Oldelaf Bonhomme

Monté pour la première fois sur scène il y a 25 ans, Oldelaf, vit depuis de multiples aventures scéniques, radiophoniques, télévisuelles, discographiques… mais dont le fil rouge est et restera la chanson (rappelez-vous « La Tristitude » ou « Nathalie Mon Amour Des JMJ »). Oldelaf nous présente aujourd’hui son 3ème album solo, Goliath, enregistré aux mythiques studios Ferber et réalisé par Régis Ceccarelli. Doté d’une production cinq étoiles, Goliath est un superbe hommage à la grande variété française des années 70 et 80, dont les chansons oscillent entre tendresse et humour, Oldelaf y parlant d’amour, de tolérance, de désir, d’absurdité… Bref, de lui et de nous !

Japanese label Triton has released a Pascal Rogé album with a rather remarkable program; Crystal Dream features the eminent French pianist in a program that interweaves short piano pieces by Erik Satie with others written by contemporary Japanese composer Takashi Yoshimatsu, mostly pieces drawn from his Pleiades Dances. Both composers employ relatively simple melodic concepts harmonized with elegant, though elemental, kinds of accompaniments, so perhaps the combination makes sense. On the other hand, Satie never lived into the age of rock-based pop music, his engagement with the popular consisting mainly of French music hall tunes, and later in life, a sort of half-understood perception of ragtime rhythm. Yoshimatsu, however, would not be Yoshimatsu if it weren't for his strong connection to pop, though admittedly in Satie's case the pop group Blood, Sweat & Tears' adaptation of his Gymnopédie No. 1 once earned Satie a Grammy-winning single. Either way, one might wonder "how does this combination-slash-conversation work?"

Erik Satie, the visionary French composer and pianist, left an indelible mark on classical music through his innovative and eccentric approach. The album "Satie, E.: Piano Works (1906-19); Pièces humouristiques & Other Works" delves into Satie's genius, characterized by simplicity, humor, and a rejection of traditional norms.

Erik Satie, the visionary French composer and pianist, left an indelible mark on classical music through his innovative and eccentric approach. The album "Satie, E.: Piano Works (1906-19); Pièces humouristiques & Other Works" delves into Satie's genius, characterized by simplicity, humor, and a rejection of traditional norms.

Erik Satie - Oeuvres Pour Piano - Piano Works - Aldo Ciccolini (1991) {2CD Set EMI Classics rec 1966-1971}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 536 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 339 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 37 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1966-71, 1991 EMI France | EMI Classics | CZS 7 67282 2
Classical / Modern / Early 20th Century / Piano

It's simple: in his various realizations of the piano music of Erik Satie, Aldo Ciccolini set a standard that has yet to be bettered. This compilation, drawn from recordings made between 1966 and 1971, is consequently the best of the best. Ciccolini always played Satie's music as though it had been written by Claude Debussy, not by some cheap charlatan or uneducated primitive (which, to an extent that is still debatable, Satie was). The result is that these seemingly simple piano pieces acquire a tonal allure that is as surprising as it is undeniable. They possess an understated sophistication that points directly toward Ravel and Poulenc, at the same time providing an opening to the minimalist aesthetic of the later 20th century. Ciccolini's playing is pliant and graceful, and under his fingers the music seems to breathe and come alive. What more could a composer or a listener want? –Ted Libbey