The French label Disques Epérance had a very ambitious catalogue in the seventies of Asian music mostly in the classical traditions and with a heavily lopsided slanting towards the Indian traditions. Most of their catalogue consisted of publications on Indian classical music, but also included some titles as we shall later see, from Japan, Korea, China, Nepal, and Tibet.
The series started out with a very pompous name that seams to have changed at least once during the years of publication. I will try to restore some of that catalogue and although I do not have all the titles available I feel I have enough to start with and at least take a stab at it. Hopefully the ones I am missing will surface either from some of my helpful friends or who knows, from an innocent bystander, good natured and kindhearted enough to help out.
So here I have the pleasure to present, in its various sub series, the catalogue of:
Disques Espérance
Prestige de la Musique Extraeuropéenne
Prestige de la Musique Extraeuropéenne - L'Inde
ESP 155530 Le Sitar de Nikhil Banerjee - vol.1 Râga Momonmanjeri - P.1976
ESP 155532 La Flute de Hariprasad Chaurasia (flûte) Râga Shudh Sarang - P.1976
ESP 155537 Le Sarode de Brij Narayan - P.1976
ESP 155538 Le Sarangi de Ram Narayan vol.4 - P.1976
ESP 155548 Le Violon de M.S. Gopalakrishnan vol.5 Raga Bhairavi
ESP 165504 Pandit Nikhil Banerjee (Sitar) Râga Piloo
ESP 165510 La Vina de S. Balachander vol.6 Raga Mayamalavagaula
ESP 165516 La Flute de N. Ramani (flûte) Bhajan Cheyavadha
ESP 165532 Les Sitar et Surbahar de Narendra Bataju (Nepal?)
ESP 165540 Le Sitar de Nikhil Banerjee (Sitar) Râga Desh
ESP 165543 Le Santur de O.P. Chourasiya vol.8 - P.1981
Traditions Classiques de l'Orient - L'Inde
ESP 8401 Le Chant mystique des Bauls "Revêts ton costume Baul"
ESP 8402 Pandit Nikhil Banerjee (Sitar) Raga Jogiyâ-Kalingada - vol.10
ESP 8403 Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flûte) Raga Lalit
ESP 8408 La Flute de Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flûte) Raga Bhupali
ESP 8409 Krishnamurti Sridar (Sarod) Râga Malkauns
ESP 8410 Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod) Deux râgas de l'après-midi "Râga Shuddh-Sarang"
ESP 8412 Parveen Sultana et Dilshad Khan (chant khayal) Râga Kalavati
ESP 8413 Le Chant Dhrupad de Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar - vol.15
ESP 8414 Pandit Nikhil Banerjee (sitar) Râga Patdeep
ESP 8416 Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flûte) Râga Madhyamad Sarang
ESP 8426 Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flûte) Râga Yaman
ESP 8439 Le Shahnai D'Ustad Bismillah Khan - Traditions Classiques de l'Orient - Inde Vol. 19
I also have found a listing of this LP but it looks as if there is a typo in the catalogue number and therefore needs further investigation. Maybe someone who has the record can help!
(ESP 8402 Le Violon de l'Inde du Sud : L. Subramaniam vol. 10 - P.1983)
Prestige de la musique extraeuropéenne - La Corée
ESP165528 Park Sang-Won - Kayagum vol. 1 - P.1979
Prestige de la Musique Extraeuropéenne - Le Japon
ESP 155551 Hiromu Handa - Le Koto de Hiromu Handa, Vol. 1
ESP 165505 Le Koto de Yusen Kuzuhara - Vol. 2 - P.1978
Traditions Classiques de l'Orient - Chine Vol 1
ESP 8417 Troupe Paysanne du Luochan (musique du théâtre d'ombres) Le village de Dajia
I do not know under what serial title the following LP was issued, but it is maybe also from China even though it is from Tibet ;-)
(I cannot say if it is recorded in Chinese Tibet or in India, as I have not seen the physical records.)
ESP 8433 Théâtre musical tibétain "Prince Norsang"
I have not yet established the year of publication for some of the titles and in some instances I have not been able to give the volume number. I am sure there must be some missing records as well, so any additional information is most welcome!
Hope someone finds this useful and will enjoy the LP's that are to come!