BaL 25.01.14 - Debussy: Images Books 1 & 2 for Piano

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 a.m. Building a Library
Stephen Walsh with a personal recommendation from recordings of Debussy’s 2 books of Images for piano.

Available versions:-

[(1) or (2) indicates recordings containing only the 1st or 2nd set of “Images”]

Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Jean-Pierre Armengaud
Kåkon Austbø
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Michel Béroff
Henri Bonamy
Philippe Cassard
Aldo Ciccolini
Larissa Dedova (download)
Severin von Eckardstein (2) (download)
Philippe Entremonte
Ts’ong Fou (download)
Albert Ferber
Samson François
Peter Frankl (2)
Walter Gieseking
Emil Gilels (1)
Nelson Goerner (1)
Monique Haas
Werner Haas (download)
Ilja Hurník
Martin Jones
Zoltán Kocsis
Klara Kormendi
Noël Lee
Bennett Lerner
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (multiple versions)
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (DVD)
Jan Michiels
Ivan Moravec
Yuki Nagai (1)
Noriko Ogawa
Vlado Perlemuter (1)
Jean-Bernard Pommier (1)
Sviatoslav Richter (1)
Pascal Rogé
Nicholas Ross (download)
Sergey Schepkin (download)
Juliana Steinbach
Mark Swartzetruber (1)
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
François-Joel Throllier
Hugh Tinney (1)
Martino Tirimo
Paris Tsenikoglou
Erzsébet Tusa
Gilles Vonsattel
Rieko Yoshizumi (1)
Rika Zayasu

[HighlandDougie]

EA - many thanks for the hard work put into preparing the list. 3 additions which I have on my shelves (and which are all currently available): Philippe Bianconi (La Dolce Vita); François Chaplin (Pierre Verany - and the France Musique Jardin etc choice); and Alexei Lubimov (ECM). Fine versions all.

[richardfinegold]

I had touted the Frankl recently in a thread on underrated musicians that recorded for budget labels. I also have the Michelangeli and Richter, both very fine. The one that intrigues me on EA list is Schepkin. I love his Bach (Goldbergs and Books I&II of WTC) but never come across anything else by him. I generally am allergic to downloads but will seek this one out.

[richardfinegold]

I had touted the Frankl recently in a thread on underrated musicians that recorded for budget labels. I also have the Michelangeli and Richter, both very fine. The one that intrigues me on EA list is Schepkin. I love his Bach (Goldbergs and Books I&II of WTC) but never come across anything else by him. I generally am allergic to downloads but will seek this one out.

The Schepkin is available as an mp3 download but for a few dollars more I found used CD version and ordered it. Thanks, EA!

[Don Petter]

I also have the Michelangeli ...

I'm guessing you mean the 1971 performance on DG. There have also been his recordings from 1962 on Ermitage (then on Aura, also on Brilliant) - which I believe is the version on the Opus Arte DVD. Also further performances from 1969 and 1987, both issued on Aura.


The following is worth a look, but presumably doesn't contain any complete sets:

There is another recording by ABM of Images on Ysaye IM01, which claims it to be 'from the first half of the twentieth century' but I don't know the recording date.

This CD looks interesting in the context of this BaL, in that it has recordings of Images from that era by Ricardo Vines, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Artur Rubinstein. Walter Gieseking, Marcelle Meyer, Marius Francois Gaillard, Claudio Arrau, Jean Doyen and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

http://www.crotchet.co.uk/IM01.html

[Nick Armstrong]

I generally am allergic to downloads

Not enough cover art work, eh Richard?

[vinteuil]

... a couple of my favourite performances don't seem to feature -

Alain Planès [Blüthner 1902]
Livia Rev

[vinteuil]

Alexei Lubimov (ECM). .

... I have an Alexei Lubimov Debussy CD on the ECM label - but of the Préludes (lovely) - has he done the Images too?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's not so long since there was a BaL on the orchestral versions:-

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?6551-BaL-27-10-12-Debussy-s-Images

[HighlandDougie]

has he done the Images too?

Alas, no. Duh! stupidissimo me. My apologies to EA for not reading the title of the work properly - "Images" doesn't even look like "Preludes". One glass of Riesling too many, I fear, and falling into the bad habit of using my computer afterwards.

Like Vinteuil, I cherish the performance of the Images by Alain Planès. I'll go and sit in the corner now.

[Bryn]

... a couple of my favourite performances don't seem to feature -

Alain Planès [Blüthner 1902]
Livia Rev

Re. the Rev, Saga or Hyperion recordings? Three of my favourites too.

[LeMartinPecheur]

IIRC this comment has been made by others in other BaL contexts: sad not to see Livia Rev's name in EA's listing. This is particularly puzzling when her s/h CDs of Images command fairly silly money via Marketplace (c.£35).

Apart from Rev I have the DG Michelangeli, Gieseking and Perlemuter. (The latter did both sets on a BBC MM, for those - like me - who tend to forget such things)

So the winner has to be good to make me get me wallet out...

EDIT Vinteuil/Bryn - you beat me to it re Rev!

[Bryn]

IIRC this comment has been made by others in other BaL contexts: sad not to see Livia Rev's name in EA's listing. This is particularly puzzling when her s/h CDs of Images command fairly silly money via Marketplace (c.£35).

Apart from Rev I have the DG Michelangeli, Gieseking and Perlemuter. (The latter did both sets on a BBC MM, for those - like me - who tend to forget such things)

So the winner has to be good to make me get me wallet out...

EDIT Vinteuil/Bryn - you beat me to it re Rev!

The Hyperion Rev recordings are currently on offer as downloads from the Hyoerion site. Each of two discs worth of the Images and prelude cost £4.00 for either mp3 or FLAC. How can anyone resist?

[richardfinegold]

I'm guessing you mean the 1971 performance on DG. There have also been his recordings from 1962 on Ermitage (then on Aura, also on Brilliant) - which I believe is the version on the Opus Arte DVD. Also further performances from 1969 and 1987, both issued on Aura.


The following is worth a look, but presumably doesn't contain any complete sets:

There is another recording by ABM of Images on Ysaye IM01, which claims it to be 'from the first half of the twentieth century' but I don't know the recording date.

This CD looks interesting in the context of this BaL, in that it has recordings of Images from that era by Ricardo Vines, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Artur Rubinstein. Walter Gieseking, Marcelle Meyer, Marius Francois Gaillard, Claudio Arrau, Jean Doyen and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

http://www.crotchet.co.uk/IM01.html

Yes, I do mean the DG.

[richardfinegold]

Not enough cover art work, eh Richard?

Cover work was the one clear advantage that lps had over CDs. How can anyone possibly have a fantasy inspired by the artwork accompanying a download?