Lucas Debargue

[Thropplenoggin]

I have had this young pianist's Sony release on heavy rotation when it popped up in the Découvrir section on Qobuz. I was immediately struck by the playing which, albeit highly individualised it its interpretative take on Scarlatti (just listen to what he does to K.24), I found utterly beguiling. I imagine it will be like fingernails on a blackboard to 'purists'. The Chopin, Ravel, Liszt and Schubert are all equally novel.

I hadn't heard of him before, but it seems he caused quite a stir at the Tchaikovsky competition in 2015: http://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/07/t...who-came-last/ Something of a self-taught wunderkind, it seems. Reviewers have not taken kindly to his technique.

This is the disc:



That Scarlatti sonata with his no doubt divisive rubato.

[Barbirollians]

I rather enjoyed that Scarlatti although HIPPites might have a seizure .

Slightly mixed but generally positive reviews in Gramophone for his two recordings .

[vinteuil]

... [ a HIPPite writes : ] I enjoyed this, despite the ridiculousness of his 'emotionally felt' slowing down bits.

He's not yet a Horowitz or a Zacharias, but he has promise.

Better, in any case, than the ghastly Hewitt...

[kernelbogey]

Thanks for the heads-up Thropps!

[Daniel]

I have had this young pianist's Sony release on heavy rotation when it popped up in the Découvrir section on Qobuz. I was immediately struck by the playing which, albeit highly individualised it its interpretative take on Scarlatti (just listen to what he does to K.24), I found utterly beguiling. I imagine it will be like fingernails on a blackboard to 'purists'. The Chopin, Ravel, Liszt and Schubert are all equally novel.

I first heard him playing Scarlatti on R3 I think and was intrigued, I thought in its 'impure' way it was revealing of some very interesting properties in the music. I subsequently listened to the whole cd and although I found the other items perfectly well played, personally I found they didn't have quite the distinctiveness of the Scarlatti. But I'll certainly keep an ear out for him.

[Pianorak]

Make a note of this name: Lucas Debargue who in Round 2 gave a blistering performance of Medtner's Sonata in F minor op 5 and a sublime performance of Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit. The audience went wild - and I'm not surprised.

http://tch15.medici.tv/en/performance/round-round-2-piano-2015-06-21-2130000300-great-ha

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

http://tch15.medici.tv/en/performanc...00300-great-ha

I thoroughly enjoyed this recital, many thanks, Pianorak

(Very glad that I kept it on "sound only", though!)

[ahinton]

I thoroughly enjoyed this recital, many thanks, Pianorak

(Very glad that I kept it on "sound only", though!)

Indeed; two fairly challenging works - one far better known than the other for some reason - and quite impressive performances of both, but almost entirely unwatchable!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That Scarlatti sonata with his no doubt divisive rubato.

Well - I greatly enjoyed that, too, as a one-off experience (wouldn't buy a recording, but as part of a Live event I don't see why not - if you're going to play Scarlatti on a "wrong" instrument you might as well go the whole hog!)


Many thanks, Throppers - I'd never heard of this pianist before, and am glad to have heard his playing.