Debussy: 12 Etudes

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Debussy's Études are really the only set that deserves to be put beside Chopin's. What makes them so special? Like his, they are truly "practice pieces," systematically exploring various aspects of keyboard technique. But at the same time, they are poetic works of art, full of fantasy, charm, and musical invention. Uchida's recording is almost universally regarded as the finest version of these works to appear in modern times. Her playing combines effortless virtuosity with pianistic precision, keeping the music's artistic and pedagogical tendencies in a state of exquisite tension. This disc also established Uchida's claim to be recognized as one of the most interesting and talented pianists now active. You need to hear it. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Reverie
Prelude
Menuet
Clair De Lune
Passepied
Lent (Melancolique Et Doux)
Tres Vite
Prelude
Sarabande
Toccata
Reflets Dans L'eau
Hommage A Rameau
Mouvement
Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
Poissons D'or

Tracks:

Arabesque No.1
Arabesque No.2
Danse Bohemienne
Ballade Slave
Tarantelle Styrienne
Valse Romantique
Mazurka
Nocturne
Danseuses De Delphes
Voiles
Le Vent Dans La Plaine
Les Sons Et Les Parfums
Les Collines D'Anacapri
Des Pas Sur La Neige
Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'Ouest
La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
La Serenade Interrompue
La Cathedrale Engloutie
La Danse De Puck
Minstrels

Tracks:

L'isle Joyeuse
Pagodes
La Soiree Dans Grenade
Jardins Sous La Pluie
D'un Cahier D'esquisses
Morceau De Concours
Masques
Brouillards
Feuilles Mortes
La Puerta Del Vino
Les Fees Sont D'exquises Danseuses
Bruyeres
General Lavine - Eccentric
Les Terraces Des Audiences
Ondine
Hommage A S. Pickwick Esq. PPMPC
Canope
Les Tierces Alternees
Feux D'artifice

Tracks:

Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum
Jimbo's Lullaby
Serenade For The Doll
The Snow Is Dancing
The Little Shepherd
Golliwog's Cake-Walk
Hommage A Haydn
Le Petit Negre
La Plus Que Lente
Berceuse Heroique
Elegie
Page D'album (Piece Pour Le Vetement Du Blesse)
Pour Les Cinq Doigts
Pour Les Tierces
Pour Les Quartes
Pour Les Sixtes
Pour Les Octaves
Pour Les Huit Doigts
Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
Pour Les Agrements
Pour Les Notes Repetees
Pour Les Sonoritees Opposees
Pour Les Arpeges Composes
Pour Les Accords

Customer Reviews:

Debussy with a difference!.......2007-03-10

Do not let the dismissive review below make you dismiss this amazing and breath taking complete set. Like his Scriabin recordings, Gordon Fergus-Thompson works wonder with the well known piece like Clair de Lune, Arabesque and Reverie, and breathes new life into the music by his keen sense of tonal colours and delicacy. When it comes to impressionist music, no pianists can match Richter, who played Clair de Lune, Pavane or miroirs like a miracle, but Fergus-Thompson creats his own unique soundscape.

He is one of very few pianists alive who pay careful attention to how a note produced on the instrument decays and merges with other notes, while most of pianist nowadays focus mostly on starting point of the sound. That's a secret of the richness of colours and expression in his pianism.

He is often criticised for lack of technical prowess, compared to past masters like Gieseking or Michelangeli, but I can not detect even a hint of technical weakness or instability in this set. This is simply a different and highly personal interpretation, and it is a shame to miss out this magical music making simply because it is different from the mainstream interpretation.

One Star for Charity's Sake.......2007-03-01

Avoid this set!!! The man is a gifted pianist but has no understanding on how to interpret the music. This is the nadir of all the Debussy piano sets. With Walter Gieseking's superlative set available why would you want dog food when you can eat supreme cuisine!!!

Beautifully interpreted.......2007-02-13

Gordon Fergus-Thompson does an amazing job of playing and interpreting Debussy's music. I have been playing piano for years--especially Debussy--and this CD really captures the essence of the music. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Complete Debussy.......2006-12-13

These recordings are some of the highest quality Debussy you'll find. There is a freedom that comes across in Fergus-Thompson's playing that you won't find in other so-called great recordings. Instead of trying to sound "Debussy-like", the music is played naturally while maintaining accuracy and original intent of the composer. Recording quality is up to date. Box set is 4 discs, with the body nicely separated into larger works with dates included.

Average customer rating:

rather dry and unevocative playing
Van Cliburn at his best.
Cliburn's Debussy and Ravel
Romantic Impressions

Van Cliburn - My Favorite Debussy

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Van Cliburn: My Favorite Rachmaninoff
My Favorite Chopin
My Favorite Brahms
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The World's Favorite Piano Music

ASIN: B00002JXEM
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Douze Etudes, Book I, No. 5: Etude In Octaves
Douze Preludes, Book II, No. 7: The Terrace For Moonlight Audiences
Suite Bergamasque, No. 3: Clair de lune
La plus que lente
Estampes, No. 3: Gardens In The Rain
Reverie
Images, Set I, No. 1: Reflections In The Water
Douze Preludes, Book II, No. 12: Fireworks
Douze Preludes, Book I, No. 8: The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Estampes, No. 2: Evening In Grenada
The Isle Of Joy
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 6: Toccata

Customer Reviews:

rather dry and unevocative playing.......2006-10-04

I feel that Debussy's music requires a very sensitive and free (lots of "rubato") approach that I do not find in Van Cliburn's performances. Unfortunately, I rarely hear a Debussy performance that really sounds "Impressionistic," so perhaps I am expecting too much. But, I can listen to this entire CD and feel that I have not yet heard a single note of Debussy. It is not mysterious, sensitive, and evocative enough for my taste.

Van Cliburn at his best........2006-03-17

As a lover of Debussy's music, I've had a hard time finding recordings that I liked, or that I thought did justice to his work. This album, for me, stands above the rest. Mr. Cliburn gives the best performance of "Clair de Lune" I've ever heard (which is the piece most people will recognize). Others that stood out for me were "Reverie" and "Reflections In the Water." This is a first-class album. It sounds wonderful, with breathtaking performances by a true virtuosic genius.

Cliburn's Debussy and Ravel.......2001-08-20

This beautiful and transporting CD is a "rainy day" favorite of mine. Van Cliburn has created a gorgeous, shimmering watercolor for his listeners' ears. In May of 1998, I heard Maestro Cliburn play many of these works in recital. The two hour recital was sold out and I don't recall hearing a single cough, a rustle of paper or squeak of a chair - we were all completely riveted, completely absorbed in the mood and the music. Maestro Cliburn's gossamer arpeggios in "Reflets dan l'eau" are so liquid, so seamless, one envisions water rippling on a stream; and his sensitive and melancholy "Girl with the Flaxen Hair" is the most beautiful and heart-felt interpretation of this piece that I have heard. Mr. Cliburn makes these pieces look absolutely effortless, yet they are among the most difficult in piano repertoire. I look upon each of these tracks as a mini-masterpiece. No one plays the Impressionists with the sensitivity, the poetry of Van Cliburn. Although the overall mood is one of melancholy, Cliburn never lets the music become too sweet. In fact, just as Maestro Cliburn's beautiful music lulls one into a sleepy reverie, his powerful and spine-chilling keyboard run in Debussy's "Fireworks" catapults one right of it - a playful "Gotcha!" from one of the truly Great Pianists.

Romantic Impressions.......2000-08-01

When one thinks of Van Cliburn one usually thinks of the power of Rachmaninoff or Tchaikovsky. Fortunately, this beautifully remasterd collection of impressionistic pieces from Debussy and Ravel done in the 1970's gives us a look at a different side of his virtuosity. The power is there but tempered in a beautiful way. The dynamics are more sensitive than I have heard before and so I'm hearing new views of this music. I purchased this out of curiosity, and the music is not my favorite, but it is wonderfully executed and not cloying as these pieces are sometimes played. I would highly recommend this recording.

Average customer rating:

ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST

Debussy: 12 Etudes

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes
Bartók: Sonata for Two Pianos & Percussion/Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn for 2 Pianos, Op. 56b
Mozart: Piano Concertos 17 & 20
Bach: The Landowska Recordings

ASIN: B000E8N7Q2
Release Date: 2006-07-04

Tracks:

I. Pour Les 'Cinq Doigts' D'apres Monsieur Czerny
II. Pour Les Tirces
III. Pour Les Quartes
IV. Pour Les Sixtes
V. Pour Les Octaves
VI. Pour Les Hits Doigts
VII. Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
VIII. Pour Les Agrements
IX. Pour Les Notes Repetees
X. Pour Les Sonorites Opposees
XI. Pour Les Arpeges Composees
XII. Pour Les Accords

Customer Reviews:

ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST.......2006-12-31

Debussy attached no picturesque captions to his etudes. Each of the 12 has only a functional description from him - thirds, octaves, repeated notes and so forth. Even the phrases he attached to his preludes (at the end of each piece, be it remembered, not as titles) don't seem to me to define the pieces (except for the one called `alternate thirds'). Debussy's piano music always sounds to me to be largely abstract in inspiration, and when it comes to his last set of pieces, the 12 etudes, he is not even pretending otherwise. To my ears, this is the greatest of his piano music, and it will stand with the greatest of anyone's.

It is also the most difficult to play, purely at the technical level. When the works are avowedly `studies' what would you expect? I once took encouragement from a remark in Arthur Hedley's book on Chopin to the effect that there is no difficulty in Chopin's other work that is not prepared for in the studies. Only after I bought the studies did I realise that this really meant that if you could play those you could play anything else. What is Brahms's most difficult work for piano solo? Most competent pianists will tell you `The Paganini Variations', subtitled, of course, `studies'. So too with Debussy, and this view colours my idea of how these works should be played. They will not sound as if they stretch a player with enough technique, but they ought to be made to sound daunting for most of us, and that convinces me that Uchida's interpretation is the right one in all essentials. She takes a highlighted approach, with the more spectacular effects played up. I find her tempi to be reasonable implementations of the composer's markings, which are clear enough except in the second study - what in all the world is `moderato, ma non troppo'? Uchida takes a fastish speed, and so would I have if I could play the piece. Where the prescribed speed is slow without qualification, as in the `sixths' piece, that is how she does it, and I find her memorable in the great `pour les Agrements', expressing fine solemnity as it ends.

Uchida's tone-colouring is vivid without being overdone for my own taste, and the compass of her volume is surely about right for music of this period and of this style -- not as in Rachmaninov but with a good strong tone when the composer asks for that, and also the faint and remote pianissimo that is so central to Debussy's expression. Whatever one thinks about her fast speeds here and there, she does not set any records for high coloration in the tone. We have all long been used to the way Michelangeli handles the first book of the preludes, and Uchida is not trying to emulate that.

Comparisons might be more important if these great compositions were better known than they seem to be. I can't account for their neglect except to admit that I have been guilty of ignoring them too. When a range of top-flight interpretations, such as we are accustomed to throughout the major piano repertory, is available that will be the time to take a microscope to Uchida's version and give fine and minute weighting to the details. For the time being I shall just say that I consider this a major set of renderings, one that is likely to stand comparison with anything else that may be coming along. The sound dates originally from 1990, and it does not interfere with my appreciation of the subtlety of touch that matters almost more in Debussy than in any other composer for the piano. The English liner-note is by the ever-dependable Misha Donat, and I have not bothered to read the French offering or its translation into German. Donat predictably shows insight into this marvellous music, Uchida shows the same where it matters more, I shall work to catch up with them as best I can and I urge everyone else to do likewise.

Average customer rating:

WOW
From the Keyboard
From the Top, and from the heart.
Michael Hawley

Christopher O'Riley At The Break

Manufacturer: From the Top
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Musettes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Release Date: 2001-10-01

Tracks:

Guastavino: Cantilena, No. 4
Rachmaninoff: Etude-Tableau in D Major, Op. 39, No. 9
Rameau: Le Rappel des Oiseaux
Rachmaninoff: Daisies, Op. 38, No. 3
Delibes-ORiley: "Viens, Mallika!" from Lakme
Rachmaninoff: Etude-Tableau in f#-minor, Op. 39, No. 3
Chopin: Prelude in F# Major, Op. 28, No. 13
Debussy: La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
Rameau: La Villageoise
Davies: Farewell to Stromness
Severac Ou L'on Entend Une Vielle Boite A Musique
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G Major, Op. 32, No. 5
Milhaud: Corcovado
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in c minor, Op. 23, No. 7
Rachmaninoff: Lilacs Op. 21, No. 5
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in g# minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in D Major, Op. 23, No. 4
Rameau: Musette En Rondeau
Mozart: Gigue in G Major, K. 574
Rameau: Rigaudons 1 & 2
Rameau: Tambourin
Guastavino: Mariana
Prokofiev Masquers
Schumann: Zart Und Singend from "Davidsbundlertanze" Op. 6
Chopin: Mazurka in e-flat minor, Op. 6, No. 4
Bartok: Finale, Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Dances
Chopin: Prelude in d minor, Op. 28, No. 24
Poulenc: Babar et Celeste
Guaraldi: Christmastime is Here

Album Description

"Christopher O'Riley At the Break" is the new compact disc by the renowned concert pianist and host of "From the Top," the hit public radio showcase for America's best pre-collegiate classical musicians.

This collection of 29 works for solo piano is a compilation of pieces O'Riley played on "From the Top," which is heard on more than 200 radio stations nationwide. These pieces were performed at the mid-point of the broadcasts, a required break of approximately 2 minutes during which many stations insert locally generated announcements.

According to Chris O'Riley, "It depends on one's local station, and its own use of `the breaks.' This collection serves as a fondly renewed acquaintance with some favorites of mine as well as some pieces a bit further off the beaten path. For other listeners, this is a great group of exquisite miniatures - a premiere entree into many new worlds."

From the Top is a creation of Concert Productions, Inc. in association with WGBH Radio Boston and New England Conservatory, its home and educational partner. Public Radio International distributes the program. From the Top receives support from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, as well as individuals, foundations and corporations.

Customer Reviews:

WOW.......2002-09-01

As a fan of From the Top, and a young classical singer myself...I adore Chris O'Riley and his fabulous piano playing. Each work is played with emotion and meticulous care, creating a truly wonderful listening experience!

I highly recommend this sparkling disk to any fan of From the Top, or those who just enjoy classical music! Purchase today!~Bravo

From the Keyboard.......2002-03-09

Fans of NPR's popular show "From the Top," a showcase for young classical musicians, will recognize Chris O'Riley as the show's fun loving host. Thanks in no small part to O'Riley's easygoing way with kids and his fine accompaniments, the show not only presents good music, but manages to be playful and funny as well. This collection of 29 piano pieces are taken from those O'Riley plays during the mid-program break on the show, and demonstrate the depth and range of his talent. Included with the CD information are short notes by O'Riley in which he describes his connection to each piece and what he is trying to accomplish when he plays it. Particular favorites of mine include Guastavino's Cantilena, No. 4, Rachmanioff's Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5 and Rameau's Tambourin. However, fans of Chopin, Debussy, Prokfiev and Mozart will also find something to satisfy. This is a CD that I will be returning to again and again

From the Top, and from the heart........2002-01-26

Gorgeous music beautifully played. This is a wonderfully eclectic set of pieces, some familiar, many rare, all of them played with warmth and personality. I love Christopher's eclectic tastes. The Guastavino pieces were new to me, and they're gems. The Rameau is exquisitely played. The Rachmaninoff is familiar, but it's awfully nice to hear it played with a fresh personal feeling. Pieces like the Milhaud, or Poulenc's "Babar and Celeste", or O'Riley's own transcription of the Delibes, or Maxwell-Davies' "Stromness" -- all of them are wonderfully evocative. The program notes are every bit as thoughtful and engaging as you'd expect given such a marvellous selection and such stylish playing.

There are some real treasures here. And you might also enjoy "From the Top," the public radio show O'Riley hosts. Best thing to happen to music since Bernstein's Young Person's concerts.

MJH

Michael Hawley.......2002-01-26

This truly is a collection of gems, both in the selection and in the playing. Christopher O'Riley has wonderful eclectic taste, a beautifully lyric style, and a knack for finding out of the way and not-yet-known treasures (and putting new luster on the regular old treasures!). The pianism is exquisite: beautiful touches in the Rameau, and especially in the delicate Rachmaninoff pieces. Several of the pieces, like the Guastavino (which are fabulous) and Davies' "Farewell to Stromness" (wonderfully evocative of those tough, remote Scottish isles), and his own arrangement of that beautiful Delibes -- these were very happy discoveries for me.

All of these little pieces (though some are not so little!) are full of love and life. The thoughtful program notes were appreciated and enjoyed as well. The sound is great.

It's a wonderful CD. Buy it. And listen to the radio show, too: FROM THE TOP. Best thing to happen to music since Bernstein's Young People's concerts.

Tracks:

1. Danseuses De Delphes
2. Voiles
3. Le Vent Dans La Plaine
4. Les Sons Et Les Parfums Tournent Dans L'Air Du Soir
5. Les Collines D'Anacapri
6. Des Pas Sur La Neige
7. Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'Ouest
8. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
9. La Serenade Interrompue
10. La Cathedrale Engloutie
11. Danse De Puck
12. Minstrels
1. Brouillards
2. Feuilles Mortes
3. La Puerta Del Vino
4. Les Fees Sont D'Exquises Danseuses
5. Bruyeres
6. General Lavine (Eccentric)
7. La Terrasse Des Audiences Au Clair De Lune
8. Ondine
9. Hommage A S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C.
10. Canope
12. Feux D'Artifice

Tracks:

1. Reflets Dans L'eau
2. Hommage A Rameau
3. Mouvement
1. Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
2. Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
3. Poissons D'or
Reverie
1. Andantino
2. Allegretto Scherzando
La Plus Que Lente, Valse
1. Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
2. Pour Les Agrements
4. Pour Les Sonorites Opposees
5. Pour Les Arpeges Composes
6. Pour Les Accords
Masques
L'Isle Joyeuse
Berceuse Heroique

Tracks:

1. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
3. Serenade For The Doll
4. The Snow Is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwogg's Cake-Walk
1. Pagodes
2. La Soiree Dans Grenade
3. Jardins Sous La Pluie
1. Prelude
2. Menuet
3. Clair De Lune
4. Passepied
1. Prelude
2. Sarabande
3. Toccata

Tracks:

1. Allegramente
2. Adagio Assai
3. Presto
Lento/Allegro
1. Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant - Pierre Barbizet
2. Petit Poucet - Pierre Barbizet
3. Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes - Pierre Barbizet
4. Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete - Pierre Barbizet
5. Le Jardin Feerique - Pierre Barbizet

Tracks:

Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
1. Modere, Tres Franc
2. Assez Lent
3. Modere
4. Assez Anime
5. Presque Lent
6. Vif
7. Moins Vif
8. Epilogue: Lent
Prelude
Jeux D'Eau
Menuet Sur Le Nom D'Haydn
1. Noctuelles
2. Oiseaux Tristes
3. Une barque Sur L'Ocean
4. Alborada Del Gracioso
5. La Vallee Des Cloches
Emmanuel Chabrier (Paraphrase Sur Un Air De Gounod)
Borodine

Tracks:

1. Ondine
2. Le Gibet
3. Scarbo
1. Modere
2. Mouvement De Menuet
3. Anime
1. Prelude
2. Fugue
3. Forlane
4. Riguadon
5. Menuet
6. Toccata
Menuet Antique

Customer Reviews:

great pianist!!!!.......2007-02-16

samson was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century his debussy was sublime and his color palete to impresionism is unsurpassed. could someone tell me if these recordings of his debussy are the stereo ones

Yesterday Francois would be celebrating his eighty-two anniversary .......2006-05-19

Samson Francois figure has evidenced slow but increasing enhancement through the years. His notable pianism, aristocratic approach and refined phrasing are some of his virtues.

If you still do not know about this legendary artist, no itý s the time for you to convince by yourself about the supreme level occupied by him.

When he left us in 1970 at his 46, he had so much to give. The musical world remained legitimately orphan and much more vile since his premature death.

But, fortunately his legacy will live among us, every time you listen any record you acquire of this peerless musician.

His Ravel is loaded not only of notable, sensual and asserive expressiveness. If you know about some other performance able to equal his Gaspard de la nuit, please, be my guest.

His Debussy is sober, eloquent with Impresionist flair and sublime musicality.

A true artistic and a fundamental treasure in your collection.

Average customer rating:

Mainly for pianophiles
staggering artistic insight
Wished I'd liked it more
Water on the bottom side of a bowl...
DEBUSSY THE ALCHEMIST

Debussy: 12 Etudes

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Mozart: Piano Concertos 17 & 20
Bach: The Landowska Recordings
Mozart: Serenate Notturne; Eine kleine Nachtmusik

ASIN: B00000410F
Release Date: 1990-02-05

Tracks:

Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les 'cinq doigts' (d'apres Monsieur Czerny)
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Tierces
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Quartes
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Sixtes
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Octaves
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les huit doigts
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Degres chromatiques
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Agrements
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Notes repetees
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Sonorites opposees
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Arpeges composes
Douze Etudes pour Piano: Pour les Accords

Amazon.com essential recording

Debussy's Études are really the only set that deserves to be put beside Chopin's. What makes them so special? Like his, they are truly "practice pieces," systematically exploring various aspects of keyboard technique. But at the same time, they are poetic works of art, full of fantasy, charm, and musical invention. Uchida's recording is almost universally regarded as the finest version of these works to appear in modern times. Her playing combines effortless virtuosity with pianistic precision, keeping the music's artistic and pedagogical tendencies in a state of exquisite tension. This disc also established Uchida's claim to be recognized as one of the most interesting and talented pianists now active. You need to hear it. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Mainly for pianophiles .......2006-03-12

Just to add a caveat to the other reviews for the novice listener exploring Debussy's solo piano music ... If you have seen the many music-press accolades for this "landmark" recording (Penguin 'Rosette' etc) but are newer to Debussy's music, this may not be the best place to start. Debussy composed these works late in life to leave a "framework" of the new musical sounds and techniques he pioneered. For those not familiar with French, "Etude" refers to a lesson or educational excersise. Thus, the structure and intent here is pedagogic and not as much to paint those famous "impressionistic soundscapes" as in much of Debussy's music. As a result, this collection of 12 "lessons" will appeal more to the pianophile, student or true Debussy fan.

Mitsuko Uchida plays these pieces with a seamless precision and crystalline clarity, employing impressive velocity of passage work. Her sound is enhanced too by a brilliant Phillips' engineering session. Whether her readings here are considered "overdriven" will depend on how you think the music should best be played. Regardless, its hard not be amazed with her playing here. Additionally, her dynamic range is wide (pp-ff) which might not appeal to the casual listener not familiar with this music. I cannot say I enjoyed this music as much as the other Debussy recordings in my collection. The Etudes are less "accessible" compared to his other piano works and tends to need more study to fully appreciate perhaps (hence, "Etude"). So, those newer to Debussy and looking for those dreamy, "atmospheric" washes of chromatic colour should consider his Images (Book 1,2), Etampes and Preludes instead. There are many fine recordings of these - but Paul Jacobs' famous sets would be one solid, affordable choice.

staggering artistic insight.......2004-06-11

Mitsuko Uchida plays with customary grace and poetry, and as usual her artistic insights are always original, always challenging, but never indifferent.
I had known about the etudes and how they were written in Debussy's so called late compositional style and was intrigued to listen to them, knowing their influence to Messaein, Boulez, Stockhausen, et al.
His style here is more sinuous than early Debussy. Debussy in these pieces is, for me, akin to Mozart or Ravel in the clarity of his expression. The consision of these pieces is delightful. Each idea is concentrated, a perfect idea in itself, which is moulded, shaped and developed by Debussy in the most fascinating and awe inspiring way. His technique here is masterful, each idea at the same time seems inevitable upon repeated hearing, yet utterly spontaneous. The suprise of the music, is always enlightening.
One can see how Debussy was actually one of the twentieth century's great musical revolutionaries, in some ways the most radical. One can hear Gamelan in the rich,absorbing ambience and sonority of "pour les sonorites opposees", irony and paradox in "pour les "cingt doigts" d'apres Monsieur Czerny", introspection and meditation in "pour les Quartes" and so on. Each piece is a musical world, unique in its own, and after a few months, different experiences will immediately cause some of the etudes to flood back instinctively and wrap you around their spellbinding universe.
Mitsuko Uchida's representation of this unlimited universe is always sensitive, and critically performed. She has humour, sometimes this may be too controlled, and she has a wizadry over a unique tonal spectrum.
This is one of those cd's in which you are swept away by music of the most sublime and infernal passion. One is aware of a seamless traversal of a mysterious and great musical legacy.
These pieces definitely have an interesting relationship with the listener. One thinks that they understand them, until again one hears a chord, or nuance not usually absorbed and once more one has to explore this magical universe.
They evolve therefore, in the mind, like opinions, and metamorphose during reflection after listening.

It would be wonderful if the listener could experience the same experience I have with this cd, it is well worth buying!

Wished I'd liked it more.......2002-01-30

I'm not particularly fond of Debussy, but on the other hand I really enjoy Uchida's playing. Her Schubert albums are delights -- very expressive and tender while at the same time never losing the power of the Sonatas or the Impromptus. Her Mozart sonatas, also, are expressive but also very detailed, very beautiful. So I expected that this Debussy album would take what I like least about Debussy and minimize it. In some cases, Uchida accomplishes this, tempering Debussy's material so that the discords are minimized, the sloppiness glossed over. But on the other hand, like another reviewer here has noted, she seems to rush through many of these etudes. There is no savoring, no expressing. Instead, I sense that she's in a hurry to get these done and out of the way, particularly the first four. Afterwards, in the middle of the set, things are toned down and more sedate, but towards the end, the rush is on again. I've heard the etudes played more stylishly by the lesser known Martin Jones. I was happier with his versions, although here and there in this album, Uchida's style does shine so that the album isn't entirely displeasing.

Water on the bottom side of a bowl..........2001-04-23

Uchida's performance resembles water poured on the bottom side of a bowl: instead of the music coalescing into coherent sound, it is rapidly driven to ridiculous extremes. The performance is frenetic, almost vulgar, in its unrestrained variation in tempo and dynamics---I hear none of the carefully weighted precision, poetic restraint, and sensitivity which defines Debussy's music. It sounds as though the music is being used as a showcase to display Uchida's overbearing virtuosity and fiery bravura. This makes listening to this CD more like a trip to the circus than an authentic musical experience. Perhaps her talents would be suited to a more theatrical and romantic composer, for instance Listz. I wish I could recommend this CD, as the Etudes are extremely beautiful and quite under appreciated. However, I came away from it feeling as though Uchida was more in love with the impressive movement of her fingers than with the sound of the music itself.

DEBUSSY THE ALCHEMIST.......2000-07-21

Hardly the most popular of Debussy's music for piano, these 12 Etudes, his last compositions for the instrument, are the very essence and substance of his art. Everything Debussy ever composed for the piano is literally "distilled" in twelve "studies" that, like magic, form a magnificent primer enabling us to unlock his artistic psyche and gaze even more deeply than ever before into his genius. Each etude is a "key." Music like this, which has virtually languished unrecorded for the most part, aside from "complete" collections of Debussy's piano works, we listen to now, anew, awed, enlightened, humbled. Uchida's performance is nothing less than incredible. Under her fingers, these neglected pieces jump to life, vital and telling, moody and nostalgic. Her musical understanding of these works is so penetrating she melds with Debussy... and, then, resurrects him. It's impossible to listen to these 12 Etudes and deny feeling the tangible "presence" of the composer. This is thrilling, wondrous, utterly captivating pianism fully realized by the Philips engineers.

[Running time: 47:12]

Average customer rating:

Soul Food
Absolutely wonderful

My Favorite Encores

Manufacturer: RCA
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003F3H
Release Date: 1991-05-10

Tracks:

Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31
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Etude, Op. 4, No. 3
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Customer Reviews:

Soul Food.......2003-10-03

This collection is simply delicious! It is no less than food for the soul. Van Cliburn is my favorite pianist for the sheer fact that he does not get in the way of the performance. Cliburn plays the music as it was intended to be heard. Never too fast or too slow, Cliburn seems to be in tune with the timing of the Gods! Chopin has never been played more beautifully. Chopin's music requires sensitivity to each and every note. So often a pianist will rush through Chopin as if he were a jockey at the Kentucky Derby; not Cliburn. Cliburn caresses each note and brings out the subtle and sublime harmonies that Chopin composed. We are fortunate to have the recordings of Van Cliburn and esspecially his Chopin and Debussy. Treat yourself to this soul satisfying gift!

Absolutely wonderful.......2000-04-12

This features some of the most beautiful songs played by the one of the best pianists in the world. Van Cliburn clearly enjoys and loves playing these pieces. There is a wide spectrum of "classical music" played from Scriabin to Chopin. I definietly recommend this CD to anyone who appreciates fine music and outstanding performances.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Debussy · images, études ~ complete works for piano, vol. 2

Average customer rating:

Superior recordings and performances
BEAUTIFUL
Evocative and mesmerizing if a little distorted in places
Mesmerising and musically imaginative performances

Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Debussy · images, études ~ complete works for piano, vol. 2

Manufacturer: Decca
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ASIN: B00004SDRF
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

Images - Serie I
Images - Serie I
Images - Serie I
Images - Serie II
Images - Serie II
Images - Serie II
Le Petit Negre
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
La plus que lente
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Ballade
Danse (Tarantelle styrienne)
Mazurka

Tracks:

Suite bergamesque
Suite bergamesque
Suite bergamesque
Suite bergamesque
Hommage a Haydn
Elegie
Berceuse heroique
page d'album
Etudes - Livre I
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etude retrouvee

Amazon.com

Jean-Yves Thibaudet is not a pianist to be pigeonholed. Alongside the recordings of his fellow countrymen Debussy and Ravel, he has recorded a tribute to a jazz giant, Conversations with Bill Evans, and he plays on the soundtrack of the film Portrait of a Lady. Perhaps this catholic approach accounts for the freshness of his Debussy playing. Not for him the "stick the pedal down and make an impressionistic wash of sound" approach. His playing is clean and refreshing without losing any of the voluptuous sensuality of Debussy at his most beguiling. There are lollipops to be found among the extensive repertory on these two discs, including the celebrated "Clair de Lune" from the Suite Bergamasque and the "Golliwogg's Cake-Walk" from Children's Corner. The mainstay of the release is the two sets of Images and the two books of Études, 12 studies whose demands are not for the faint of heart. Luckily for us, Thibaudet's heart is strong. He offers virtuosic, thoughtful performances of pieces that, while written to help develop pianists' technique, stand up magnificently as music to be listened to. --Keith Clarke

Customer Reviews:

Superior recordings and performances.......2005-09-18

The Penguin Guide to CDs and DVDs has Thibaudet's sets of the complete Debussy solo piano music at the top of the digital recordings, and this is certainly high quality.

We have several recordings of the Preludes and some other works, but there is nothing to come close to Thibaudet for great performances and superior recording quality.

The liner notes are very helpful, and in the first set you get different articles in English, French, German and Italian. Great if you are multilingual, but only of marginal interest to me. The second set has one article and translations, not separate articles.

Well worth purchasing.

BEAUTIFUL.......2002-11-17

AAAAAH Beautiful This guy is awesome. He is the first piano player with whom I experienced Debussy's work.I am happy with this cd.

Evocative and mesmerizing if a little distorted in places.......2001-04-21

I shall try to be as brief as possible. My standards in Debussy are Alfred Cortot and Walter Gieseking, but unfortunately they didn't record everything and the sound of their recordings is getting a little dated. I own Cortot's recordings of Debussy songs with Maggie Teyte and Gieseking's recordings of the Preludes, but was looking for good modern recordings of "La plus que lente," "Suite Bergamesque," "Images" and the "Children's Corner Suite." After listening to excerpts on the Amazon site, I bought this recording.

Thibaudet has a gorgeous tone and touch. His musical styling, however, is sometimes accurate, sometimes phlegmatic. He plays the Song of the Doll in "Children's Corner" a little too fast, and in both "Golliwog's Cakewalk" and "Clair de lune" he employs an odd sort of rubato that seems to add a half-beat to certain measures. (In these pieces I know because I used to play them). Despite these quirks, however, his playing has charm, color and a dashing technique reminiscent of Gieseking. The reason I only gave this set 4 stars instead of 5 is because the Etudes are trashy music, mere technical exercises without any redeeming (to me) musical value. If you feel differently, however, I suppose you will rate this as a 5-star album, but to me it was a half-hour of listening time totally wasted. Otherwise, a beautiful album that you will listen to again and again.

Mesmerising and musically imaginative performances.......2000-06-30

Jean-Yves Thibaudet may not be the ideal pianist for every kind of music that he plays. His Rachmaninoff is disappointingly tepid and his Chopin uninteresting. His Liszt recordings, while being technically assured, often lacks a sense of abandon and frisson (or should I say "showmanship") which, in my view, is an indispensable element in that kind of music, and his Schubert (as heard in the soundtrack for ) sounds contrived and mannered.

However, he is definitely a force to be reckoned with in his native French repertoire, as shown by his marvellous traversal of Ravel's piano pieces in 1992, a set which has won lots of accolades and unanimous praise from critics. He then embarked on a project to record all the solo piano works of Debussy and, in 1996, released the first instalment thereof, a 2-CD set which includes the Preludes, Estampes and Pour le piano. While these recordings aren't able to efface one's memory of the legendary recordings of Walter Gieseking, they're convincing interpretations which further confirm Thibaudet's stature in this repertoire.

Decca has now released the 2nd (and concluding) volume of Debussy's solo piano pieces with Thibaudet, and the results are, if anything, even better. As Thibaudet employs the pedal comparatively sparingly, he doesn't perhaps command the magically luminous and shimmering tone which is the hallmark of Gieseking's Debussy recordings (as can be heard in a 4-CD set released by EMI). Nevertheless, Thibaudet offers here an extraordinary wide range of tonal colours (mostly achieved by the pianist's fingers alone, and is therefore no less impressive from a technical perspective), as well as great sensitivity in phrasing and tempo adjustments that always sound natural and even enchanting while at the same time bringing out the music's many possibilities. Besides, in certain instances (for example in some of the pieces in Children's Corner and the Valse romantique), there exist a degree of charm, wit and sarcastic humour which are mostly absent in Gieseking's recordings of the same pieces.

Thibaudet's performance of the Images is mesmerising. His reading is wonderfully evocative and deeply atmospheric and his tonal gradations and sense of control are both cause for marvel. Under Thibaudet's crisp fingers and sensitive hands, the Etudes are not merely virtuosic pieces composed in an innovative idiom, but are also subtly expressive and musically imaginative vignettes, making one wonder why these gems of the keyboard aren't being performed (and recorded) more often. Indeed, such is the standard of the performances here that, besides some faster than average tempo choices for a few of the pieces (which, however, still sound convincing even if they may not actually be sanctioned by Debussy's markings in the relevant scores), this reviewer has hardly any reservation throughout the 151 minutes of music on offer in this 2-CD set. In fact, the recordings, which are well supported by the Decca engineers, are so musically fascinating and tonally alluring that this reviewer was immediately transported to a trance like state when listening to them for the very first time! This, surely, is one of the most enjoyable new piano releases that have come out in the past few years.

Tracks:

Prdes Book I: I. Danseuses de Delphes (Lent et grave) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: II. Voiles (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: III. Le vent dans Ia plaine (Anim- Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: IV. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: V. Les collines d'Anacapri (Trmod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: VI. Des pas sur la neige (Triste et lent) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: VII. Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest (Animt tumultueux) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin (Trcalme et doucement expressif) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: IX. La snade interrompue (Modment anim- Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: X. La cathale engloutie (Profondnt calme) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: Xl. La danse de Puck (Capricieux et lr) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book I: XII. Minstrels (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: I. Brouillards (Mod) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: II. Feuilles mortes (Lent et mncolique) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: III. La Puerta del Vino (Mouvement de Habanera) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: IV. Les f sont d'exquises danseuses (Rapide et lr) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: V. Bruys (Calme) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: VI. General Lavine - eccentric (Dans le style et le mouvement d'un Cakewalk) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: VII. Le terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (Lent) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: VIII. Ondine (Scherzando) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: IX. Hommage . Pickwick, Esq., P.P.M.P.C. (Grave) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: X. Canope (Trcalme et doucement triste) - Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: XI. Les tierces altern (Modment anim- Walter Gieseking
Prdes Book II: XlI. Feux d'artifice (Modment anim- Walter Gieseking

Tracks:

Pour le piano: I. Prde (Assez anime et tres rythme) - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: II. Sarabande (Aved une elegance grave et lente) - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: III. Toccata (Vif) - C. Debussy
Estampes: I. Pagodes (Moderement anime) - C. Debussy
Estampes: II. La soirdans Grenade (Mouvement de Habanera) - C. Debussy
Estampes: III. Jardins sous la pluie (Net et vif) - C. Debussy
Images, Set I: I. Reflets dans l'eau (Andantino molto) - C. Debussy
Images, Set I: II. Hommage ameau (Lent et grave) - C. Debussy
Images, Set I: III. Mouvement (Anime) - C. Debussy
Images, Set II: I. Cloches ravers les feuilles (Lent) - C. Debussy
Images, Set II: II. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (Lent) - C. Debussy
Images, Set II: III. Poissons d'or (Anime) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Moderement anime) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: II. Jimbo's Lullaby (Assez modere) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: III. Serenade for the Doll (Allegretto ma non troppo) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: IV. The Snow is Dancing (Moderement anime) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: X. The Little Shepherd (Tres modere) - C. Debussy
Children's Corner: VI. Golliwogg's Cakewalk (Allegro giusto) - C. Debussy

Tracks:

12 Etudes: I. Pour les cinq doigts (d'apres Monsieur Czerny) (Sagement) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: II. Pour les tierces (Moderato, ma non troppo) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: III. Pour les quartes (Andantino com moto) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: IV. Pour les sixtes (Lento) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: V. Pour les octaves (Joyeaux et emporte, librement rythme) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: VI. Pour les huit doigts (Vivamente, molto leggiero e legato) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: VII. Pour les degrchromatiques (Scherzando, animato assai) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: VIII. Pour les agrnts (Lento, rubato e leggiero) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: IX. Pour les notes rt (Scherzando) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: X. Pour les sonoritoppos (Modere, sans lenteur) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: XI. Pour les arps compos(Dolce e lusingando) - C. Debussy
12 Etudes: XI. Pour les accords (Dedide, rythme, sans lourdeur) - C. Debussy
Masques (Tres vif et fantasque) - C. Debussy
D'un cahier d'esquisses (Tres lent-sans rigueur) - C. Debussy
L'Isle joyeuse (Quasi una cadenza - Tempo : Modere et tres souple) - C. Debussy
La plus que lente (Lent - Molto rubato con morbidezza) - C. Debussy
Le petit negre (Cakewalk. Allegro giusto) - C. Debussy
Berceuse heroique (Modere - sans lenteur) - C. Debussy
Hommage aydn (Mouvement de Valse lente) - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Suite Bergamasque: I. Prde (Moderato - tempo rubato) - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: II. Meneut (Andantino) - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: III. Clair de lune (Andante tres expressif) - C. Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: IV. Passepied (Allegretto ma non troppo) - C. Debussy
Danse bohenne (Allegro) - C. Debussy
Rrie (Andantino sans lenteur) - C. Debussy
Mazurka (Scherzando - assez anime) - C. Debussy
Valse romantique (Tempo di valse - Allegro moderato) - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: I. Andantino con moto - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: II. Allegretto scherzando - C. Debussy
Nocturne en re bemol majeur - in D flat - Des-dur - C. Debussy
Danse (Tarentelle styrienne) (Allegretto) - C. Debussy
Ballade (Andantino con moto) - C. Debussy
Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra: I. Andante - Allegro - C. Debussy
Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra: II. Lento e molto espressivo- - C. Debussy
Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra: III. Allegro molto - C. Debussy

Amazon.com essential recording

These classic performances belong in the collection of anyone who cares about Debussy's piano music. Walter Gieseking's career was a troubled one--his pandering to the Nazi party cast a shadow over his last years, but the greatest irony of all was that this German nationalist turned out to be the greatest exponent of French music of his era. His Debussy playing marries an effortlessly subtle control of the keyboard to a real sense of fantasy. The music truly shimmers in his hands, and despite the limited range of the mono recording, the ear quickly adjusts. This is, in short, one of those classic recordings that critics and music lovers have enjoyed for nearly 50 years. So should you. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Happy to be the first 1 star........2007-07-14

I should probably qualify my distate for these albums by saying that, like many piano players I don't particularly care for, the playing is not bad, is in fact even fine, but I can't stand the style; the recording quality itself was only a minor issue for me, as sometimes I like the sound of an older recording, it gives it more weight, more dream quality.

I bought this set about 10 years ago, for about $60, which at the time was an exorbitant amount (being a broke college student). I knew and loved many of Debussy's pieces, and liked none of them here. I was so dissappointed that I didn't buy another classical cd for about 9 years, the next actually being the BCO's awesome recording of Suk's Asreel Symphony.

I now own Thibaudet's Debussy, and while I'm stile not completely satisfied there, that set goes up from the 1 star here to 3 stars, and is enjoyable enough that I don't mind having spent the money.

This set, however, will forever mark itself in my mind as the archnemesis of that other iconic Purple album - Jean Francois Paillard's 'The Pachelbel Canon', which is the only one to own (well, the second one to own - the ultimate recording being on the disc with the two Fasch trumpet concertos).

Murky.......2007-04-01

I have to agree with the reviewers complaining about the sound quality on these CD's. I first discovered Debussy's piano music through these recordings when I was left my grandfather's record collection and I was obsessed. I bought this hoping to get back that vinyl magic but this is a murky compressed sounding thing, with none of the charm it should have. Boo.

Debussy and Gieseking.......2007-01-10

Historical 1950s recordings that demonstrate Gieseking's well attested shades of piano sound that are unique and outstanding.

EMI IS ATROCIOUS!!!!!!!!!.......2006-10-28

I despise EMI and for good reasons.
They have terrible recorded sound... from what I heard, i thought gieseking performed these pieces during the 1940s. I have remastered recordings from the 1920s and 30s that sound better than this!! But then again, EMI was never known for providing top-notch sonics.
Sheesh few years ago i purchased pablo casals on emi and it was simply horrible. i had to go get the one on testament (which is, by the way, superior to the Naxos remastering - believe it or not!).
I can't believe that much of gieseking's sound is lost and there's not much we can do about it!!!! emi will burn in hell... lol.

Hello Sky, Hello Trees.......2006-04-04

While there are those individuals, less sophisticated than my wonderful self, who are wont to dismiss Debussy as music only for those whose horticural inclinations run contrary to the course of gravity, I would have to venture that they don't know a good thing when they see one, and that to shun a composer merely because his fan base is given to lifting shirts would be nothing short of childish. After all, Debussy is really rather good, brilliant in fact, and if the good people at EMI should happen to let his liner notes be written by an inveterate pillow-biter, that does nothing to detract from his merits. "Bravo Debussy!" I say, and as I knock back another pastis enquire nonchalantly, "Anyone for tennis?"

Complete Masterworks Recordings, 1962-1973

Average customer rating:

Horowitz: good. Amazon: good. Sony Classical: BAD.
ARE YOU CRAZY RICH OR CRAZY STUPID?
merely spectacular!
I have never regretted buying this...
The greatest 20th Cent. pianist at his best!

Complete Masterworks Recordings, 1962-1973

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002909
Release Date: 1993-10-05

Tracks:

Sonata In E Major, K 531 (L430): Allegro
Sonata In A Major, K322 (L483): Allegro
Sonata In G Major K455 (L209): Allegro
Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': II. Adagio cantabile
Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': III. Rondo. Allegro
Impromptu In G-flat Major, Op. 90 (D899) No. 3: Andante
Etude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12: Allegro con fuoco
Etude In C-sharp Minor, Op. 25 No. 7: Lento
Scherzo No. 1 In B Minor, Op. 20: Presto con fuoco
3 Preludes - From Book II: IV. Les fees sont d'exquises danseuses. Rapide et leger
3 Preludes - From Book II: V. Bruyeres. Calme
3 Preludes - From Book II: VI. General Lavine - eccentric.
Poeme In F-sharp Major, Op. 32 No. 1: Andante cantabile
Etude In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Andante
Etude In D-Sharp Minor, Op. 8 No. 12: Patetico

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: I. Grave- Doppio movimento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: II. Scherzo
Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: III. Marche funebre. Lento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B- Flat, Op.35: IV. Finale. Presto
Etude-Tableau In C, Op.33 No.2: Allegro
Etude-Tableau In C, Op.33 No.2: Appassionato
Arabeske In C, Op.18: Leicht und zart
Kinderszenen, Op.15 - Scenes From Childhood: 1. Von fremden Landern und Menschen
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 2. Kuriose Geschichte
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 3. Hansche-Mann
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 4. Bittendes Kind
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 5. Gluckes genug
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 6. Wichtige Begbenheit
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 7. Traumerei
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 8. Am Kamin
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 10. Fast zu ernst
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 11. Furchtenmachen
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 12. Kind im Einschlummern
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: 13. Der Dichter spricht
Toccata In C, Op.7: Allegro
Hungarian Rhapsody No.19 In D Minor: Lento patetico (Lassan)- Vivace (Friska)

Tracks:

Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegretto
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante e cantabile
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante e cantabile
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro
Keyboard Sonatas: Andante moderato
Keyboard Sonatas: Vivo
Keyboard Sonatas: Allegro

Tracks:

Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C, BWV 564: I. Preludio, quasi improvvisando. Tempo moderato
Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C, BWV 564: II. Intermezzo. Adagio
Toccata, Adagio And Fugue In C, BWV 564: III. Fuga. Moderamente sherzando, un poco umoristico
Fantasie In C, Op.17: I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschalflich vorzutragen
Fantasie In C, Op.17: II. Massig. Durchaus energisch
Fantasie In C, Op.17: III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten
Piano Sonata No.9, Op.68 'Black Mass': Moderato quasi andante-Molto meno vivo-Allegro-Piu vivo-Allegro...
Poeme In F-Sharp Major, Op.32 No.1: Andante cantibile

Tracks:

Mazurka In C-sharp Minor, Op. 30. No. 4: Allegretto
Etude In F major, Op. 10 No. 8: Allegro
Ballade No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23: Largo - Moderato - Meno mosso - Presto con fuoco
Serenade For The Doll. Allegro ma non troppo
Etude In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Andante
Etude In A-Flat Major, Op. 72 No. 11: Presto e con leggierezza
Traumerei
Sonata No. 11 In A Major, K.331: I. Tema.Andante grazioso e variazioni
Sonata No. 11 In A Major, K. 331: II. Menuetto - Trio
Sonata No. 11 In A Major, K. 331: III. Rondo alla Turca
Polonaise-Fantaisie In A-Flat Major, Op. 61: Allegro maestoso

Tracks:

Mazurka In B minor, Op. 33 No. 4: Mesto
Nocturne In E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1: Andante
Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70: Moderato - Allegro - Puissant, radieux - Allegro - Piu vivo - Presto - Moderato
Piano Sonata In F Major, Hob. XVI: 23: I. Allegro
Piano Sonata In F Major, Hob. XVI: 23: II. Adagio
Piano Sonata In F Major, Hob. XVI: 23: III. Finale
Blumenstuck In D-Flat Major, Op. 19: Leise bewegt
L'ISLE JOYEUSE: Quasi una cadenza - Tempo.
Vallee d'Obermann: Lento assai - Piu lento - Un poco piu di moto ma sempre lento - Presto - Lento

Tracks:

Ballade No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23: Largo - Moderato - Meno mosso - Presto con fuoco
Nocturne In F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1: Andante
Polonaise In F-Sharp Minor, Op. 44: Tempo di polacca - Doppio movimento, tempo di Mazurka - Tempo I
Sonata In E major, K 380 (L23): Andante commodo
Sonata In G major, K 55 (L335): Allegro
Arabeske In C Major, Op. 18: Leicht und zart
Etude In D-Sharp Minor, Op. 8 No. 12: Patetico
Traumerei
Variations On A Theme From Bizet's Opera 'Carmen'

Tracks:

Sonata In E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 2: III. Rondo
Adagio sostenuto In F Major
Sonata In B-Flat Major, Op. 25 No. 3: II. Rondo
Sonata In A Major, Op. 50 No. 1: II. Adagio
Corale Prelude 'Lch ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ'
Sonata In F-Sharp Major, K 319 (L35): Allegro
Sonata In G Major, K 260 (L124): Allegro
Sonata In C Major, HOB. XVI: 48: I. Andante con espressione
Sonata In C major, Hob. XVI:48: II. Rondo
Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101: I. Allegretto ma non troppo
Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101: II. Vivace alla Marcia
Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101: III. Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto - Allegro

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegretto
Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2'Moonlight': III. Presto agitato
Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op. 53 , 'Waldstein-Sonata': I. Allegro con brio
Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op. 53 , 'Waldstein-Sonata': II. Introduzione. Adagio molto - attacca
Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op. 53 , 'Waldstein-Sonata': III. Rondo. Allegro moderato - Prestissimo
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, 'Appassionata': I. Allegro assai
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, 'Appassionata': II. Andante con moto -attacca
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, 'Appassionata': III. Allegro, ma non troppo - Presto

Tracks:

Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in G-flat major, Op. 10 No. 5: Vivace
Introduction & Rondo In E-Flat Major, Op. 16: Introduzione. Andante - Rondo. Allegro vivace
Waltz in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2: Lento
Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53: Maestoso
Mazurka in F-sharp minor, Op. 59 No. 3: Vivace
Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50 No. 3: Moderato
Mazurka in D-flat major, Op. 30 No. 3: Allegro non troppo
Mazurka in E minor, Op. 41 No. 2: Andantino
Mazurka in D major, Op. 33 No. 2: Vivace
Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10 No. 4: Presto
Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12: Allegro con fuoco
Prelidu In B Minor, Op. 28 No. 6: Lento assai

Tracks:

Posonaise in A major, Op. 40 No. 1: Allegro con brio
Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28 No. 15: Sostenuto
Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 10 No. 6: Andante
Etude No. 2 in A-flat major from 'Trois Nouvelles Etudes': Allegretto
Mazurka In F Minor, Op. 7 No. 3
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2: Tempo giusto
Variations On A Theme By Clara Wieck From Sonata No. 3 In F Minor,Op. 14: Andantino
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: I. Ausserst bewegt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: II.Sehr innig
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: III. Sehr aufgeregt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: IV. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: V. Sehr lebhaft
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VI. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VII. Sehr rasch
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VIII. Schnell und spielend

Tracks:

Impromptu In A-Flat Major Op. 90 (D899) No. 4: Allegretto
Impromptu In F Minor Op. 142 (D935) No. 1: Allegro moderato
Impromptu In A-Flat Major Op. 142 (935) No. 2: Allegretto
Impromptu In E-Flat Major Op. 90 (D899) No. 2: Allegro
Consolation In E Major S. 172 (R.12) No. 2
Pour les arpeges composes: Dolce e lusingando
La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune: Lent
Etude In A Minor Op. 104b No. 3: Allegro vivace
Scherzo & March S. 177 (R.20)

Tracks:

Feuillet d'album In E-Flat Major Op. 45 No. 1: Andante piacevole
Etude In F-Sharp Minor Op. 8 No. 2: A capriccio, con forza
Etude In B-Flat Minor Op. 8 No. 11: Andante cantabile
Etude In D-Flat Major Op. 8 No. 10: Allegro
Etude In A-Flat Major Op. 8 No. 8: Lento (Tempo rubato)
Etude In F-Sharp Major Op. 42 No 3: Prestissimo
Etude In F-Sharp Major Op. 42 No. 4: Andante
Etude In C-Sharp Minor Op. 42 No. 5: Affannato
Etude Op. 65 No. 3: Molto vivace
No. 1: Allegretto
2 Poemes Op. 69: No. 2: Allegretto
Vers la flamme Op. 72: Allegro moderato
Feuillet d'album Op. 58
Fairy Tale In A Major Op. 51 No. 3
Sonata No. 2 In B-Flat Minor Op. 36: I. Allegro agitato
Sonata No. 2 In B-flat, Minor, Op. 36: II. Non allegro
Sonata No. 2 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 36: III. Allegro molto
Prelude In G-Sharp Minor Op. 32 No. 12: Allegro
Moment musical In B Minor Op. 16 No. 3: Andante cantabile
Etude-Tableau In E-Flat Minor Op. 33 No. 5: Non allegro - Presto
Etude-Tableau In C Major Op. 33 No. 2: Allegro
Etude-Tableau In D Major Op. 39 No. 9: Allegro moderato (Tempo di Marcia)

Amazon.com

It may surprise you to learn that, despite his untouchable reputation with the public, Vladimir Horowitz enjoyed a certain dubious reputation with the critics. For many, he was the epitome of the witless virtuoso, all technique and vulgar display, and no brains. There was some truth in this to the extent that he really could be variable on record, but by general consensus his Masterworks recordings show him at his absolute best. Aside from his famous Carnegie Hall concerts from 1965, you get stunning performances of music by Schumann, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Scriabin, and above all, Scarlatti--the composer that Horowitz, more than anyone, put back on the map for pianists the world over. A great set. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz: good. Amazon: good. Sony Classical: BAD........2004-05-24

I bought this set in December, and because I have so many classical CD's (more than 300), it took me 5 months to realize that the set contained TWO volume 8's and NO volume 9's. Worried that it might be too late, I e-mailed Amazon. Their first reply was that the replacement was already on its way (with return shipping paid for as well). Wow, that was a relief!

When I got the new set, I decided to study it closely and make sure that everything was good. It turns out that several of the discs (in both sets) had holes through the aluminum reflective layer -- which seemed to be because it was too thin to begin with. One disc was cracked, and another looked like the aluminum was "rotting out" on the edge. You would think that for $230, Sony Classical would put more quality into their discs. So what good is "Super Bit Mapping" and "High Definition Remastering" if the discs are so cheap that the player will misread the data? And I don't have much confidence that the discs will last many years, either.

Fortunately I got to pick the best discs from the 2 sets, so I won't need to replace this one for another. But I certainly lost respect for Sony Classical.

And kudos to you Amazon; you're really looking out for your customers!

ARE YOU CRAZY RICH OR CRAZY STUPID?.......2002-08-25

Why would any one in the right mind plunk down [money] for 13 CDS by the same pianist? Is it so you can brag about owning 11 years' worth of the same old thing? Or did you get it as a gift designed to impress but not really to listened to? Now you could probably get [money] for it whether you used it or not. Columbia Masterworks should have brought along new and younger talent. For my bet I can't think of many American pianists who are currently recording. Do we have to recycle Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Scriabin, and others over and over? This is the Twenty-first Century. We should at least be thinking of Twentieth Century piano works. I can get 10 CDs by 10 pianists currently recording if I look to Europe.

merely spectacular!.......2001-03-10

I've only had this set about a week and have already indulged three complete listenings; it's a gold mine! - the power of preaching is persuasive in the Temple of Horowitz! I'm taken aback by the unity and continuity of sonics, an excellent and remarkable display of high engineering art. Everything important is here (almost! I wish some of the Scriabin Preludes had been included). There are sketches of incomparable pianism and supreme intelligence in these discs: Liszt's 'Vallee d'Obermann', and the Consolations; Debussy's 'L'isle joyeux' - so 'russian playing french'! - Scriabin's 'Vers le flamme' and the Black Mass sonata - one simply can't climb out of the volcano, it's terrifying and beautiful! - and the Scarlatti and Chopin. Only Gilels approaches Horowitz's indigenous understanding of Chopin. In the course of thirteen discs the glory can start to crash in around you, but at the last moment of endurance along comes 'Serenade of the Doll', or one of the Consolations. The Bach-Busoni is cerebral and fine. Horowitz gets rapped for the wrong romanticism - it's the romanticism of artistic intelligence that his art claims! I love that famous C clunker at the beginning of the Bach-Busoni in the Return to Carnegie Hall recital; more than that, I appreciate how Horowitz played his public pride in it, no retouches, etc. Shrewd, and very real, I think. He was a pianist of enormous humility on the inside, so completely knowing of his gifts - one of the reason his playing was something special. He possessed the often disregarded ability to stand completely outside his playing and admire it as one might a beautiful woman, with complete humility. It affords us the privilege of reaping joy after joy of a remarkable art the likes of which will surely stand true for a long time. 200 bucks is a lot of money, I probably would have thought it too much for the convenience of a collection; I'm glad someone else didn't feel that way, and gave me the set! - now I find it curiously too clever a package to be considered merely a consolidation of recordings into a 'set' - there is something indefinably congruent about these recordings. They fit together with harmonious intent, and shine and shadow the land with a marvelous music. Highest recommendation without reservation.

I have never regretted buying this..........2000-08-22

Considering that this set is devoted to a single instrument played by one artist in a 12-year period, the depth is mind-blowing. If variety is the spice of life, than this set is a very warming set indeed.

For the most part, Horowitz communicates a deep respect for the specific style of each composer: his Scarlatti is done articulately and without any smear with the pedal. His Liszt is demonic. His Rachmaninov is dazzling, with all of the "superfluous" notes (!) and Russian virtuosity in tact. Horowitz's Schumann is sensitive, passionate and Romantic.

And then there are his interpretations of Chopin. To me, Vladimir Horowitz is one of Chopin's best ambassadors. In particular, I draw attention to the Polonaise-Fantaisie in Vol. 3 and the mazurkas and etudes of Vol. 7.

For a good summary of this collection, listen to Vol. 4, "The Legendary 1968 TV Concert." Applause is omitted between selections, and the repertoire is tailored to Horowitz's pianistic gifts.

The first disc of Vol. 3 (Including the Bach-Busoni Toccata and the Schumann Fantasy) is not top-notch piano-playing... It's a little sloppy and inaccurate. I'm sure there are other minor slips elsewhere in this collection, but here they are most obviously seen.

Regardless, this collection is a MUST for Horowitz fans. Save up your money little by little and go and buy it. It is truly the most rewarding purchase of classical music I have ever made.

The greatest 20th Cent. pianist at his best!.......2000-04-15

If you were to take a set of piano music from only one performer to a desert island, this would be the set. Vladimir Horowitz was a pianist of incredible, almost unique, technical prowess capable of creating wonderful piano textures and tone colorings, and possessing his own dark, distinctive sound on a wonderful Steinway he had transported to each of his concerts or studio recording sessions. Of almost limitless ability, he suffered criticism from music critics because he severely limited his performing repertoire and stayed away from the concert stage for several prolonged periods because of his terrible insecurity and stagefright. He was especially criticized in his early years for bravura performances which were brilliant, but loud and not always tasteful. He was known for giving his enthralled audiences what they wanted, but it should be remembered that he championed Scarlatti and almost single-handedly brought him back into the performing world from near-oblivion, and it was Horowitz who premiered several important works by twentieth century composers such as Barber and Khatchaturian. He kept the works of the mysterious and exotic Alexander Scriabin from disappearing from piano benches in the conservatories, and he created some of the most imaginative and thrilling encore transcriptions ever heard in the concert hall. In later years, his repertoire expanded and he played some wonderful Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, much of which is featured in this set. The highlight of this disc collection from the early 60's through about 1973 is the historic return concert at Carnegie Hall in 1965. After a self-imposed exile from public performing for 12 years, he made this famous recital which is one of the most memorable in the history of recorded piano performance. Although he made several nerve-induced mistakes in the opening Bach piece, he settled down quickly and delivered a thrilling performance, highlighted, for me, at least, by the Chopin Ballade in G minor, which took away my breath and featured one of the most dazzling climaxes I have ever heard on a piano. His incredible performance possessed a youthful vitality which belied his 62 years. Throughout the other discs in this set one hears Horowitz at his best: still technically awesome yet more musically mature and capable of producing little miracles from pieces well-known, and less-known. No longer pandering to the expectations of the audience, he gave as his encore at the Carnegie Hall return concert, a precious, child-like Traumerei from Kinderszenen. The Schumann featured on these discs includes some of the most beautiful offerings available anywhere of this composer, including a wonderful Fantasy in C and perhaps the best performance ever on record of Kreisleriana. The Schubert impromptus are little miracles, and the Debussy that's thrown in makes us fantasize about the other French music he could have given us! His wonderful Chopin reminds us there are other views besides Rubinstein's to this most-important-of-all piano literature, and his Rachmaninoff is glorious. Performing into his eighties, he was a wonder of music and the 13 discs offered here give a personal record of a dazzling career from his very best years. It might be pointed out that several pieces are offered more than once in the set as they were recorded in several concerts and studio sessions and it is interesting to hear the differences in his performances. One might wish that his piano oeuvre had included more composers and a wider range of pieces, but this collection certainly highlights the work he was best known for, including as it does the various Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Schumann, Scarlatti, Scriabin, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Clementi, and Beethoven gems he was noted for throughout his long career. Anyone loving the piano, or just beautiful music must hear these discs!

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