Any Debussy buffs out there? Looking for best recording on CD...

Magnus_CA · « **on:** 3 Aug 2008, 05:30 am »

I'm in love with my copy of Ivan Moravec's Chopin:Nocturnes and I'd like to supplement it with some Debussy, preferably a recording that includes Claire De Lune. Can someone point me in the direction of a good recording on CD?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

rpf · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 06:43 am »

Zoltan Kocsis performs the Suite Bergamasque (with Clair de lune), the Images of 1894 and some other pieces on a Philips disc.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard performs the Images of 1905 and 1907 and the Etudes on a Warner Bros. disc.

Some other excellent Debussy pianists are Mitsuko Uchida, Paul Jacobs and Francois-Joel Thiollier.

Magnus_CA · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 10:03 am »

Thanks!

Can you recommend Jean-Yves Thibaudet or Sviatoslav Richter?

rpf · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 02:40 pm »

I have not heard either in Debussy.

Thibaudet is good in the faster Ravel pieces but not the slower ones; so I'm not sure he would do well in Debussy.

I have a hard time imagining Richter doing Debussy at all. Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, yes, he's great. Debussy?

I don't think so.

steve k · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 02:52 pm »

My favs are by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli on DG. He does both sets of Preludes, Images, Estampes. Michelangeli really brings out the sonority of the piano in Debussy's music. Another great complete works is Werner Haas 4 disc set on Phillips.
steve

S Clark · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 03:57 pm »

Quote from: Magnus_CA on 3 Aug 2008, 10:03 am

Thanks!

Can you recommend ... Sviatoslav Richter?

All that Russian power and angst ... Claire de lune as a military march!

Randy · « **Reply #6 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 04:13 pm »

A disc I am sure to pick up is Vol. 3 of of Debussy's complete works for piano on Chandos. The pianist is Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. There's a rave review in the July issue of Gramophone. To quote:

"Vol. 3 of Bavouzet's superb Debussy cycle links mostly early minatures with the Suite bergamasque and Children's Corner. Once more he turns conventional notions of "impressionism" topsy-turvy, cleansing Debussy of years of dust and accretion and recreating him in every bar in a sparkling and pristine light. Fiercely energized yet superfine, his performances are not for those with confortable drawing-room notions of Debussy and rarely in my experiecnce has a pianist so faultlessly or precisely achieved his aims. . . This could well be the finest and most challenging of all Debussy piano cycles."

http://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Complete-Works-Piano-Vol/dp/B001716IUC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1217780669&sr=1-8

richidoo · « **Reply #7 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 04:55 pm »

I just got the Thibaudet Ravel, it is very fine playing. He is young and powerful vs wise and insightful, but it is not mechanical and immature, there is a lot of insight, humor and wit. It is like a young genius approach to it, like Gould 55 v Gould 81. The downside is London's pathetic compression robs the beauty of that awesome piano sound. Grammophone recently compared recent Ravel recordings, but that's off topic.

I also just got a new reissue of Leon Fleisher's 1958 recording of Debussy's Suite Bergamasque which contains Clair de lune. It is very good, as is all Fleisher stuff, but 1958 recording quality is not great. Hard to believe the same label was recording Kind of Blue and Take Five at this same period.

Leon Fleishers recent recording of Clair de lune by itself on his comeback album "Two Hands" is incredible playing, and the whole album is awesome, as is the sequel "Journey." Some comb filtering distortion on the piano tone, but really nothing bad.

Tyson · « **Reply #8 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 08:50 pm »

Paul Jacobs is probably the best Debussy player I've heard (including Geisking), and in very good sound. Jacobs did not record everything Debussy wrote, but he recorded a lot and it's all amazing. Before Jacobs, to me a lot of Debussy sounded like semi-random keyboard noodling, but Jacobs really can tell a story, or paint a picture, or show a light better than anyone.

topround · « **Reply #9 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 09:02 pm »

I always began my concerts with Debussy.

Randy · « **Reply #10 on:** 3 Aug 2008, 10:18 pm »

If you want to talk Ravel, Bavouzet's renditions of the complete works are superb as well. Read the brilliantly written reviews of the set at Amazon .

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000C4EXA/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk

WmR · « **Reply #11 on:** 6 Aug 2008, 10:50 pm »

http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Sa%C3%ABns-Symphony-Debussy-Escales-Hybrid/dp/B0002TKFGI

This is a MUST have for any collection imo.

The disc is a 'hybrid' so it can be played w/o an SACD player.

However, for a recording that is April 5, 6 1959, you will find it to be absolutely in line with todays state of the art, if not a shade better than most.

harryz · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Feb 2010, 02:39 am »

Gieseking's set has always been the standard, and his early Pearl CD Columbia recordings are wirthout compare. Michelangeli is amazing, and imo Richter's live Carnegie Hall Suite Bergamasque from 1962 is among the greatest records ever made-- that's why the LP trades for $100...

harryz · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 Feb 2010, 02:43 am »

Gieseking's set has always been the standard, and his early Pearl CD Columbia recordings are wirthout compare. Michelangeli is amazing, and imo Richter's live Carnegie Hall Suite Bergamasque from 1962 is among the greatest records ever made-- that's why the LP trades for $100...

Tyson · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Feb 2010, 08:42 pm »

Gieseking was the standard, because his level of excellence was first recorded. But, IMO he's no longer the standard. I think that the things that Bavouzet, Jacobs, and Tharaud are doing easily match, and often surpass, the Gieseking recordings. Of course, Gieseking is Gieseking, and no one will ever "sound" like him, same with Michelangeli, they are both artists of distinction. But the newer recordings also take their place at the top of the heap.

harryz · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Feb 2010, 08:53 pm »

Agreed; deader is not always better. I also like Thiollier. Will have to look for Bauvazet. Tharaud is a wonderful player-- do you have his Bach CD on HMU? Would love to hear his Ravel as well...

Tyson · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Feb 2010, 09:51 pm »

Not any of Tharaud's Bach, but I do have some of his Chopin. He's a player with "soul", and is convincing even when he takes liberties with the score. Not unlike Gieseking and Michelangeli.

Randy · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 Feb 2010, 08:22 pm »

The Debussy set by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, I agree, is outstanding. Another set, maybe just as good, is by Noriko Ogawa on Bis. I listen to both, and both are equally satisfying. Can't miss sets for Debussy on the piano, for sure. I have Bavouzet's complete Ravel as well. It's not as good a recording as his Debussy on Chandos, kind of distant and glassy sounding, but I should listen to it again on my new cdp.

Toon · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Feb 2010, 11:01 am »

Another vote for the Ogawa recordings on BIS - very fine sound too. Equally as good in all respects is Steven Osborne's 2006 recording of the Preludes (both Books on a single disc) on Hyperion ... his Rachmaninov Preludes (2008) are also well worth a listen.

Tyson · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Feb 2010, 07:42 pm »

I will have to check Ogawa out. Is she more dreamy and soft, or more light and forthright in her basic approach?