Debussy: Images; 2 Arabesques; L'isle joyeuse; Rêverie

On this CD:

1. Images (3), for piano, Set I, L. 110
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

2. Images (3) for piano, Set II, L. 111
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

3. D'un cahier d'esquisses, for piano, L. 99
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

4. L'isle joyeuse, for piano, L. 106
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

5. Arabesques (2) for piano, L. 66 No 1 in E major
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

6. Arabesques (2) for piano, L. 66 No 2 in G major
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

7. Hommage à Joseph Haydn, for piano, L. 115
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

8. Rêverie, for piano, L. 68
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

9. Petite suite (4), for piano, 4 hands (or orchestra), L. 65
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

10. Berceuse héroïque for piano (or orchestra), L. 132
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Zoltan Kocsis

Tracks:

Suite Bergamasque: Prelude
Suite Bergamasque: Menuet
Suite Bergamasque: Clair de lune
Suite Bergamasque: Passepied
Children's Corner: Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
Children's Corner: Jimbo's Lullaby
Children's Corner: Serenade For The Doll
Children's Corner: The Snow Is Dancing
Children's Corner: The Little Shepherd
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cakewalk
Images - Premier Livre: Reflets dans l'eau
Images - Premier Livre: Hommage a Rameau
Images - Premier Livre: Mouvement
Images - Deuxieme Livre: Cloches ravers les feuiles
Images - Deuxieme Livre: Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut
Images - Deuxieme Livre: Poissons d'or
Deux Arabesques: Andantino con moto
Deux Arabesques: Allegretto scherzando

Tracks:

Prdes - Premier Livre: Danseuses de Delphe
Prdes - Premier Livre: Voiles
Prdes - Premier Livre: Le Vent dans la plaine
Prdes - Premier Livre: Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir
Prdes - Premier Livre: Les Collines d'Anacapri
Prdes - Premier Livre: Des pas sur la neige
Prdes - Premier Livre: Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest
Prdes - Premier Livre: La Fille aux cheveux de lin
Prdes - Premier Livre: La Snade interrompue
Prdes - Premier Livre: La Cathale engloutie
Prdes - Premier Livre: La Danse de Puck
Prdes - Premier Livre: Minstrels
Pour le piano: Prde
Pour le piano: Sarabande
Pour le piano: Toccata
Estampes: Pagodes
Estampes: La Soirdans Grenade
Estampes: Jardins sous la pluie
L'isle joyeuse
Rrie

Customer Reviews:

of the 6 or 7 recordings .......2007-05-10

I've heard of Debussy's wonderful solo piano music, Pascal roge is the finest. the only one you need actually.

One of the best Debussy performances I've heard........2006-10-12

There's obviously hundreds of options if you're just "looking for some Debussy", but keep in mind that the $3 CDs at Best Buy are $3 for a reason: They don't put any money into the production. It's near impossible to enjoy such amazing works as this if it's being recorded on a cheap microphone across the room from an amateur clanking away on an upright piano!

Great recording, great performances. I don't know what the other reviewer was talking about with the "volume problems", this CD is actually mastered a little bit louder than most of the genre.

Luminescent performances of Debussy's piano music! .......2005-03-30

I bought this CD on the suggestion of a former piano professor with whom I studied. I'm really glad I followed his suggestion.

It's a rare performer who can take pieces that we've heard over and over and OVER again, and bring something fresh to them. Pascal Rogé has pulled this off -- and then some!

Of the two CD set, I really can't tell which is my favorite: I'll play one CD, and listen to it over and over again and decide that one is my favorite; then I listen to the other one and the same thing happens!

Which piece is the best? It's really difficult to tell, simply because the playing throughout is of such high caliber! L'isle joyeuse is ecstatic -- the timing of the phrases, the colors achieved are almost miraculous! (This is my favorite performance of L'isle joyeuse, hands down!) Le vent dans la plaine actually conveys the idea of wind moving over a plain; Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (What the West Wind Has Seen) is just downright creepy in a musical description of an extratropical storm (what was a hurricane, until it lost its tropical characteristics -- but not its wind and the potential for damage).

And then, by contrast, Rogé's performance of Debussy's Toccata has the necessary dryness to pull off the feeling of a clavecin and yet conveys a vivid sense of tonal color!

I've had the CD a week, and I can already tell this is going to be one of my very favorite CDs. I've heard Horowitz and Gieseking playing these pieces, as well -- the Rogé is definitely my favorite. If you're going to buy a comprehensive CD of Debussy's piano music -- this one is the one to get!

one of my favorites.......2004-10-27

I am a young, yet avid, piano fan, and when I began playing Debussy last year I knew I had to get a cd. This cd is really amazing, the whole Children's Corner Suite is so much fun to listen to and each song is true to it's title. I would highly recommend this, both cds have earned themselves in my nightly rotation of classical music, and will continue to fill the boring hours of homework with amazing background music.

A great performance by a great pianist.......2002-01-31

If you ask me - they ought to put Pascal Roge in the series of "Great Pianists of the 20th century". His recordings of Debussy, Ravel and Satie's piano music are among the best I know for these composers, if not the very best. Roge's tender touch is especially good for their dreamy, hovering style. Indeed, in pieces like "l'Isle Joyeuse" I prefer Horowitz's powerful dynamism, and Roge sounds a little pale - but these are the exceptions, not the rule. His performance of the "Reverie" - in my view Debussy's best work and one of the masterpieces of piano music in all times - is touching, exciting, lovely; and so is the "Clair de lune" and many other pieces. Most recommended.

Average customer rating:

Debussy with a difference!
One Star for Charity's Sake
Beautifully interpreted
Complete Debussy

Debussy: The Complete Piano Music

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
Debussy: Piano Works
Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87
Ravel: Piano Works
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B0001Z2RSM
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

Reverie
Prelude
Menuet
Clair De Lune
Passepied
Lent (Melancolique Et Doux)
Tres Vite
Prelude
Sarabande
Toccata
Reflets Dans L'eau
Hommage A Rameau
Mouvement
Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
Poissons D'or

Tracks:

Arabesque No.1
Arabesque No.2
Danse Bohemienne
Ballade Slave
Tarantelle Styrienne
Valse Romantique
Mazurka
Nocturne
Danseuses De Delphes
Voiles
Le Vent Dans La Plaine
Les Sons Et Les Parfums
Les Collines D'Anacapri
Des Pas Sur La Neige
Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'Ouest
La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
La Serenade Interrompue
La Cathedrale Engloutie
La Danse De Puck
Minstrels

Tracks:

L'isle Joyeuse
Pagodes
La Soiree Dans Grenade
Jardins Sous La Pluie
D'un Cahier D'esquisses
Morceau De Concours
Masques
Brouillards
Feuilles Mortes
La Puerta Del Vino
Les Fees Sont D'exquises Danseuses
Bruyeres
General Lavine - Eccentric
Les Terraces Des Audiences
Ondine
Hommage A S. Pickwick Esq. PPMPC
Canope
Les Tierces Alternees
Feux D'artifice

Tracks:

Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum
Jimbo's Lullaby
Serenade For The Doll
The Snow Is Dancing
The Little Shepherd
Golliwog's Cake-Walk
Hommage A Haydn
Le Petit Negre
La Plus Que Lente
Berceuse Heroique
Elegie
Page D'album (Piece Pour Le Vetement Du Blesse)
Pour Les Cinq Doigts
Pour Les Tierces
Pour Les Quartes
Pour Les Sixtes
Pour Les Octaves
Pour Les Huit Doigts
Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
Pour Les Agrements
Pour Les Notes Repetees
Pour Les Sonoritees Opposees
Pour Les Arpeges Composes
Pour Les Accords

Customer Reviews:

Debussy with a difference!.......2007-03-10

Do not let the dismissive review below make you dismiss this amazing and breath taking complete set. Like his Scriabin recordings, Gordon Fergus-Thompson works wonder with the well known piece like Clair de Lune, Arabesque and Reverie, and breathes new life into the music by his keen sense of tonal colours and delicacy. When it comes to impressionist music, no pianists can match Richter, who played Clair de Lune, Pavane or miroirs like a miracle, but Fergus-Thompson creats his own unique soundscape.

He is one of very few pianists alive who pay careful attention to how a note produced on the instrument decays and merges with other notes, while most of pianist nowadays focus mostly on starting point of the sound. That's a secret of the richness of colours and expression in his pianism.

He is often criticised for lack of technical prowess, compared to past masters like Gieseking or Michelangeli, but I can not detect even a hint of technical weakness or instability in this set. This is simply a different and highly personal interpretation, and it is a shame to miss out this magical music making simply because it is different from the mainstream interpretation.

One Star for Charity's Sake.......2007-03-01

Avoid this set!!! The man is a gifted pianist but has no understanding on how to interpret the music. This is the nadir of all the Debussy piano sets. With Walter Gieseking's superlative set available why would you want dog food when you can eat supreme cuisine!!!

Beautifully interpreted.......2007-02-13

Gordon Fergus-Thompson does an amazing job of playing and interpreting Debussy's music. I have been playing piano for years--especially Debussy--and this CD really captures the essence of the music. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Complete Debussy.......2006-12-13

These recordings are some of the highest quality Debussy you'll find. There is a freedom that comes across in Fergus-Thompson's playing that you won't find in other so-called great recordings. Instead of trying to sound "Debussy-like", the music is played naturally while maintaining accuracy and original intent of the composer. Recording quality is up to date. Box set is 4 discs, with the body nicely separated into larger works with dates included.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet ~ Debussy - complete piano works, vol. 1

Average customer rating:

mixed feelings, 3 stars.
Jean-Yves Fan
Superior recordings and performances
Another installment of great by Thibaudet

Jean-Yves Thibaudet ~ Debussy - complete piano works, vol. 1

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Debussy · images, études ~ complete works for piano, vol. 2
Maurice Ravel: L'Oeuvre Pour Piano Seul
The Chopin I Love
Reflections On Duke - Jean-Yves Thibaudet Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington
Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B000004294
Release Date: 1996-08-13

Tracks:

Preludes - livre I.: I. Danseuses de Delphes - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: II. Voiles - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: III. Le vent dans la plaine - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: IV. 'Les sons et les parfums tornent dans l'air du soir' - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: V. Les collines d'Anacapri - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: VI. Des pas sur la neige - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: VII. Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: IX. La serenade interrompue - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: X. La catedrale engloutie - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: XI. La danse de Puck - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: XII. Minstrels - C. Debussy
Estampes: Pagodes - C. Debussy
Estampes: La soiree dans Grenade - C. Debussy
Estampes: Jardins sous la pluie - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: I. Andante con moto - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: II. Allegretto scherzando - C. Debussy
Reverie - C. Debussy
Masques - C. Debussy
L'isle joyeuse - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Preludes - livre II.: I. Brouillards - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: II. Feuiles mortes - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: III. La puerta del Vino - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: IV. 'Les fees sont d'exquises danseuses' - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: V. Bruyeres - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: VI. 'General Lavine' - excentric - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: VIII. Ondine - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: IX. Hommage a Sanuel Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: X. Canope - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: XI. Les tierces alternees - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: XII. Feux d'artifice - C. Debussy
D'un cahier d'esquisses - C. Debussy
Morceau de concours - C. Debussy
Danse bohemienne - C. Debussy
Nocturne - C. Debussy
Images: Lent - C. Debussy
Images: Tres vite - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: Prelude - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: Sarabande - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: Toccata - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Estampes - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Estampes - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Estampes - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Deux Arabesques - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Deux Arabesques - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Reverie - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Masques - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
L'isle Joyeuse - Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Customer Reviews:

mixed feelings, 3 stars........2007-07-05

There are quite a few of Debussy's piano pieces that immediately ring a bell in the mind - Clair de Lune, Gollowog's Cake Walk, La Petite Negre, En Bateau, La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin, La Catedrale Engloutie, etc. These pieces are not, in my opinion, where Thibaudet shines, and make me wish I had a different set (but who's?) The Sunken Cathedral is quite nice, I admit. I will also say that he is quite listenable, whereas Geiseking (sp?) made me so angry I had spent $60 that I stopped buying classical cds for about 10 years.

On the other hand, Thibaudet does have technical mastery - the pieces with which I am less familiar, etudes especially (referring to vol. 2 of the set) are played, to my ears at least, very well, and in fact bring a smile to the face. There is no 'bad' playing anywhere, but the pieces in which I would have liked more musicality lead me to think that the others which I haven't developed an opinion on will sound better in other sets as well. The search continues. At least this set is a good bar.

Jean-Yves Fan.......2007-03-21

I am a big fan of Jean-Yves playing(and a Debussy fan) so I enjoyed this recording. Piano style is a personal preference. (as a musician and pianist I know what I like and what I don't like and it is often not the same as what others prefer) If you enjoyed any other recordings by Jean-Yves or have seen him and concert and loved him you will enjoy this recording.

Superior recordings and performances.......2005-09-18

The Penguin Guide to CDs and DVDs has Thibaudet's sets of the complete Debussy solo piano music at the top of the digital recordings, and this is certainly high quality.

We have several recordings of the Preludes and some other works, but there is nothing to come close to Thibaudet for great performances and superior recording quality.

The liner notes are very helpful, and in the first set you get different articles in English, French, German and Italian. Great if you are multilingual, but only of marginal interest to me. The second set has one article and translations, not separate articles.

Well worth purchasing.

Another installment of great by Thibaudet.......2000-06-13

Thibaudet certainly has a great knack for playing French music. Perhaps it is because he is French himself, or perhaps it is because he has been blessed with a wonderful insight to piano music in general. I say this, because he brings such great musicianship to whatever he puts to record or performance. This two CD set of Debussy's Preludes exudes the personalities of both the composer and the pianist. Debussy, known as the great impressionist composer, delicately has painted numerous portraits in his preludes and this recording certainly does well at bringing them out. Technically, these pieces are played with virtuosity and clear attention to precision, clarity, and musicality. One of the best parts of this set is the a bonus CD of short interviews with Thibaudet in various languages where he himself explains what he has brought to the table in playing these pieces and what insights he had in mind when approaching these pieces.

Debussy & Ravel: Piano Works - Samson Francois (6 CD's)

Average customer rating:

great pianist!!!!
Yesterday Francois would be celebrating his eighty-two anniversary

Debussy & Ravel: Piano Works - Samson Francois (6 CD's)
Samson Francois , Claude Debussy , and Maurice Ravel
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Chopin: Piano Works, Vol. 3
Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim

ASIN: B0002RUAEM
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

1. Danseuses De Delphes
2. Voiles
3. Le Vent Dans La Plaine
4. Les Sons Et Les Parfums Tournent Dans L'Air Du Soir
5. Les Collines D'Anacapri
6. Des Pas Sur La Neige
7. Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'Ouest
8. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
9. La Serenade Interrompue
10. La Cathedrale Engloutie
11. Danse De Puck
12. Minstrels
1. Brouillards
2. Feuilles Mortes
3. La Puerta Del Vino
4. Les Fees Sont D'Exquises Danseuses
5. Bruyeres
6. General Lavine (Eccentric)
7. La Terrasse Des Audiences Au Clair De Lune
8. Ondine
9. Hommage A S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C.
10. Canope
12. Feux D'Artifice

Tracks:

1. Reflets Dans L'eau
2. Hommage A Rameau
3. Mouvement
1. Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
2. Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
3. Poissons D'or
Reverie
1. Andantino
2. Allegretto Scherzando
La Plus Que Lente, Valse
1. Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
2. Pour Les Agrements
4. Pour Les Sonorites Opposees
5. Pour Les Arpeges Composes
6. Pour Les Accords
Masques
L'Isle Joyeuse
Berceuse Heroique

Tracks:

1. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
3. Serenade For The Doll
4. The Snow Is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwogg's Cake-Walk
1. Pagodes
2. La Soiree Dans Grenade
3. Jardins Sous La Pluie
1. Prelude
2. Menuet
3. Clair De Lune
4. Passepied
1. Prelude
2. Sarabande
3. Toccata

Tracks:

1. Allegramente
2. Adagio Assai
3. Presto
Lento/Allegro
1. Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant - Pierre Barbizet
2. Petit Poucet - Pierre Barbizet
3. Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes - Pierre Barbizet
4. Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete - Pierre Barbizet
5. Le Jardin Feerique - Pierre Barbizet

Tracks:

Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
1. Modere, Tres Franc
2. Assez Lent
3. Modere
4. Assez Anime
5. Presque Lent
6. Vif
7. Moins Vif
8. Epilogue: Lent
Prelude
Jeux D'Eau
Menuet Sur Le Nom D'Haydn
1. Noctuelles
2. Oiseaux Tristes
3. Une barque Sur L'Ocean
4. Alborada Del Gracioso
5. La Vallee Des Cloches
Emmanuel Chabrier (Paraphrase Sur Un Air De Gounod)
Borodine

Tracks:

1. Ondine
2. Le Gibet
3. Scarbo
1. Modere
2. Mouvement De Menuet
3. Anime
1. Prelude
2. Fugue
3. Forlane
4. Riguadon
5. Menuet
6. Toccata
Menuet Antique

Customer Reviews:

great pianist!!!!.......2007-02-16

samson was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century his debussy was sublime and his color palete to impresionism is unsurpassed. could someone tell me if these recordings of his debussy are the stereo ones

Yesterday Francois would be celebrating his eighty-two anniversary .......2006-05-19

Samson Francois figure has evidenced slow but increasing enhancement through the years. His notable pianism, aristocratic approach and refined phrasing are some of his virtues.

If you still do not know about this legendary artist, no itý s the time for you to convince by yourself about the supreme level occupied by him.

When he left us in 1970 at his 46, he had so much to give. The musical world remained legitimately orphan and much more vile since his premature death.

But, fortunately his legacy will live among us, every time you listen any record you acquire of this peerless musician.

His Ravel is loaded not only of notable, sensual and asserive expressiveness. If you know about some other performance able to equal his Gaspard de la nuit, please, be my guest.

His Debussy is sober, eloquent with Impresionist flair and sublime musicality.

A true artistic and a fundamental treasure in your collection.

Average customer rating:

Murky
Debussy and Gieseking
EMI IS ATROCIOUS!!!!!!!!!
Hello Sky, Hello Trees
sound quality of recording very average

Debussy: The Complete Works For Piano

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ravel: The Complete Works for Solo Piano
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
Liszt: Piano Works
Debussy: Orchestral Music
Chopin: The Piano Works

ASIN: B000002S6Z
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

Prdes Book I: I. Danseuses de Delphes (Lent et grave) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: II. Voiles (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: III. Le vent dans Ia plaine (Anim- Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: IV. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: V. Les collines d'Anacapri (Trmod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: VI. Des pas sur la neige (Triste et lent) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: VII. Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest (Animt tumultueux) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin (Trcalme et doucement expressif) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: IX. La snade interrompue (Modment anim- Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: X. La cathale engloutie (Profondnt calme) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: Xl. La danse de Puck (Capricieux et lr) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: XII. Minstrels (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: I. Brouillards (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: II. Feuilles mortes (Lent et mncolique) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: III. La Puerta del Vino (Mouvement de Habanera) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: IV. Les f sont d'exquises danseuses (Rapide et lr) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: V. Bruys (Calme) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: VI. General Lavine - eccentric (Dans le style et le mouvement d'un Cakewalk) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: VII. Le terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (Lent) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: VIII. Ondine (Scherzando) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: IX. Hommage . Pickwick, Esq., P.P.M.P.C. (Grave) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: X. Canope (Trcalme et doucement triste) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: XI. Les tierces altern (Modment anim- Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: XlI. Feux d'artifice (Modment anim- Walter Gieseking

Tracks:

Pour le piano: I. Prde (Assez anime et tres rythme) - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: II. Sarabande (Aved une elegance grave et lente) - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: III. Toccata (Vif) - C. Debussy
Estampes: I. Pagodes (Moderement anime) - C. Debussy
Estampes: II. La soirdans Grenade (Mouvement de Habanera) - C. Debussy
Estampes: III. Jardins sous la pluie (Net et vif) - C. Debussy
Images, Set I: I. Reflets dans l'eau (Andantino molto) - C. Debussy
Images, Set I: II. Hommage ameau (Lent et grave) - C. Debussy
Images, Set I: III. Mouvement (Anime) - C. Debussy
Images, Set II: I. Cloches ravers les feuilles (Lent) - C. Debussy
Images, Set II: II. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (Lent) - C. Debussy
Images, Set II: III. Poissons d'or (Anime) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Moderement anime) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: II. Jimbo's Lullaby (Assez modere) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: III. Serenade for the Doll (Allegretto ma non troppo) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: IV. The Snow is Dancing (Moderement anime) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: X. The Little Shepherd (Tres modere) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: VI. Golliwogg's Cakewalk (Allegro giusto) - C. Debussy

Tracks:

12 Etudes: I. Pour les cinq doigts (d'apres Monsieur Czerny) (Sagement) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: II. Pour les tierces (Moderato, ma non troppo) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: III. Pour les quartes (Andantino com moto) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: IV. Pour les sixtes (Lento) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: V. Pour les octaves (Joyeaux et emporte, librement rythme) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: VI. Pour les huit doigts (Vivamente, molto leggiero e legato) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: VII. Pour les degrchromatiques (Scherzando, animato assai) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: VIII. Pour les agrnts (Lento, rubato e leggiero) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: IX. Pour les notes rt (Scherzando) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: X. Pour les sonoritoppos (Modere, sans lenteur) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: XI. Pour les arps compos(Dolce e lusingando) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: XI. Pour les accords (Dedide, rythme, sans lourdeur) - C. Debussy
Masques (Tres vif et fantasque) - C. Debussy
D'un cahier d'esquisses (Tres lent-sans rigueur) - C. Debussy
L'Isle joyeuse (Quasi una cadenza - Tempo : Modere et tres souple) - C. Debussy
La plus que lente (Lent - Molto rubato con morbidezza) - C. Debussy
Le petit negre (Cakewalk. Allegro giusto) - C. Debussy
Berceuse heroique (Modere - sans lenteur) - C. Debussy
Hommage aydn (Mouvement de Valse lente) - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Suite Bergamasque: I. Prde (Moderato - tempo rubato) - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: II. Meneut (Andantino) - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: III. Clair de lune (Andante tres expressif) - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: IV. Passepied (Allegretto ma non troppo) - C. Debussy
Danse bohenne (Allegro) - C. Debussy
Rrie (Andantino sans lenteur) - C. Debussy
Mazurka (Scherzando - assez anime) - C. Debussy
Valse romantique (Tempo di valse - Allegro moderato) - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: I. Andantino con moto - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: II. Allegretto scherzando - C. Debussy
Nocturne en re bemol majeur - in D flat - Des-dur - C. Debussy
Danse (Tarentelle styrienne) (Allegretto) - C. Debussy
Ballade (Andantino con moto) - C. Debussy
Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra: I. Andante - Allegro - C. Debussy
Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra: II. Lento e molto espressivo- - C. Debussy
Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra: III. Allegro molto - C. Debussy

Amazon.com essential recording

These classic performances belong in the collection of anyone who cares about Debussy's piano music. Walter Gieseking's career was a troubled one--his pandering to the Nazi party cast a shadow over his last years, but the greatest irony of all was that this German nationalist turned out to be the greatest exponent of French music of his era. His Debussy playing marries an effortlessly subtle control of the keyboard to a real sense of fantasy. The music truly shimmers in his hands, and despite the limited range of the mono recording, the ear quickly adjusts. This is, in short, one of those classic recordings that critics and music lovers have enjoyed for nearly 50 years. So should you. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Murky.......2007-04-01

I have to agree with the reviewers complaining about the sound quality on these CD's. I first discovered Debussy's piano music through these recordings when I was left my grandfather's record collection and I was obsessed. I bought this hoping to get back that vinyl magic but this is a murky compressed sounding thing, with none of the charm it should have. Boo.

Debussy and Gieseking.......2007-01-10

Historical 1950s recordings that demonstrate Gieseking's well attested shades of piano sound that are unique and outstanding.

EMI IS ATROCIOUS!!!!!!!!!.......2006-10-28

I despise EMI and for good reasons.
They have terrible recorded sound... from what I heard, i thought gieseking performed these pieces during the 1940s. I have remastered recordings from the 1920s and 30s that sound better than this!! But then again, EMI was never known for providing top-notch sonics.
Sheesh few years ago i purchased pablo casals on emi and it was simply horrible. i had to go get the one on testament (which is, by the way, superior to the Naxos remastering - believe it or not!).
I can't believe that much of gieseking's sound is lost and there's not much we can do about it!!!! emi will burn in hell... lol.

Hello Sky, Hello Trees.......2006-04-04

While there are those individuals, less sophisticated than my wonderful self, who are wont to dismiss Debussy as music only for those whose horticural inclinations run contrary to the course of gravity, I would have to venture that they don't know a good thing when they see one, and that to shun a composer merely because his fan base is given to lifting shirts would be nothing short of childish. After all, Debussy is really rather good, brilliant in fact, and if the good people at EMI should happen to let his liner notes be written by an inveterate pillow-biter, that does nothing to detract from his merits. "Bravo Debussy!" I say, and as I knock back another pastis enquire nonchalantly, "Anyone for tennis?"

sound quality of recording very average.......2005-11-12

I have to say I was disappointed with this CD. You cannot fault the artist, but the fact that it was recorded in the 1950s is very obvious by the very average sound quality of the recording, this is especialy noticable when the artist plays louder sections in the pieces.

Average customer rating:

Nowadays you cannot produce&sell such an overall low-quality product. This Nimbus box was one of the few to disappoint me! ;(
Pure Pleasure

Debussy: Complete Piano Music

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Chopin: The Piano Works
Mozart:The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations

ASIN: B0000037B2
Release Date: 1997-10-07

Tracks:

Images oubliees: I. Lent (Melancolique et doux) - C. Debussy
Images oubliees: II. Sarabande - C. Debussy
Images oubliees: III. Tres vite - C. Debussy
Valse romantique - C. Debussy
Reverie - C. Debussy
Danse - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: I. Prelude - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: II. Menuet - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: III. Clair de Lune - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: IV. Passepied - C. Debussy
Nocturne - C. Debussy
Ballade - C. Debussy
Mazurka - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: I. Prelude - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: II. Sarabande - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: III. Toccata - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: I. Andantino con moto - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: II. Allegretto scherzando - C. Debussy
Danse bohemienne - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Images, set 1: Reflets dans l'eau - C. Debussy
Images, set 1: Hommage a Rameau - C. Debussy
Images, set 1: Mouvement - C. Debussy
Estampes: Pagodes - C. Debussy
Estampes: La soiree dans Grenade - C. Debussy
Estampes: Jardins sous la pluie - C. Debussy
Masques - C. Debussy
D'un cahier d'esquisses - C. Debussy
L'isle joyeuse - C. Debussy
Images, set 2: Cloches a travers les feuilles - C. Debussy
Images, set 2: Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut - C. Debussy
Images, set 2: Poissons d'or - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: Jimbo's Lullaby - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: Serenade For The Doll - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: The Snow Is Dancing - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: The Little Shepherd - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cake-walk - C. Debussy
Morceau de concours (Piece pour piano) - C. Debussy
The Little Nigar (Le Petit Negre) - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Preludes, 1Er Livre: I. Danseuses de Delphes - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: II. Voiles - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: III. Le vent dans la plaine - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: IV. 'Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir' - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: V. Les collines d'Anacapri - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: VI. Des pas sur la neige - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: VII. Ce qu'a vu le Vent d'Ouest - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: IX. Le serenade interrompue - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: X. La Cathedrale engloutie - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: XI. La danse de Puck - DeBussy
Preludes, 1Er Livre: XII. Minstrels - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: I. Brouillards - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: II. Feuilles mortes - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: III. Le puerta del Vino - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: IV. 'Les fees sont d'exquises danseuses' - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: V. Bruyeres - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: VI. 'General Lavine' - Excentric - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: VIII. Ondine - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: IX. Hommage a S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: X. Canope - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: XI. Les tierces alternees - DeBussy
Preludes, 2e Livre: XII. Feux d'artifice - DeBussy

Tracks:

Jeux (poeme dansee) - DeBussy
Khamma (legende dansee) - DeBussy
La boite a joujoux (ballet pour enfants): I. 1e Tableau - DeBussy
La boite a joujoux (ballet pour enfants): II. 2e Tableau - DeBussy
La boite a joujoux (ballet pour enfants): III. 3e Tableau - DeBussy

Tracks:

Etudes: 1er Livre: I. Pour les 'Cinq doigts' d'apres Monsieur Czerny - C. Debussy
Etudes: 1er Livre: II. Pour les Tierces - C. Debussy
Etudes: 1er Livre: III. Pour les Quartes - C. Debussy
Etudes: 1er Livre: IV. Pour les Sixtes - C. Debussy
Etudes: 1er Livre: V. Pour les Octaves - C. Debussy
Etudes: 1er Livre: VI. Pour les huit doigts - C. Debussy
Etudes: 2e Livre: VII. Pour les Degres chromatiques - C. Debussy
Etudes: 2e Livre: VIII. Pour les Agrements - C. Debussy
Etudes: 2e Livre: IX. Pour les Notes repetees - C. Debussy
Etudes: 2e Livre: X. Pour les Sonorites opposees - C. Debussy
Etudes: 2e Livre: XI. Pour les Arpeges composes - C. Debussy
Etudes: 2e Livre: XII. Pour les Accords - C. Debussy
La plus que lente - C. Debussy
Six epigraphes antiques: I. Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'ete (To Invoke Pan, God Of The Summer Wind) - C. Debussy
Six epigraphes antiques: II. Pour un tombeau sans nom (To A Nameless Tomb) - C. Debussy
Six epigraphes antiques: III. Pour que la nuit soit propice (To A Night That It May Be Propitious) - C. Debussy
Six epigraphes antiques: IV. Pour la danseuse aux crotales (To The Girl Dancing With Antique Cymbals) - C. Debussy
Six epigraphes antiques: V. Pour l'Egyptienne (To The Egyptian) - C. Debussy
Six epigraphes antiques: VI. Pour remercier la pluie au matin (To Give Thanks For The Rain In The Morning) - C. Debussy
Hommage a Haydn - C. Debussy
Berceuse Heroique - C. Debussy
Elegie - C. Debussy
Page d'album - C. Debussy

Amazon.com

Martin Jones' Debussy cycle is more than complete, for he includes the composer's piano scores for his ballets, Khamma, Jeux, and La Boîte á Joujoux. Nimbus' slightly distant mike technique complements Jones' full-bodied sonority. Jones may not let you in on the music's deep, dark secrets, but his clear-headed guidance bespeaks sympathy and insight, whether in the early character pieces or cryptic Prelude and Etude cycles. His quicksilver fingerwork is buttressed with fiber and backbone, which keeps Debussy's impressionistic sound from dematerializing into vapor. Great playing, great price: Go for it! --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Nowadays you cannot produce&sell such an overall low-quality product. This Nimbus box was one of the few to disappoint me! ;(.......2007-05-06

I love Martin Jones, as an artist, musician and performer. The explorative programming of his vast repertoire and discography is intriguing and adorable. I am as much fascinated by his artistry and recording legacy as by Hamelin's, the world-reknowned Canadian supervirtuoso Hamelin. So, do I also love Nimbus as a label, a records producing company? In the case of JonesPlaysSzymanowski, yes, fully. Here, sorry, no. I am not talking about Jones' performance nor the Nimbus recording quality if this is what interests you (Are you a comparative listener, or a collector? I am the latter :P ). Both performance and recorded sound are equal to Hamelin and hyperion standards, no doubt. In this review I am talking about the quality of a product as a whole. Well it is nice to have a single "complete"-box, that's why I chose to buy it online from amazon, but what ruins its quality is the carelessness with which it was prepared: First, of minor importance, the fact that the album is *not* complete: a comparison with the recent recording project of Debussy's Complete Piano Music by Bennett Lerner on Bridge reveals that Jones did not include the known 'Etude Retrouvée', the in 2001 newly-discovered 'Intermède (1880)', nor the yes-such-a-thing-exists 'Suite Bergamasque No.2'(!!). Second, more important, the size and content of the booklet is ridiculous. The track listing gives only one piece of information per track: its main title, nothing else. Nothing on the year of composition/publication, nothing on the sub-/supertitle if existing, nothing on the key, nothing on the movement speed/tempo. The track listing is absolutely cheap, non-informative and worthless. Not much better the rest of the booklet. Each work is mentioned, if at all, with a single short useless sentence or phrase saying practically nothing. The type size (character height) has been chosen BIG so that you have 5 written pages. With the standard (small) type size of the booklet of e.g. Jones' Szymanowski-box you would have ended up with 3 pages only! Totally ridiculous and cheap, of no worth. Just imagine, you have one of the chief oeuvre of early 20th-century piano music in hand FILLING FIVE FULL discs, and Nimbus Records only cares to write 5 (=3) pages of liner notes. You cannot imagine how disappointed I was, when i opened the box and spotted this inane booklet. I do enjoy the music itself and still listen to these Nimbus CD's quite often but I have decided to resell my box at marketplace. Hopefully you are interested in this release (that's why you are reading my review, isnt it?) and buy it from me, thanks, appreciated! In near future I will then go for the LernerPlaysDebussy edition, I guess..

Pure Pleasure.......2000-09-16

What we have here is a Five disc set of wonderful performances of the varied and brilliant music of Claude Debussy performed by pianist Martin Jones, recorded and mastered by Nimbus and at a reasonable price! What more could one ask for??? How about more recordings by this artist?

Average customer rating:

Textbook performance

Complete Solo Piano Music

Manufacturer: Ivory Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Album Description

French pianist Daniel Ericourt is superb. All material on CD for the first time. A 100th Anniversary Tribute release of remastered recordings from the early 1960's. Considered at the time of recording to be one of the finest sets of the complete works by Debussy available. An extraordinarily gifted colorist, Daniel Ericourt was a friend of Debussy and appeared on stage with him. From 1963 to 1976 Ericourt was Artist-in-Residence at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Not to be missed. 4-CD set (ADD)

Customer Reviews:

Textbook performance.......2005-11-27

I bought this cheaply priced 4 cd set on a recommendation by a music critic.
I figured many others didn't really work for me on a long term basis, Gieseking, Michelangeli, etc etc, no less than 10 others (refer to my review on Pommier's recording), and being cheap at 25/4 cds, I thought "why not"
Debussy is more than just technically mastering the keys. Play Beethoven with tech master, there a pianist can get away with it. But here in french impressionism, one must possess a tech mastery that gives CONFIDENCE to bring out the poetic subilities and flow of the music.
1) Jean Pommier
2) Pascal Roge
Are all you need

Thought I'd pull out this set one more time.
Listening to Prelude Bk1,#6, I wish for more pensive, darker feeling. Prelude Bk1,#7, abit of banging starts off.
As I say few individuals can play Debussy like Ericourt, but all in all fails to achieve a top 3 spot.
My 3 Star rating holds. Dec, 20, 2005.
EDIT:

UPDATES: Listening to the Etudes at the moment, Ericourt falls into the same difficulities as most pianists in the Etudes. What is the correct tempo to play these pieces in. Ericourt just rolls along and avoids missing the notes, but at the expense of bringing out any textures that are hidden within these gems.
Feel free to disagree and buy the set for yourself. :-)

Average customer rating:

Badly manufactured, alas
Immortal recordings, but beware
Absolutely perfect performances
Reference recording, beyond words
Reference performances of Debussy

Walter Gieseking plays Debussy

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Ravel/Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos

ASIN: B000003LL3
Release Date: 1995-09-22

Tracks:

Suite Bergamasque: Prelude
Suite Bergamasque: Menuet
Suite Bergamasque: Clair de lune
Suite Bergamasque: Passepied
Valse, la plus que lente
Images, Set I: Reflets dans l'eau
Images, Set I: Mouvement
Images, Set II: Cloches a travers les feuilles
Images, Set II: Poissons d'or
Reverie
Preludes, Book I: Danseues de Delphes
Preludes, Book I: Voiles
Preludes, Book I: Le vent dans la plaine
Preludes, Book I: 'Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir'
Preludes, Book I: Les collines d'Anacapri
Preludes, Book I: Des pas sur la neige
Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest
Preludes, Book I: La fille aux cheveux de lin
Preludes, Book I: La serenade interrompue
Preludes, Book I: La cathedrale engloutie
Preludes, Book I: La danse de Puck
Preludes, Book I: Minstrels

Tracks:

Children's Corner Suite: I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
Children's Corner Suite: II. Jimbo's Lullaby
Children's Corner Suite: III. Serenade For The Doll
Children's Corner Suite: IV. The Snow Is Dancing
Children's Corner Suite: V. The Little Shepherd
Children's Corner Suite: VI. Golliwog's Cake-Walk
Estampes: I. Pagodes
Estampes: II. La soiree dans Grenade
Estampes: III. Jardins sous la pluie
Deux Arabesques: No. 1 In E Major, Andantino con moto
Deux Arabesques: No. 2 In G Major, Allegretto scherzando
Preludes, Book II: I. Brouillards
Preludes, Book II: II. Feuilles mortes
Preludes, Book II: III. La Puerta del vino
Preludes, Book II: IV. 'Les fees sont d' exquises danseuses'
Preludes, Book II: V. Bruyeres
Preludes, Book II: VI. General Lavine, Eccentric
Preludes, Book II: VII. La terrasse des audiences au clair de lune
Preludes, Book II: VIII. Ondine
Preludes, Book II: IX. Hommage a S. Pickwick Esq., P.P.M.P.C.
Preludes, Book II: X. Canope
Preludes, Book II: XI. Les tierces alternees
Preludes, Book II: XII. Feux d'artifice
L'isle joyeuse

Customer Reviews:

Badly manufactured, alas.......2006-07-31

I believe that this CD has had a perverse pressing. I've purchased it three times, twice new and once used, and on all three occasions one or both of the discs fails to play completely. They skip, then die. I have tried them out them on four different players of mine, and on those of a friend; I do not think my equipment is to blame.

... which is terrible, because these recordings represent the best Gieseking I know. Let us hope for another release.

Immortal recordings, but beware.......2005-11-12

After being tantalized by this set for years, I broke down and ordered it last week. Just got it today...Giesking is astounding: celestial and erotic at the same time. This SHOULD be given five stars for the interpretations- but these 78-to-CD transfers leave something to be desired...Heavy surface noise AND heavy, obstrusive "No-Noising" or CEDARING (the best of ALL worlds).

Now, granted, we're talking about issued 78 copies dating from 1927 to 1939, and these last were probably war-time Columbia 78s, which (as I've noted elsewhere) are notorious for their high noise floor and "fuzziness." Still, is this is merely a "war-time Columbia 78" source problem?...Case in point: Fritz Reiner's Columbia/Pittsburgh "Don Quioxte," which dates from 1941...Compare the LYS transfer (done by the same engineer who transferred this Giesking set) with the Reiner/Pittsburgh Strauss transfers of Rick Torres, on Biddulph (both the LYS and the Biddulph sets being based on issued 78 copies). So, although it may be a challenge to extract the "breath of life" from those war-time Columbia 78s, the point is, IT'S BEEN DONE. (Enough said.)

Sadly, with THIS set out there, and the classical CD market such as it is, the chances are slim that anyone ELSE will undertake the labor-of-love remastering effort which these precious sides demand. (Naxos Historical appears to be more or less through with 78-to-CD transfers, at the moment being rather busy with the early LP era).

It is frustrating - and tantalizing- to have these immortal interpretations transferred as they are, here...Tantalizing, because just enough of Gieseking's tonal magic shines through to show that we're just NOT getting the best of what was on those old shellac grooves. It's one thing to be tantalized by Debussy's suggestive music; quite another to be tantalized by the TRANSFER.

Thanks, but No Thanks...Rather than be teased & tantalized, in this one instance (until someone decides to do it right), I'll go without.

Absolutely perfect performances.......2005-08-31

Walter Gieseking, born in France to German
parents, became during his lifetime the
undisputed greatest interpreter of the music
of Debussy and Ravel. His greatest success
came prior to World War II. During those days
his touch, dynamics, tonal control, and use
of pedal could not be duplicated by any pianist. My introduction to Gieseking's
performances of Debussy came with the later
recordings he made for EMI in the fifties.
While uniformly excellent and showing the
qualities that made him such a great Debussy
pianist it was not until I heard these
magnificent performances, all made prior to
the war, that I could truly grasp what so
many had told me about Gieseking's pre war
performances. Even with the inferior sound
one can hear absolute perfection in these
performances. A valuable testament of the
work of a master. If I could rate it ten
stars I would do so. Get these performances
while they are still available. No one, living
or dead, can match them.

Reference recording, beyond words.......2003-04-24

This will be a short review, because this disc is so stunning I really can't translate its virtues into words, and thus urge everyone who has even a mild interest in this music to check it out. I saw "even a mild interest" because after hearing these recordings you may find yourself in love, infatuated. This is as great as Debussy playing gets, and far far better than Gieseking's post WWII efforts (though those aren't shabby either). It leaves modern Debussy playing in the dust. Even on weathered 78s surfaces from the late 1930s you can still hear the nuance, the color, so effortlessly rendered in each piece. But it's more than just coloration. His tempi are perfect in each work and he gives each little gem real shape and structure (something many modern Debussy interpretors do not; maybe it was his German roots). He inter-relates the Preludes so that they build one on the other and aren't just considered as separate works.

But mostly it's his *sound* at the keyboard, and the sheer efforrtlessness of it. Even on faded surfaces the effect is impressive. I can only imagine what Gieseking sounded like in person. (Actually, I probably can't.) Lightness mixed with authority--this is neither heavy nor billowy Debussy. After he finished recording these works, it's amazing to me anyone else had the guts to play them in his wake.

Seventy years later we're still waiting for Gieeking's heir. Buy these stunning CDs before they foolishly are let slip out of print. Like Annie Sophie Mutter's Berg Concerto recording, like Claudio Arrau's Appassionata on EMI, like Furtwangler's Brahms, like Kurt Sanderling's Shostakovich 5th, this is one of the greatest moments of classical music.

Reference performances of Debussy.......2002-05-09

This contains nearly all of Gieseking's pre-WWII recordings of Debussy's solo piano music. I find these performances significantly superior to his worthy 1950s recordings of these pieces on EMI. More specifically, he plays here with much greater fluency, tonal nuance, and technical control. Listen to his floating tone, which sounds like it is emanating from thin air rather than hammers hitting strings, and the nuances in his dynamic shadings, especially at the softer end. I have never heard anyone else playing Debussy come close in those respects.
The sound, though obviously more limited than a modern recording, is, nonetheless, clear and detailed.
Although other pianists, such as Richter, have sometimes brought out more overt drama and characterization in some of these pieces, no one else has equalled him as a poet of sonic sensuousness in this repertoire.
An essential purchase for Debussy lovers!

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Kathryn Stott Plays Debussy & Ravel

Manufacturer: Conifer
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000024F8
Release Date: 1995-11-07

Tracks:

L'Isle Joyeuse - Claude Debussy
Ballade - Claude Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: Prelude - Claude Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: Menuet - Claude Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: Clair De Lune - Claude Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: Passepied - Claude Debussy
Deux Arabesques: No. 1 - Claude Debussy
Deux Arabesques: No. 2 - Claude Debussy
Reverie - Claude Debussy
La Plus Que Lente - Claude Debussy
Images Pour Piano- Livre I: No. 1: Reflets Dans L'Eau - Claude Debussy
Images Pour Piano- Livre I: No. 2: Hommage A Rameau - Claude Debussy
Images Pour Piano- Livre I: No. 3: Mouvement - Claude Debussy

Tracks:

Le tombeau de Couperin: Prelude - Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin: Fugue - Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin: Forlane - Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin: Rigaudon - Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin: Menuet - Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin: Toccata - Maurice Ravel
Le tombeau de Couperin: Jeux D'Eau - Maurice Ravel
Sonatine: Modere - Maurice Ravel
Sonatine: Mouvement De Menuet - Maurice Ravel
Sonatine: Anime - Maurice Ravel
Sonatine: Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - Maurice Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit: Ondine - Maurice Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit: Le Gibet - Maurice Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit: Scarbo - Maurice Ravel

Debussy: Images; 2 Arabesques; L'isle joyeuse; Rêverie

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Simply Magnificent

Debussy: Images; 2 Arabesques; L'isle joyeuse; Rêverie

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Simply Magnificent.......2007-02-08

He is one of the great pianist of our time and this is one of the best Debussy collection available. This is piano playing and musical interpretation of the highest order. I can name only three other pianists who can share this mantle in these works - Walter Gieseking, who was the first great Debussy master,Charles Rosen who penetrated this music to its essence and Jean-Philippe Collard whose unerring touch reveals the soul of this great piano music. Of course others have recorded superlative efforts but in small portions like Sviatoslav Richter,Krystian Zimerman,Van Cliburn,Ivan Moravec,Youri Egorov, and Maurizio Pollini. However, in these keyboard masterpieces, Zoltan Kocsis is the current grand master who you cannot fail to appreciate.

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