L' Eau

1. Yaya

2. Eau

3. Colonisation

4. Mokonzi

5. Saah

6. Sans Effets

7. Ako

8. Tends-Moi la Main

9. Thermometre

10. Soeur en Christ

L' Eau,Madilu System,JPS Production,Congo

Average customer rating: Elegance at the piano VALUE FOR MONEY Good bang for the buck. Really good price.

Piano Favorites Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rubinstein | Rubinstein, Anton | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Bagatelles | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Etudes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Etudes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Sonatas | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Waltzes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Waltzes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: 25 Piano Favorites The World's Favorite Piano Music Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Op35; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77 Classical Evolution: Spanish Guitar Music Chopin: Preludes & Nocturnes ASIN: B000000UVY Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

1. Fantasie Impromptu in C-sharp minor, OP.66
2. Waltz No.15 in A-flat, Op.39
3. Rondo all turca from Sonata in A, K.331
4. Minuet in G
5. Traumerei Op.15 No.7 (from Kinderzenen)
6. Un sospiro
7. Etude in C-sharp minor, Op.10 No.4
8. Etude in G-flat, Op.10 No.5
9. Humoresque, Op.101 No.7
10. 'Fur Elise' (Bagatelle Wo0.59)
11. Claire de lune (Suite Bergamasque, No.3)
12. Golliwog's Cakewalk (Coin des enfants, No.6)
13. Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op.3 No.2
14. Melody in F, Op.3 No.1
15. The Cuckoo
16. La fille aux cheveux de lin (from Preludes Book I)
17. Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op.64 No.2
18. Waltz in G-flat, Op.70 No.1
19. Jeux d'eau
20. Gymnopedie No.1 (Lent et douloureux)

Customer Reviews:

Elegance at the piano.......2007-06-16

I grew up listening to Moura Lympany's playing, especially Litolff's Scherzo. Never could understand how a person could play with absolute control at high speed. In this recording, most (though not all - the Etude in C# minor an obvious exception)of the music is more laid back, and played with great grace and with the controlled touch of a pianist at the peak of her career.
The ambience of the recording is a wide open one, giving us the full clear sound that makes listening to a grand piano to enjoyable.
If you enjoy listening to good piano music, this is a recording that you will enjoy a great deal.

VALUE FOR MONEY.......2006-08-24

Dame Moura is my favourite pianist. Her great style and sublety of expression comes out in all her recordings. this CD is the best value for money ever!!

Good bang for the buck........2005-12-07

I was killing some time in the store the other day and was in the mood for a cheap CD for the car for the ride home. I ran across this and saw a few recognizable titles so for about $5 I figured I'd take a chance. I'm fairly impressed, I wasn't crazy about some of her dynamics in Un Sospiro plus her little added frill in there but still enjoyed it...I'd learned that piece myself years back, still can't play it and probably never will! Another piece I've known for years is the infamous Rachmaninov Prelude in C#m. Again, I wasn't crazy about some of the dynamics of her style but she still nails it without a hitch. Then I got to some other interesting pieces, I love the Debussy Golliwog's Cakewalk...really sticks in your head. Sort of a classisized (?) ragtime and it's cool enough that I'm going to dig through my music and see if I don't have it somewhere. I thought the Chopin Etude in C#m was absolutely fabulous, she just cooks through it from beginning to end. I probably have the music for that too...I'm not even going to attempt it! ;-) In fact, I liked all the Chopin she plays here, it seems she had a real flair for his music. Without going on forever here I'll just say that there are several tracks I listen to extensively on here and I'm fairly impressed. For a lousy $5 how can you go wrong? Just buy the thing! I'd never heard of her before so I just did a little 'net searching and I'm saddened to find that she just passed away about 8 months ago at age 88, truly a loss to the classical music world. In any case, even at twice the price I doubt anyone would be disappointed with this CD.

Really good price........2002-06-15

This is a great CD and you can't beat the price. These piano compositions are great for restful backgroud music after a hard day. I want to get a second one for when this one wears out.

Average customer rating: Outstanding performance tour de force Ravel Piano Works- Pascal Roge Beautiful Works, Excellent Performance

Ravel: Piano Works Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Rogi, Pascal | ( R ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Rogi, Pascal | ( R ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy: Piano Works Satie: Piano Works After the Rain...The Soft Sounds of Erik Satie Liszt: Favourite Piano Works Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales ASIN: B00000422W Release Date: 1994-11-15

Tracks:

1. Gaspard de la nuit: I Ondine
2. Gaspard de la nuit: II Le Gibet
3. Gaspard de la nuit: III Scarbo
4. Valses nobles et sentimentales: I Modere, tres franc
5. Valses nobles et sentimentales: II Assez lent, avec une expression intense
6. Valses nobles et sentimentales: III Modere
7. Valses nobles et sentimentales: IV Assez anime
8. Valses nobles et sentimentales: V Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime
9. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VI Vif
10. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VII Moins vif
11. Valses nobles et sentimentales: VIII Epilogue, lent
12. Jeux d'eau
13. Miroirs: I Noctuelles
14. Miroirs: II Oiseaux tristes
15. Miroirs: III Une barque sur l'ocean
16. Miroirs: IV Alborada del gracioso
17. Miroirs: V La Vallee des cloches

Tracks:

1. Sonatine: I Modere
2. Sonatine: II Mouvement de menuet
3. Sonatine: III Anime
4. Le tombeau de Couperin: I Prelude
5. Le tombeau de Couperin: II Fugue
6. Le tombeau de Couperin: III Forlane
7. Le tombeau de Couperin: IV Rigaudon
8. Le tombeau de Couperin: V Menuet
9. Le tombeau de Couperin: VI Toccata
10. Prelude
11. Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn
12. A la maniere de Borodine
13. Menuet antique
14. Pavane pour une infante defunte
15. A la maniere de Chabrier
16. Ma Mere L'Oye: Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant
17. Ma Mere L'Oye: Petit Poucet
18. Ma Mere L'Oye: Laideronnette, imperatrice des pagodes
19. Ma Mere L'Oye: Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bete
20. Ma Mere L'Oye: Le Jardin feerique

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding performance.......2005-11-29

I have to concur with Del Dotto's opinion in the yr 2000, this is as close to definitive as possible.
But why stop at just 1 excellent recording, also consider Jean Efflam Bavouzet on the MDG label. As well another definitive recording (yes its possible to have more than just one definitive) is Alexandre Tharaud's recent recording on Harmondo Mundi.

Pascal Rouge, a true master in Ravel, a very rare talent in the recording industry.

tour de force.......2005-04-20

Pascal Roges recordings of Ravels great piano works serves as a honest mark of the music that never was, but perhaps might have been. Gently capturing the sheltered aura of pre-novelite Chopin, whilst endowing the music with the acousto-eco-hyperbolies of Keats, this recording is not to be missed. one can almost sense the tragic embrace that beheld Toffy and Dolly in that one moment, that one eternal moment. Ah. I shall never forget it. Ravels piano works are, in all senses, composures of 20th century modernity, suffused with the country-stylised effects of, say, Emmylou Harris, and the impecably marked greenhouse-jubilance connecting all the pieces in one final exotic anti-frenzy makes certain implications on ones ability to hate. I dont hate this cd, for example. the best pieces are Jeux d'eau, what a hit! and Le Tombeau de Couperin. Buy this cd and you will/wont be very very happy.

Ravel Piano Works- Pascal Roge.......2002-08-30

Having searched for ages for a definitive recording of the Impressionistic Masterpiece "Gaspard de la Nuit", I found it in this CD. Roge plays the technical inferno of Ondine and Scarbo with flawless taste and passion. This recording would rival that of Martha Argerich's famous recording of Gaspard that has long been thought to be the best. The Tombeau and Sonatine are also very nicely done. Sometimes however, with the smaller lesser known pieces such as the Minuet, you get the sense that he is sightreading, not truely feeling the music. Nevertheless this is a must have.

Beautiful Works, Excellent Performance.......2002-08-27

Together with the 2CD set of Debussy's piano works, these two albums are master recordings of the finest impressionist piano music. Pascal Roge has an astonishing control of the sound of the piano, and can bring out a beautiful palette of various tone colours and moods, orchestrating the piano and creating a dreamworld of sensations. Listen to the wonderful suite Gaspard de la Nuit, the marvellous sonatine (especially the second movement), and of course the mirroirs... This album is a must!

Average customer rating: A wonderful encore to the movie soundtrack! The Pianist Original Recordings Impressive CD by the Pianist The original recordings by THE PIANIST W. Szpilman

Pianist: Original Recordings of Wladyslaw Szpilman Wladyslaw Szpilman Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Pianist: Music from the Motion Picture The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945 Original Recordings The Pianist Schindler's List: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ASIN: B00007KFRG Release Date: 2002-12-17

Tracks:

1. Frederik Chopin (1810-1849): Nocturne, No.20 Op.Posthumous in C sharp minor Recorded 1980
2. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)Year Composed: 1916, Daisies Op. 38 Nr.3 Recorded 1954
3. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943), Prelude in G-sharp minor op. 32, Recorded 1954
4. Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Fantasie C-dur op 17 (Sonata for Beethoven) Part 3 (slowly plangent) Recorded 1960
5. Wladyslaw Szpilman Concertino for Piano and Orchestra (1940) Recorded 1969
6. Claude Debussy (1888-1905) The Girl with the Flaxen Hair Recorded 1948
7. Claude Debussy (1888-1905) Images No 3 - Reflections in the Water Recorded 1948
8. Isaac Albiniz, (1860-1909) Cordoba (Cantos de Espaqa No.4, Op. 232) Recorded 1948
9. Alfred Gruenfeld, (1852-1924) Paraphrase on theme from Johann Strauss (1825 - 1899) Die Fledermaus Recorded 1948
10. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - Arr. Busoni (1866 - 1924) Recorded 1972
11. Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) Arr. Rachmaninow (1873-1943) Liebesleid Recorded 1948
12. Frederik Chopin (1810-1849) Mazurka in A-Flat op. 17 nr. 3 Recorded 1980
13. Frederik Chopin (1810-1849): Nocturne, No 20 op. Posthumous in C sharp minor Recorded 1948

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful encore to the movie soundtrack!.......2003-07-20

After I listened to the CD 'Music from the motion picture The Pianist', which had one piece played by Wladyslaw Szpilman, it was only natural to want to hear more recordings of this great musician and person. This CD has 13 music pieces by Szpilman, and they are wonderful. The movie used mainly Chopin's music, but Szpilman's repertoire- which he preserved through mental piano practice during the war- is quite varied. The CD has him playing Rachmaninov, Schumann, Debussy, Albeniz, Gruenfeld, J.S.Bach, Kreisler, and of course Chopin (Nocturne in C sharp minor appears twice- recorded in 1980 and 1948 respectively).

The highlight of the CD is Szpilman's own composition- Concertino for Piano and Orchestra which he mentions in his book, and which he wrote in 1940- just when the difficult times began.

Szpilman's piano style is different from that of Janusz Olejniczac, whose performances are on the other CD. They both are wonderful in their own way, but it was exciting for me to listen to the real life Pianist. I will look for more works by Wladyslaw Szpilman, including his songs.

The Pianist Original Recordings.......2003-03-26

THe Pianist won 3 Oscars on Sunday
This classical recording inspired Roman Polanski to direct this great movie about a pianist, Szpilman who survived the war.
Everyone should have this cd in their collection.

Impressive CD by the Pianist.......2003-01-06

Could not wait to get my hands on this one. Sorry, but did have to buy it elsewhere. Could not wait. After seing the movie I wanted to know more about this man and what he played. It includes his version of Chopin's Nocturne as performed on the end credits. Great !
Only sorry that I did not get such a good deal as from Amazon. This is a keeper !

The original recordings by THE PIANIST W. Szpilman.......2003-01-06

I saw Polanski's "THE PIANIST" last weekend and was very impressed and wanted to learn more about the real hero of the movie. I searched online for his recordings. After two days I received two CD's from Amazon.com related to Wladyslaw Szpilman: One with his beautiful songs by Wendy Lands and another one with his Original recordings. He plays wonderful Chopin ( i.e. the Nocturne from the final scene of the movie ), Rachmaninoff, Bach and his own music - Concertino for Piano and Orchestra composed in the Warsaw Ghetto in a time of deepest repressions by the Germans. He was a great pianist but I was surprised how optimistic is his music and indeed how American it is. After I learned his story through the movie, now I also got in touch with this man personally, trough his artistry. Great feeling!!

Average customer rating: Lovely An unexpected glimpse of happiness. Enchanting recital of French Melodies Nuit d'toiles - Melodies Francaises/ Gens, Vignoles An Outstanding Vocal Performance

Véronique Gens - Nuit d'étoiles (Mélodies Française) / Vignoles Gabriel Fauré , Claude Debussy , Francis Poulenc , Véronique Gens , and Roger Vignoles Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Véronique Gens ~ Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été · La mort de Cléopatre Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov) Tragédiennes Joseph Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne ASIN: B00003ZKR9 Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

1. Apres un reve, Op. 7 No. 1
2. Sylvie, Op. 7 No. 3
3. Au bord de l'eau, Op. 8 No. 1
4. Lydia, Op. 4 No. 2
5. Le papillon et la fleur, Op. 1 No.1
6. Mandoline, Op. 58 No. 1: 5 Melodies de Venise
7. Clair de lune, Op. 46, No. 2
8. Les berceaux, Op. 23 No. 1
9. 3 Chansons de Bilitis: I. La flute de Pan
10. 3 Chansons de Bilitis: II. La chevelure
11. 3 Chansons de Bilitis: III. Le tombeau des Naiades
12. Fetes galantes: I. En sourdine
13. Fetes galantes: II. Fantoches
14. Fetes galantes: III. Clair de lune
15. Nuit d'etoiles
16. Beau soir
17. Fleur des bles
18. La Belle au bois dormant
19. Noel des enfants qui n'ont plus de maison
20. BANALITES: I. Chanson d'Orkenise
21. BANALITES: II. Hotel
22. BANALITES: III. Fagnes de Wallonie
23. BANALITES: IV. Voyage a Paris
24. BANALITES: V. Sanglots
25. 2 Melodies de Guillaume Apollinaire: I. Montparnasse
26. 2 Melodies de Guillaume Apollinaire: II. Hyde Park
27. Les chemins de l'amour - valse chantee

Customer Reviews:

Lovely.......2005-08-30

I recommend this to any art-song lover, and really, anybody at all. Gens does an excellent performance of a great collection of beautiful French songs. Her voice is enjoyable all the way, she has great expression, and a convincing mastery of the genre.

An unexpected glimpse of happiness........2001-07-21

Stendhal wrote that "the sight of anything extremely beautiful, in nature or in art, brings back the memory of what one loves, with the speed of lightning. That is, ... all that is beautiful and sublime in the world takes part in the beauty of what one loves, and this unexpected glimpse of happiness immediately fills the eyes with tears. This is how love of the beautiful and love give each other life." This is what Ms. Gens will do to you when you listen to this CD.

Enchanting recital of French Melodies.......2000-07-07

This is a most enjoyable release, all the more so because Veronique Gens, who is generally considered a baroque specialist on the lyric stage, may well be a torch-bearer of the elusive art of the French song in the coming decades. The voice of Gens, which is solid and well-integrated with an alluring dash of vibrancy embedded therein, is eminently suited to the repertoire represented in this new Virgin Classics release. Her secure technique (just a hint of strain in one or two high notes) also renders it possible for her to fine down her voice in the ending of phrases to a charming effect. Being a native French speaker certainly helps, too. Although hers is perhaps not the most strongly-etched of readings, she is able to inflect the text intelligently, and her subtle but heart-felt stresses on particular words not only serve to illuminate the poetic prose, but also meld beautifully with the notes that she sing.

The CD opens with songs by Faure, and while Gens may not possess the charm and naturalness of utterance of Maggie Teyte, whose recordings of Faure's songs are, in the opinion of this reviewer, unsurpassable, she can conjure up the right kind of feeling for every song as no one can. Her tempo for the popular "Apres un reve" is a trifle too laid back. Yet, she conveys to perfection the dream-like quality of the song, as well as the sense of confusion and regret at awakening. Her singing of "Le papillon et la fleur" is delightfully vivid, and her evocation of the feeling of sadness being kept in restraint in "Les berceaux" makes the performance both intimate and touching.

The Debussy group is no less impressive. Despite the innovative idiom in which most of these songs are composed, Gens is able bring them off effortlessly and stylishly. She is in total command whether in the serenity of "Beau soir", the romanticism of "Nuit d'etoiles", the rustic charm of "Fleur des bles", or the harrowing grimness of "Noel des enfants qui n'ont plus de maison", the last one composed when Debussy was being haunted by the atrocities of the Great War. In "Fetes galantes I", although the vocal and piano parts are often independent of each other, Gens's remarkable interpretation succeeds in unifying the two strands into a picturesque and colourful whole. The "3 Chansons de Bilitis", which are composed very much in the style of PELLEAS ET MELISANDE, also find an ideal interpreter in Gens where, blessed with a keen sense of rhythm, she succeeds in propelling the texts forward with musical grace and dramatic import. She would surely make a wonderful Melisande.

The Poulenc is equally fine. The young soprano is able to do full justice to the diverse moods in "Banalites", which, according to Olivier Opdebeeck, who penned the CD notes, is composed in a "part-melancholy, part-joyful tone with a barb of irony which the composer identified in the poet". The "2 Melodies de Guillaume Apollinaire" are sharply contrasted, one (Montparnasse) languid and brooding and the other (Hyde Park) gusty and piquant. Gens's singing of "Les chemins de l'amour", a cross between a Viennese waltz and a cabaret song, is loveliness itself and provides a delicious end to an enchanting recital.

The major reservation that this reviewer has involves the accompaniment of Roger Vignoles. While he is able to provide secure support for the singer, his playing is uncharacterful and even bland. Besides, the piano tone seems to be rather thin at times. Nonetheless, this should not detract one from the sensuous beauty of Gens's performance. This reviewer hopes that Virgin Classics would be encouraged by the success of this release so that they can present this most promising singer in further volumes of French songs by, say, Chausson, Ravel and Duparc.

Nuit d'toiles - Melodies Francaises/ Gens, Vignoles.......2000-06-13

Not being a professional, but loving the genre of French melodies I'll avoid technical commentary; I have become a collector of these in recent years and find this one extremely satifying and appreciate the variety this CD presents.

An Outstanding Vocal Performance.......2000-05-01

This ranks as one of the very best recordings of French 'melodies' that I have yet heard. Unlike most other singers, Gens gives the words drama and meaning. Too many singers perform these works in a detached 'artistic' manner that often makes them all sound almost alike. I say this not to belittle Gens' voice (which is superb), but to indicate that this disk will take you beyond the 'standard' interpretations of these works. I had a chance to compare one of the melodies with another recent recording by Schafer, another singer whom I respect Both were being featured in a local record store. It was hard to realize they were actually singing the same piece. I recently saw Gens perform much of the same program at a recital in NYC. This was the best recital I had heard in a very long time (I go to many). The disk is almost as good. It suffers a bit from a very unnatural recorded sound: the microphone is much too close to the singer and the piano is much too forward. Also the accompaniest in NYC was clearly better. Nevertheless, it would be hard to find a better recorded performance. The more I listen to the disk, the less I notice these drawbacks. The choice of repetoire is also well done. I particularly liked the Debussy 'Trois chansons de Bilitis.' She ends with 'Les chemins de l'amour' which Poulenc wrote for Jean Anouilh's play 'Leaocadia'. This has become very popular outside the normal recital circuit. If you get only one disk of French melodies, this is the one to get.

Average customer rating: Classic Art Songs Sung with Brilliance and Artistry Pretty, but not memorable Returning to the Recital Hall: A Soiree Pretty sound spoiled by a bad vocal habit Excellent!

Forgotten Songs: Dawn Upshaw Sings Debussy Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Debussy, Claude | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Upshaw, Dawn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Angels Hide Their Faces: Dawn Upshaw Sings Bach and Purcell Knoxville Summer of 1915 Voices of Light I Wish It So Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart ASIN: B000002B6P Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

1. Vasnier Songbook: I. Pantomime
2. Vasnier Songbook: II. Calmes dans le demi-jour (En sourdine)
3. Vasnier Songbook: III. Mandoline
4. Vasnier Songbook: IV. Clair de lune
5. Vasnier Songbook: Fantoches
6. Vasnier Songbook: VI. Coquetterie posthume
7. Vasnier Songbook: VII. Romance - Silence ineffable
8. Vasnier Songbook: VIII. Musique
9. Vasnier Songbook: X. Paysage sentimental
10. Vasnier Songbook: X. Romance - Voici que le printemps
11. Vasnier Songbook: XI. La Romance d'Ariel
12. Vasnier Songbook: XII. Regret
13. Forgotten Melodies: I. C'est l'extase langoureuse
14. Forgotten Melodies: II. Il pleure dans mon coeur
15. Forgotten Melodies: III. L'ombre des arbres
16. Forgotten Melodies: IV. Chevaux de bois
17. Forgotten Melodies: V. Green (Aquarelle)
18. Forgotten Melodies: VI. Spleen (Aquarelle)
19. Five Poems Of Charles Baudelaire: I. Le Balcon
20. Five Poems Of Charles Baudelaire: II. Harmonie du soir
21. Five Poems Of Charles Baudelaire: III. Le Jet d'eau
22. Five Poems Of Charles Baudelaire: IV. Recueillement
23. Five Poems Of Charles Baudelaire: V. La Mort des amants

Customer Reviews:

Classic Art Songs Sung with Brilliance and Artistry.......2006-11-10

Dawn Upshaw possesses a voice with beautiful bell canto tonal quality and uses the glissando technique, only when effective, rendering this collection of uncommon art songs superbly sung. The entire album is a joy to listen to...

Pretty, but not memorable.......2006-04-29

'Forgotton Songs, Dawn Upshaw sings Debussy' with James Levine at the piano is, to my layman's ear, very pretty to listen to, but not a whole lot to get excited about. If you are especially fond of Upshaw, you must have this recording. If you are especially fond of Debussy, other vocalists may have just a little more to offer. Everything about this recording is 'nice', just not a whole lot to get excited about.

Returning to the Recital Hall: A Soiree.......2005-04-09

Dawn Upshaw is one of the most intelligent and creative and adventuresome singers on the concert stage today. Just reviewing the list of her recordings available and it is obvious that she has paid attention to both contemporary and established composers in a way that is truly refreshing.

Here the program is devoted to the works of Claude Debussy, a composer for whom Upshaw has a particular penchant. Her voice is crystal clear, perfectly focused and yet not afraid to animate when the lyrics demand. She covers three cycles here: 'Ariettes oubliees' (for this listener the most successful on the album), 'Racueil Vasnier', and 'Cinq Poemes de Charles Baudelaire' (contrast these with the recently released Susan Graham version and see what interpretation is all about!).

The collaboration between Upshaw and James Levine is sensitive (if not always the pianism of others..). But the entire recital is uplifting and satisfying for the variation in the songs, recorded sound, the generosity of the disc, and most of all for the musical intelligence in which these songs are performed! Grady Harp, April 05

Pretty sound spoiled by a bad vocal habit.......2004-05-07

Every voice teacher I have ever had, and I have had many, were unanimous in their advice that sliding into notes is something that must be done with great moderation. Dawn Upshaw does it all the time and to the ears of a trained singer it becomes extremely annoying extremely quickly. Constant sliding into notes is less objectionable if one actually reaches the right pitch in the process. Miss Upshaw frequently does NOT, resulting in numerous instances where she is simply not in tune at all on some notes. Her sliding also creates constant dissonances with the piano which are entirely undebussyesque. If it were Webern or Berg she were singing she might get away with it. Here she does not. NOT RECOMMENDED.

P.S. Since writing this review (quite some time ago), I was fortunate to hear a recording of Ms. Upshaw in a production at the Metropolitan Opera where she didn't do any of her annoying sliding at all - not once - (probably because it was music from a much earlier time) The difference was astounding. It was a glorious performance. It was hard to believe it was the same person. This, more than ever, confirms my opinion that she ruined this recording with a bad singing habit.

Excellent!.......2003-11-26

This recording of Debussy's Melodies are really excellent. Dawn Upshaw's voice is exactly right for this kind of music - light, charming, and lyrical, with real sensitivity to the text. The Ariettes Oubliees are the best I've heard, with the exception of Frederica von Stade. In addition, her interpretation of Mandoline from the Vasnier Songbook is perfect - the tempo, piano, voice, and interpretation are exactly right. My only criticism is that the diction, while perfectly clear, has an "American" accent that is sometimes distracting.

Average customer rating: Simply beautiful Simply Sublime LUSH AND PASSIONATE! Beautiful! Only Kiri

Kiri Te Kanawa - Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne, Villa-Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras Marie-Joseph Canteloube , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Jeffrey Tate , Kiri Te Kanawa , English Chamber Orchestra , and Instrumental Ensemble Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Canteloube, Joseph | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Te Kanawa, Dame Kiri | ( T ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Te Kanawa, Kiri | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Canteloube, Joseph | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Te Kanawa, Dame Kiri | ( T ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Canteloube - Chants d'Auvergne / Victoria de los Angeles Joseph Canteloube: Songs Of the Auvergne Joseph Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne Kiri ASIN: B00000427R Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

1. La Pastoura als Camps
2. Bail ro
3. Trois Bourr es
4. Pastourelle
5. L'Antou no
6. La Pastrouletta lou Chibali
7. La Dela ssado
8. Bour es
9. Lo Fiolair
10. Passo pel Prat
11. Lou Boussu
12. Brezairola
13. Malurous qu'o uno Fenno

Tracks:

1. Chants d'Auvergne: Jou l'pount d'o Mirabel
2. Chants d'Auvergne: Oi ayai
3. Chants d'Auvergne: Per l'efon
4. Chants d'Auvergne: Tchut, tchut
5. Chants d'Auvergne: Pastorale
6. Chants d'Auvergne: Lou Coucut
7. Chants d'Auvergne: Obal, din lo coumb
8. Chants d'Auvergne: Quand z'eyro petitoune
9. Chants d'Auvergne: Laut, sur le rocher
10. Chants d'Auvergne: HBeyla-z-y dau f
11. Chants d'Auvergne: Postouro, su m'aymo
12. Chants d'Auvergne: Uno jionto postouro
13. Chants d'Auvergne: Lou diziou b
14. Bachianas brasileiras: Aria (Cantilena)
15. Bachianas brasileiras: Dansa (Martelo)

Customer Reviews:

Simply beautiful.......2005-08-07

Kiri Te Kanawa has one of the most beautiful operatic voices and no cd displays this better than Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne. These folk songs, sung in a french dialect, are sung perfectly by Kiri Te Kanawa. You do not need to understand the language to feel the emotions the songs evoke. This is a simply beautiful cd and Kiri is flawless.

Simply Sublime.......2004-02-27

What is it about these wonderful songs that tend to bring out the best in some of the world's finest sopranos?

There are so many fine recordings of these songs.

The great Frederica Von Stade recorded a quite mesmerizing selection of the Auvergne songs at about the same time as Dame Kiri. There is the lovely recording by the legendary Victoria De Los Angeles, a selection of the songs many of us grew up on.
There is the seminal first complete recording (and then some, as I recall) by the late Natania Davrath, a much under-appreciated artist who, in many ways, is responsible for the popularity these songs enjoy today. Even Anna Moffo recorded a lovely handful of the songs in the 60s conducted by no less than Leopold Stokowski!

And then there is Dame Kiri. We know her. We love her. We have come to expect the best from her. We have come to always expect more from her, in fact, than from just about anyone else.

So unfair. We expect her to jump the musical hurdles of our emotional connections to music and art in a way we expect from few others.

And yet she so seldom disappoints. Is this the absolute best recording of the Chants d'Auvergne ever? Such a personal choice. Who is to say?

I can tell you this, once I heard this truly remarkable set, which has literally sent chills up my back since the the first time I heard it all those years ago, I knew my search for the recording of these songs I would keep near me forever was over.

Here is an interpretation combining, in equal measure, patrician elegance with almost peasant-like eloquence. She renders song after song, some deceptively complicated, with a divine simplicity that simply defies the imagination.

I don't know how Dame Kiri achieved this miraculous feat. It must have come from the heart, because it certainly goes to mine.

And finally, it would be unthinkable not to give credit to the exquisite playing of the English Chamber Orchestra and the always sensitive collaboration of conductor Jeffrey Tate.

LUSH AND PASSIONATE!.......2003-03-09

These traditional songs from the Auvergne region of France, arranged and orchestrated by Joseph Canteloube, are so intensely beautiful that when I requested a classical radio station to play some of them, motorists stopped on the highway to phone in their thanks.

I first heard a selection of these songs 30 years ago, performed by Anna Moffo, and fell in love with them. It's wonderful to find a complete recording of all 5 series on this 2 CD set, sung by Kiri te Kanawa with enormous talent and verve. Whether the mood is passionate, playful, mocking, tender, mournful or-an emotion few composers have ever captured-helpless with pleasure, these pieces have one thing in common: they are the work of a master orchestrator at the height of his powers, using the fullest resources of the modern orchestra. You will not find more beautiful music than this!

Beautiful!.......2001-08-28

In my opinion, this is one of Kiri's better recordings. Her voice, while always gorgeous, is fresh and light here, and her interpretation, while not riveting, is certainly not boring. Musically, this is a wonderful collection, very romantic and lush in sound. A very worth-while recording.

Only Kiri.......2001-07-13

Dame Kiri te Kanawa has just the voice and character to make this music live. Her voice has a spiritual quality (as opposed to a human quality) that suits the fantasy and seductive qualities of the music. However, her characterization is not void of human qualities, a reminder that these are human feelings. The orchestra under Jeffrey Tate copes very well with the virtuosic writing for woodwinds and stratospheric strings. I heard Renee Fleming's recent interpretation of Bailero and the characterization was more human. Their voices are quite similar, but if you want angelic qualities, Kiri is the angel.

Average customer rating: A Thousand and One Nights with Susan Graham A Superb Graham Enwrapped in Unwavering Romanticism For the Sheer Luxury of Beauty of Voice and Technique!

Poèmes de l'Amour Manufacturer: Warner Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chausson, Ernest | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn) Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été "C'est ca la vie, c'est ca l'amour": French Operetta Arias Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento Susan Graham - Songs of Ned Rorem ASIN: B0007GADUY Release Date: 2005-03-29

Tracks:

1. I. La Fleur Des Eaux
2. Interlude
3. II. La Mort De L'amour
4. I. Asie
5. II. La Flute Enchantee
6. III. L'Indifferent
7. I. Le Balcon
8. II. Harmonie Du Soir
9. III. Le Jet D'eau
10. IV. Recueillement

Customer Reviews:

A Thousand and One Nights with Susan Graham.......2005-05-11

First off, let me declare that I am in thrall to Susan Graham's voice -- it is one of the most beautiful of our age, a rich sound that the singer deploys with sensitivity and intelligence and admirable technique. Sheer beauty -- feminine, alluring, caressing, velvety but clear-textured. That coupled with her immaculate French and communicative style make her all but infallible in my book. If I give this recording less than five stars, it may because I am less in sympathy with the lush romanticism of the material. However, I do have a couple of observations about the performances.

On this recording, Graham does a stellar job of illuminating the emotions of the songs almost purely through vocal coloring rather than by characterization. For the Chausson (Poème de l'amour et de la mer), I will say that approach is 100 percent successful. It has to be one of the supreme performances of this vocal tone poem ever captured on disc. Her passion and heartbreak are thrilling.

However, for the Ravel (especially the second and third songs) and for the Debussy, I wish Graham had been a shade more assertive in her interpretations. I think the first song of Shéhérazade can succeed as a swooning travelogue on the high seas -- very much along the same lines as the Chausson -- but the last stanza is a return to more personal story-telling, which should be sustained through the second and third songs. This is a lovely performance, no doubt about it, but Graham's instrument is one of such innate beauty that she can well afford to let her hair down, interpretively, a little more. I would make the same suggestion for the Debussy.

The orchestra, especially in the Chausson, is exemplary. For all the sweeping romanticism, the orchestra shows great subtlety in bringing out the rhythms, dynamics, and intrumental lines. I only wished for a slight bit of rubato at the beginning of the finale of the Chausson (the song "Le temps des lilas" that ends the last movement) -- but in French music understatement is seldom to be discouraged. Following Chausson's Wagnerian drama immediately with the rapturous Shéhérazade, however, was not to advantage. Agreed, ending with the Debussy was advisable, but a palette cleanser is definitely needed between the Chausson and Ravel and the disc length allows for an additional fifteen minutes of music. If nothing else, an instrumental work could have been inserted here -- or a vocalise or two!

Graham's vocal production is well-nigh perfect. She neither hides behind the orchestra nor rides it -- the balance is perfectly judged and natural-sounding. Her facility in French means that you have none of those jarring moments that infect the performances of some other non-native singers. My only complaint in terms of her vocalism is that too often Graham attacks her high, climactic notes just under the proper dynamic and swells. It isn't unattractive, but on repetition it did become distracting -- especially the word "haine" ("hatred") at the climax of Asie, which should be attacked head-on.

The unusual coupling with Debussy -- four of the five Poèmes de Charles Baudelaire -- is most welcome. These orchestrations by John Adams are effective, especially the last song (Recueillement). However, they would have worked even better if the orchestrations had less Chausson and Ravel and more Debussy. I also wonder if scoring for a smaller chamber ensemble might have allowed more of that Debussyan quality of limpid mystery. But my quibbles are infinitessimal and I think these orchestrations will be welcome additions to the repertory.

Make no mistake -- this is a fabulous record! One can bathe in its lushness for a good hour without tiring of Graham's voice, and come back for more! My reservations are matters of my personal taste in art song performance, and even by those standards the room for improvement is slender.

A Superb Graham Enwrapped in Unwavering Romanticism.......2005-04-23

Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham gave an impressive performance last year as Dido, capturing the woman behind the mythical figure with measured fervor, among a heady group of singers on last year's superb ensemble recording of Emmanuelle Haïm's production of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas". In this solo outing, she displays the same dramatic acumen and showcases her lustrous voice with a full-bodied French repertoire which features selections from Chausson, Ravel and Debussy. The result certainly reflects the same exclusive talent pool as the recent stellar recordings of French compositions by rising tenor Rolando Villazón on his "Gounod/Massenet Arias" and the exquisite countertenor David Daniels on his "Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été".

Where Graham falls somewhat short among this league is in the relative sameness of the program, which reflects a conscious decision to explore the more serious Belle Epoque fare for soprano and orchestra. Granted all three song cycles are lovely and sonorous, but together the variety seems lacking for a singer of Graham's caliber, and one ends up missing a lighter touch to offset the somber tone. Things start promisingly with Ernest Chausson's "Poèmes de l'amour et de la mer", a luscious work that evokes an engaging seductive power over a wide range of emotions. It also includes a soaring dream-like interlude. Maurice Ravel's "Shéhérazade," is performed colorfully with a swooning sense of epic melodrama that wouldn't sound out of place in a 1950's Douglas Sirk movie. John Adams contributed the hushed orchestrations for four of Claude Debussy's set of "Cinq Poèmes de Charles Baudelaire" presented here, all performed languorously with a discernible sense of longing. One or two lighter chansons could have lightened this program considerably, and they would have been welcome. Also, at certain moments, the sound feels heavily overproduced. Regardless, Graham is among the finest singers today and always a treat to hear and appreciate and she is supported in a most atmospheric fashion by the BBC Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier.

For the Sheer Luxury of Beauty of Voice and Technique!.......2005-03-30

Susan Graham continues to grow as an artist, both in her inimitable operatic performances but especially in her warmly human and bracingly communicative recitals with piano collaboration. With this very beautiful recording of songs cycles by Chausson, Ravel and Debussy she combines the two - operatic and recital - and the result is some of the most stunning collaborations with voice and orchestra on CD today. Gush? Well, just listen to this well-conceived disc and try to escape the trance of enchantment.

The Chausson 'Poeme de l'amour et de la mer' is a series of heavily orchestrated songs whose protagonist is a young man who meets and falls in love with a girl and returns a year later to discover the girl no longer is moved by him - not unlike the doubt, lust, longing and memory of Resnais' film 'Last Year at Marienbad'. Graham communicates the longing and ecstasy and ultimate devastation of the young man with intense feeling and gorgeous rich sound. Yan Pascal Tortelier conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra with sonorous swells of sound that never bury the voice and never completely give in to the excesses in Chausson's writing.

Best known of the works on this recording is the 'Sheherazade ' of Maurice Ravel. Here, moving among the three songs well known to every concertgoer, Graham demonstrates her seamless range of tone and color: though a mezzo-soprano by range she transports her gorgeous instrument into the realm of soprano with complete ease. Her French diction is perfect and she makes the poems come alive. If this reading does not erase all memories of such singers as Regine Crespin or Victoria de los Angeles as far as breathy French sensuousness, the uncanny beauty of her sound and her immersion in the texts creates a new standard. 'La Flute enchantee' is from another place of rarefied air!

The Debussy songs 'Le Livre de Baudelaire' are here performed with a new orchestration by contemporary composer John Adams! And if you fear that may be an incongruous pairing then fear not. The orchestral writing is in total sync with Debussy's haunting line. Graham again delivers lush, creamy tone with a true 'French sound'. It simply works.

Apart from the beauty of Susan Graham's artistry and Tortelier's sensitive collaboration the major contribution of this recording is in the thoughtful programming - three cycles by three French composers whose lives overlapped. This is the degree of challenging and rewarding ventures that will maintain the importance of classical music recordings. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 05

Average customer rating: great pianist!!!! Yesterday Francois would be celebrating his eighty-two anniversary

Debussy & Ravel: Piano Works - Samson Francois (6 CD's) Samson Francois , Claude Debussy , and Maurice Ravel Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Chopin: Piano Works, Vol. 3 Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra ASIN: B0002RUAEM Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. 1. Ondine
2. 2. Le Gibet
3. 3. Scarbo
4. 1. Modere
5. 2. Mouvement De Menuet
6. 3. Anime
7. 1. Prelude
8. 2. Fugue
9. 3. Forlane
10. 4. Riguadon
11. 5. Menuet
12. 6. Toccata
13. 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: Soul Food Absolutely wonderful

My Favorite Encores Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Scriabin, Alexander | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Szymanowski | Szymanowski, Karol | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Scriabin, Alexander | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cliburn, Van | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Scriabin, Alexander | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Szymanowski, Karol | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Cliburn, Van | ( C ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | 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 Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The World's Favorite Piano Music My Favorite Chopin Van Cliburn: My Favorite Rachmaninoff Van Cliburn: My Favorite Liszt Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1/Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 ASIN: B000003F3H Release Date: 1991-05-10

Tracks:

1. Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31
2. Reflections in the Water
3. Etude, Op. 4, No. 3
4. Etude, Op. 10, No. 12: Revolutionary
5. La plus que lente
6. The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
7. Nocturne, Op. 62, No. 2
8. Dedication
9. Etude, Op. 8, No. 12
10. Clair de lune
11. Etude tableau, Op. 39, No. 5
12. The Isle of Joy

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.

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 ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Thibaudet, Jean-Yves | ( T ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Jean-Yves Thibaudet ~ Debussy - complete piano works, vol. 1 Maurice Ravel: L'Oeuvre Pour Piano Seul The Chopin I Love Reflections On Duke - Jean-Yves Thibaudet Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music ASIN: B00004SDRF Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

1. Images - Serie I
2. Images - Serie I
3. Images - Serie I
4. Images - Serie II
5. Images - Serie II
6. Images - Serie II
7. Le Petit Negre
8. Children's Corner
9. Children's Corner
10. Children's Corner
11. Children's Corner
12. Children's Corner
13. Children's Corner
14. La plus que lente
15. Valse romantique
16. Ballade
17. Danse (Tarantelle styrienne)
18. Mazurka

Tracks:

1. Suite bergamesque
2. Suite bergamesque
3. Suite bergamesque
4. Suite bergamesque
5. Hommage a Haydn
6. Elegie
7. Berceuse heroique
8. page d'album
9. Etudes - Livre I
10. Etudes - LIvre II
11. Etudes - LIvre II
12. Etudes - LIvre II
13. Etudes - LIvre II
14. Etudes - LIvre II
15. Etudes - Livre II
16. Etudes - Livre II
17. Etudes - Livre II
18. Etudes - Livre II
19. Etudes - Livre II
20. Etudes - Livre II
21. 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.

Highly recommended and definitely a set worthy of being investigated by pianophiles.

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