no longer plays classical music. They were compiled from Musicians Union logs and may differ slightly from the dates given on Mercury reissues.

Brendan Wehrung

RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G

RAVEL: Piano Concerto in D for the Left Hand
Monique Haas (piano); Paris National Orchestra
DG DOUBLE 2GX2 439-666 [2 discs]
[This set, a tribute to the pianist, including solo Debussy and the Bartok 3rd piano concerto conducted by Fricsay, was still available in the U.S. as a special order as late at August 1999.]

IBERT: Escales (Ports of Call)

RAVEL: Rapsodie Espagnole

RAVEL: Alborado del Gracisoso

RAVEL: Pavane pour une infante défunte

RAVEL: La Valse

[recorded March 18, 1962, CT]

RAVEL: Le Tombeau de Couperin

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 432 003-2

FRENCH OPERA HIGHLIGHTS

HÉROLD: Zampa: Overture

AUBER: The Crown Diamonds: Overture

[recorded November 19, 1960, CT]

GOUNOD: Ballet music from Faust

[recorded March 17, 1962, CT]

SAINT-SAËNS: Samson and Delilah; Bacchanale

[recorded March 1961]

BIZET: Carmen: Danse Bohème

BERLIOZ: The Trojans: Royal Hunt and Storm

MASSENET: Phèdre: Overture

THOMAS: Mignon: Gavotte

[recorded March 17, 1962, CT]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 432 014-2

SAINT-SAËNS: Symphony No. 3 in c, Op. 78 "Organ"
Marcel Dupré (organ)

[recorded October 12, 1957, FA]

PARAY: Mass for the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Joan of Arc
Frances Yeend (sop.), Frances Bible (mezzo.), David Lloyd (ten.), Yi-Kwei-Sze (bass); Maynard Klein/Rachkham Symphony Choir

[recorded October 20, 1956, FA]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 432 719-2

PARAY CONDUCTS CHABRIER & ROUSSEL

CHABRIER: España

CHABRIER: Suite pastorale

CHABRIER: Fête poloniase

CHABRIER: Gwendoline Overture

CHABRIER: Le Roi Malgré lui: Danse slave

[recorded November 18-19, 1960, CT]

CHABRIER: Joyeuse marche

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]

CHABRIER: Bourée fantasque

ROUSSEL: Suite in F, Op. 33

[recorded March 18-19, 1957, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 303-2

PARAY CONDUCTS RAVEL & DEBUSSY

RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

[recorded March 11, 1961, CT]

RAVEL: Valses nobles et sentimentales

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]

RAVEL: Boléro

[recorded March 24, 1958, OH]

DEBUSSY: Nocturnes for Orchestra

[recorded March 11, 1961, CT]

DEBUSSY: Petite Suite

Malcolm Johns/Wayne State University Women's Glee Club

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 306-2

SUPPÉ: The Beautiful Galatea: Overture

SUPPÉ: Pique Dame

SUPPÉ: Light Cavalry Overture

SUPPÉ: Poet and Peasant

SUPPÉ: Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna

SUPPÉ: Boccacio: Overture

[recorded November 29, 1959, CT]

AUBER: The Bronze Horse: Overture

AUBER: Fra Diavolo: Overture

AUBER: Masaniello: Overture

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 309-2

DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 ("From the New World")

[recorded February 19, 1960, CT]

SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43

[recorded January 17, 1959, FA]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434-317-2

PARAY CONDUCTS BIZET & THOMAS

BIZET: La Patrie Overture

[recorded March 22-24, 1958]

BIZET: Carmen Suite

BIZET: L'Arlésiene Suites Nos. 1 and 2

[recorded November 8, 1956, FA]

THOMAS: Mignon: Overture

THOMAS: Raymond: Overture

[recorded November 19, 1960, CT]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 321-2

BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

[recorded November 28, 1959, CT]

BERLIOZ: Hungarian March

BERLIOZ: Trojan March

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]

BERLIOZ: The Corsair, Overture

BERLIOZ: The Roman Carnival, Overture

[recorded March 22-24, 1958, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 328-2

MARCHES AND OVERTURES À LA FRANÇAISE

MEYERBEER: Coronation March

GOUNOD: Funeral March of a Marionette

SAINT-SAËNS: Marche militaire française

SAINT-SAËNS: Marche héroïque

DE LISE: La Marseillaise

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]

ADAM: If I Were King

BOIELDIEU: La Dame blanche

[recorded November 19, 1960, CT]

OFFENBACH: La belle hélène

OFFENBACH: Orpheus in the Underworld

OFFENBACH: The Tales of Hoffmann, suite

[recorded April 3-5, 1959, OH]

ROSSINI: William Tell Overture

[recorded January 1959]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 332-2

PAUL PARAY CONDUCTS DANCES OF DEATH

LISZT: Mephisto Waltz

WEBER: Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65

SAINT-SAËNS: Danse macabre, Op. 40

[recorded January 16, 1959, FA]

R. STRAUSS: Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils

F. SCHMITT: La Tragédie de Salome, Op. 50

[recorded March 1958, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 336-2

DEBUSSY: Ibéria (Images for Orchestra, No. 2)

DEBUSSY: Prélude à l'après-mid d'un faune

DEBUSSY: La Mer

[recorded December 3-4, 1955OH]

RAVEL: Ma Mère l'Oye

[recorded March 18-19, 1957, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 343-2

FRANCK: Symphony in D Minor

[recorded November 27, 1959, CT]

RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27

[recorded March 18-19, 1957, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 368-2

PARAY CONDUCTS WAGNER

WAGNER: Der fliegende Holläder: Overture

WAGNER: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, suite
[Introduction to Act III, Dance of the Apprentices, Procession of the Mastersingers]

WAGNER: Die Walküre: Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music

WAGNER: Rienzi: Overture

[recorded February 20, 1960, CT]

WAGNER: Götterdammerung: Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey

WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll

WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude to Act III

[recorded March 23, 1956, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 382-2

LALO: Le Roi d'Ys, Overture

[recorded March 22-24, 1958, OH]

LALO: Namouna, Suite No. 1

[recorded March 1958, OH]

BARRAUD: Offrande a Une Ombre

[recorded March 18-19, 1957, OH]

CHAUSSON: Symphony in B-flat

[recorded March 1956, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 434 389-2

MENDELSSOHN: A Midsummer Night's Dream, suite

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 5 in D, Op. 105 ("Reformation")

[recorded March 21, 1958, OH]

HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D

[recorded October 21, 1956, FA]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 287 434 396-2

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 38

SCHUMANN: Manfred Overture

[recorded March 1958, OH]

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 2 in c, Op. 61

[recorded December 2, 1955, OH]

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3 in e-flat, Op. 97 ("Rhenish")

[recorded November 9, 1956,OH]

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 4 in d, Op. 120

[recorded December 1953, OH]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 289 462 955-2 [2 discs]

MISCHA ELMAN IN CONCERT

TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in d, Op. 35

Mischa Elman (violin); Symphony Orchestra

[recorded 1 December 1945]
MUSIC AND ARTS MUA 868
[This disc is available at reduced price from the M & A web site, and will remain available until stock is exhausted.]

Jeanne-Marie Darré: The Early Recordings

SAINT-SAËNS: Piano Concerto No. 2
Jean-Marie Darré (piano); Colonne Concerts Orchestra
VAI AUDIO VAIA/IPA 1065-2
[Originally issued as PATHÉ 78rpm set PDT 167/9]

LALO: Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21
Pierre Amoyal (violin); Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo
ERATO COLLECTION 450 999649-2

SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in a, Op. 54

RAVEL: Piano Concerto in D
Yvonne Lefébure (piano); Orchestre Philharmonique de l'O.R.T.F.
SOLSTICE SOCD 55
[The disc seems designed as a tribute to the pianist (who also plays Schumann's Kinderszene) but serves as a useful reminder that Paray worked extensively with French broadcasting orchestras, and that a treasure-trove of broadcasts must remain in their vaults.]

LALO: Rhapsodie Norvégienne
Pierre Amoyal (violin); Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo
ERATO BONSAI AW 45948

RAVEL: La Valse
Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra
FNAC VIA CLASSICS 642318
[I only know of this disc as a listing in a computer catalog. Other works shown, but not attributed to Paray, include Boléro, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Alborado del Gracisoso, Pavane pour une infante défunte and La valse. The FNAC label appears to be a victim of financial difficulties although some FNAC titles were scheduled for reappearance under another name.]

MOZART: Violin Concerto in G, K. 216
Jacques Thibaud (violin); Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
PHILIPS LEGENDARY CLASSICS 420 859-2
[The disc is devoted to the soloist and taken from a 1950 Polydor 78rpm set. The sound is rather muffled in spots due to NoNoise processing.]

78rpm Recordings

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6 in f, Op. 68 ("Pastoral")

[recorded May 22-23, 1934]

BEETHOVEN: The Ruins of Athens: Turkish March

[recorded May 25, 1934]
Colonne Concerts Orchestra
COLUMBIA DX 655/9
COLUMBIA DC 63/7
COLUMBIA DOX 489/93
COLUMBIA M-201

D'INDY: Symphony on a French Mountain Air

[recorded May 24-25, 1934]
Marguerite Long (piano); Colonne Concerts Orchestra
COLUMBIA LX 362/4
COLUMBIA LFX 352/4
COLUMBIA M-211

MUSSORGSKY: Night on Bald Mountain

[recorded May 25, 1934. An earlier, unissued, version was recorded on March 28.]
Colonne Concerts Orchestra
COLUMBIA LX 384
COLUMBIA LOX 251
COLUMBIA BFX 14
COLUMBIA 68305-D

DUKAS: La Peri and Fanfare

[recorded June 14, 1949]
Colonne Concerts Orchestra
POLYDOR 566311/13
[Issued on LP as POLYDOR 545500.]

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto in E-flat (1784)

[recorded July 20-21, 1948]
Orazio Frugoni (piano); Pro Musica Orchestra POLYDOR 566292/4
VOX Set 647
[Issued on LP as VOX PLP 6470.]

MOZART: Violin Concerto in G, K. 216

[recorded October 29, 1947]
Jacques Thibaud (violin); Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
POLYDOR 566230/2
VOX Set 642
[Issued on LP as TURNABOUT TV 4257 and
CD as PHILIPS LEGENDARY CLASSICS 420 859-2]

MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat, K. 271

[recorded October 29, 1947]
Gaby Casadesus (piano); Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux
POLYDOR 566235/8
VOX Set 650
[Issued on LP as VOX PLP 6500]

Long Play Recordings

PARAY: Symphony No. 1 in C

FAURÉ: Pavane

PIERNÉ: Cydalise et le Chevre-pied: Suite No. 1
Orchestre National de l'O.R.T.F.
CARTHAGÈNE 731886

PARAY: September Melodies

FRANCK: Pysche

LESUR: Festival Overture
Denise Monteil (sop.); Orchestre National de l'O.R.T.F.
CARTHAGÈNE 731889

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 8 in F

WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde: Pelude and Liebestod
Orchestre National de l'O.R.T.F.
CARTHAGÈNE 731888

PAUL PARAY CONDUCTS HIS SYMPHONY No. 2

PARAY: Symphony No. 2 in A "Le Treport"
Orchestre National de l'O.R.T.F.
CARTHAGÈNE 731889

PARAY: Mass for the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Joan of Arc
Orchestre National de l'O.R.T.F.
CARTHAGÈNE 731891

LISZT: Les Préludes

LISZT: Méphisto-Valse

LISZT: Orphée; Mazeppa
Orchestre National de l'Opére de Monte-Carlo
FESTIVAL CLASSIQUE FC 416
[This disc is a favorite of mine. In LP form it also appeared on the Dutch Concert Hall label, SMS 2648. The last two works appeared on CD, part of Planeta-Agostini GEP 29-2.]

DUKAS: L'Apprenti sorcier

RAVEL: La Valse

CHABRIER: España

CHABRIER: Suite pastorale
Orchestre National de l'Opére de Monte-Carlo
FESTIVAL CLASSIQUE FC 440

MASSENET: Le Cid: Castillane, Andalouse, Aragonaise, Aubade, Catalane, Madrilène, Navarraise

SAINT-SAËNS: Danse macabre, Op. 40

SAINT-SAËNS: Le Rouet d'Omphale, Op. 31

SAINT-SAËNS: Carnival of the Animals: the Swan
Pierre Fournier ('cello); Orchestre National de l'Opére de Monte-Carlo
FESTIVAL CLASSIQUE FC _______
[This disc appeared in the United States as Turnabout TV 34756. Can anybody supply the French number?]

One of the shining glories of the record industry was, and continues to be, the accomplishments of Mercury Records. Their recordings of Paray and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra began in 1953 and continued until 1962. While the future of the Polygram family of labels is in some doubt due to the merger with Universal, new Living Presence titles appear on an irregular basis. Now that most, but not all, Paray stereo recordings have been digitally remastered, let us hope that the new owners of the Mercury tape library will see fit to use monaural recordings to fill out interesting programs.

The discs below are listed in rough order of recording, with first monaural or mono/stereo issue numbers. Some were later recoupled and appeared in the Mercury Wing and Golden Imports series in the United States. Most recordings also appeared on various Philips labels in Europe. If the entire contents of an LP have been issued on compact disc, I've deleted it from the list. Of course, I urge you to purchase all Paray CDs that strike your fancy, because each one sold is an encouragement for further reissues.

RAVEL: Boléro

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34

[recorded February 1953, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50020

WAGNER: Tannhäuser: Overture

WAGNER: Lohengrin: Preludes to Acts I and III

WAGNER: Die Meistersinger: Overture

WAGNER: Die Walküre: Ride of the Walküres

[recorded February 1953, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50021

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7

[recorded February 1953, MT]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50021

FRANCK: Symphony in d

[recorded February 1953, MT and OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50023

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Russian Easter Overture, p. 36

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Symphony No. 2, Op. 9 ("Antar")

[recorded December 1953, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50028

RAVEL: La Valse

FAURE: Pavane, Op. 50

FRANCK: Psyche, symphonic poem

[recorded December 1953, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50029

DUKAS: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

FAURE: Pelléas and Mélisande, incidental music, Op. 80

ROUSSEL: The Spider's Feast

[recorded December 1953, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50035

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 4 in d, Op. 120

LISZT: Les Préludes

[recorded December 1953, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50036
[The Listz work remains un-reissued. The Schumann is part of
compact disc set 289 462 955-2.]

WAGNER: The Flying Dutchman: Overture

WAGNER: Parsifal: Good Friday Spell

WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Love-Death

WAGNER: Siegfried; Forest Murmurs

[recorded November 1954, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50044

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6 in f, Op. 68 ("Pastoral")

[recorded November 1954, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50045

CHABRIER: España

IBERT: Escales

RAVEL: Rapsodie Espagnole

[recorded March 1955, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50057

BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4 in 3, Op. 98

[recorded March 1955, OH]
MERCURY OLYMPIAN MG-50057

MOZART: Symphony in D, K. 385 ("Haffner")

HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D

[recorded October 21, 1956, FA]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE MG-50129/SR90129
[The Mozart has yet to find a home on CD. The Haydn is now part of 287 434 396-2

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1 in c, Op. 21

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36

[recorded January 18, 1959, FA]
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE MG-50205/SR 90205

DEBUSSY: Prélude à l'après-mid d'un faune
First released on Living Presence MG-50213/SR 90213, but not chosen for CD the reissue, which lists the date of Paray's 1955 recording of this work.

PIERNÉ: March of the Lead Soldiers
not released

[recorded April 3-5, 1959,OH]

BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique

[recorded December 4 and 6, 1950]
Colonne Concerts Orchestra
VOX PL 6950

BERLIOZ: Hungarian March

BERLIOZ: Benvenuto Cellini: Overture

[recorded December 8, 1950]
Colonne Concerts Orchestra
POLYDOR 545000
[Also 45rpm issue VOX VIP 45,450.]