NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Kirill Gerstein / Sakari Oramo

Enchanting and haunting impressions that are difficult to grasp fascinated the composer Claude Debussy. In his three Nocturnes, Debussy evokes the »countless rhythms of the sea«, the fleeting forms of passing clouds and the sounds of a festival with its »mingling of music and luminous dust«. The pieces took shape in various versions between 1892 and 1898. »I love the uncertainty in this music. It has no conclusions, no direction; it is almost suspended in the air, with all its colours, scents and moods,« says Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo of the subtly sensuous triptych. And that, he believes, is precisely why Debussy’s »Trois Nocturnes« provide the »perfect contrast« to the Busoni work that follows.