Antonio Pompa Baldi Debussy: Piano Works

Written between 1909 and 1913, Préludes are probably Claude Debussy's most important work for piano. It consists in a series of 24 short pieces, equally subdivided into two books.Unlike Chopin's, Bach's and many other composer's homonymous series, these pieces aren't sorted by key signature. Debussy gave a title to all of the 24 preludes and decided to place them at the end of each piece.

Written between 1909 and 1913, Préludes are probably Claude Debussy's most important work for piano. It consists in a series of 24 short pieces, equally subdivided into two books.Unlike Chopin's, Bach's and many other composer's homonymous series, these pieces aren't sorted by key signature. Debussy gave a title to all of the 24 preludes and decided to place them at the end of each piece. This choice is mainly addressed to the performer to encourage him to find his own interpretation but it also points out that it's the music here that will suggest the titles and not vice versa. Being certainly the peak of maturity in Debussy's musical experience, these pieces also carry the youthful energy of the author's early pieces. This combination of both aspects of Debussy's personal style gives this music an unique feature: here, music and dramaturgy express and support each other mutually, letting each idea unfold and develop achieving a brilliant balance between its strong inspiration sources and Debussy's consumate mastery of composing. Such quality is rarely to find in the repertoire of concert music, making Préludes a milestone for musicians of all sorts.

Along with Maurice Ravel, Achille-Claude Debussy was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions.
"Suite bergamasque" (1890) recalls rococo decorousness with a modern cynicism and puzzlement. This suite contains one of Debussy's most popular pieces, "Clair de Lune".

In the 1970s and 1980s, when the listener was starved of the unusual and was happy to listen to anything off the beaten track, some of these pieces sounded more exciting than they do now. I can remember enjoying a couple of the pieces more then than now. This is partly due to Hyperion’s wonderful Romantic Piano Concerto series, which has taken us yet further off the beaten track. It should be noted that some of the works presented here by Brilliant Classics do not feature in the Hyperion series and this makes this set all the more valuable.

Rogé produces consistently beautiful tone and this recital gives no mean pleasure an this score. His playing is distinguished by intelligence and sympathy, as well as subtle of colour. He is moreover supported by recording quality of real excellence.

An innovative genius, Claude Debussy is famous for his mature ‘Impressionist’ music, though he rather disliked the term. He frequently performed four-hand piano pieces in concert, most of the works on this disc either being composed or adapted by him for this line-up. The imaginative figuration, kaleidoscopic sonorities and moments of dazzling virtuosity found in these rarely-heard works from the 1880s are a testament to Debussy’s skills both as a performer and a composer. Pianists Adrienne Soós and Ivo Haag have been a firmly-established piano duo for more than fifteen years, becoming one of the leading ensembles in Switzerland.

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s vivid and personal interpretations of Debussy’s complete works for piano are available for the first time in an attractive five-volume set, this is the series that put Bavouzet on the map, and established him firmly as a leading and internationally acclaimed pianist.