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

[Barbirollians]

Livia Rev is on that 4 CD set mentioned in recent discussions of the Preludes.

[Beresford]

Daniel Ericourt on Ivory Classics. As a teenager he turned pages for Debussy, so HIP I guess. Very early French.
The recordings are old and a bit thin, but extremely musical.

[silvestrione]

Arrau's version is surely available?

[verismissimo]

Think I've only ever had Peter Frankl on Vox LPs. Good, but time for something new...?

[verismissimo]

So it's Noriko Ogawa. What exquisite playing (and recording so far as I could tell). Worth investing in her complete Debussy edition?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Debussy-Complete-Music-Piano-BISCD1955/dp/B006J7YJF0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1390645208&sr=1-1&keywords=debussy+ogawa

[LeMartinPecheur]

Interesting the way that at the very start of the programme, SW so decisively rejected everything about Debussy's own piano-roll. "Don't confuse me with evidence"?

[doversoul1]

I was rather bemused by the reviewer’s constant reference to Oriental and Japanese influence. I assume this means that Debussy had departed from the then Western tradition (to put it very simply) but are we supposed to actually hear the specific cultural link in the music itself and/or in performance as we were reminded throughout the review? Is the performance chosen is by a Japanese pianist coincidence or are there any implications? I am curious.

[ardcarp]

SW so decisively rejected everything about Debussy's own piano-roll. "Don't confuse me with evidence"?

This struck me immediately too. But piano rolls can be 'interpreted' by operators of (for instance) the Duo Art player piano system in terms of tempo, introducing rubato and the sustaining pedal. So one is not necessarily hearing it as Debussy would have played it. The notes, however, would be what he played, and there was clearly some licence here. But we have to see things (as SW didn't) in the light of the great virtuoso tradition of the late 19th C when strict adherence to the dots was not considered as vital as it is now.

I assume this means that Debussy had departed from the then Western tradition (to put it very simply) but are we supposed to actually hear the specific cultural link in the music itself and/or in performance as we were reminded throughout the review? Is the performance chosen is by a Japanese pianist coincidence or are there any implications? I am curious.

SW did rather bang on about this,but it's the old 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle thing where Debussy was transfixed by a Javanese Gamelan. It may be a cliche taught to even the most lowly of music students, but it was undoubtedly one of the influences helping Debussy to break free (insofar as he did) from Germaic musical language and structure. Debussy was also known to have Japanese prints at his home. I don't think this has anything to do with SW's choice of a Japanese pianist as his 'winner'. One has to bear in mind that the many fine classical performers (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, whatever) of today are all trained in the Western musical tradition, and often in European or American music schools.

Whilst I like SW's choice, I was not particularly impressed with this week's BaL. To be fair, he did say that, in this sort of 'impressionist' [he didn't use the word] music, personal preferences play a large part. He seemed to be very categorical about the right and wrong sort of pedalling. There has been a shift in taste over the years here. As a young piano student it was more or less drummed into me that you needed to create a misty aura with the pedal...or sometimes half-pedal if you and the piano were up to it. Clarity has crept in with the decades since!

SW did more or less rule out HIPP performances and apart from a brief excerpt from a 1890 [?] Bechstein, we were pretty much in modern Steinway territory. Does anyone know any good recordings on, for instance, a Pleyel?

[Bryn]

Planes used a 1902 Blüthner for the disc which includes the main sets of Images. Very effectively, too. [Now spinning here. I missed the first half hour of this morning's BaL so don't know whether it got a mention or not.]

[ardcarp]

Alain Planes? No I don't think it got a mention.

[Bryn]

Alain Planes? No I don't think it got a mention.

That seems decidedly remiss, to me. In his five disc survey, Planes used an 1897 Bechstein for the Préludes, an unspecified piano for the Etudes / Masques / L'Isle Joyeuse / ... d'un cahier d'esqisses... . the aforementioned 1902 Blüthner for the disc with the two main sets of Inages, and a modern Steinway for the rest. One of my favourite recorded boxed sets of Debussy's solo piano music.

[HighlandDougie]

That seems decidedly remiss, to me.

And why I for one was not particularly impressed either with this BaL. For me, not even referring to Planès seemed liked a particularly egregious omission (just like the BaL on the Britten Violin Concerto which failed to mention Ida Haendel).

[ardcarp]

...Planes complete solo piano works, boxed set for under £20. Not bad.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Debussy-Complete-Works-Piano-Planes/dp/B0027YUK84

[MickyD]

Interesting the way that at the very start of the programme, SW so decisively rejected everything about Debussy's own piano-roll. "Don't confuse me with evidence"?

I must admit that I rather liked what I heard of that piano roll recording.

As for other HIP recordings of Préludes and Images, there is a Jos van Immerseel recording of him playing an 1897 Erard...you can hear some excerpts on the Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Debussy-Preludes-Jos-Van-Immerseel/dp/B000003UYA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1390684374&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=debussy+van+immerseel

...there's also a very interesting accompanying essay by Immerseel of how he discovered this old piano in near-mint condition.

[BBMmk2]

I have that classic DG recording of Arturo Benedetti Michaelangeli. C/w Children's Corner suite(If I remember!)