Debussy: Clair de lune & Other Piano Favourites

Claude Debussy (Composer), Francois-Joel Thiollier (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Francois-Joel Thiollier
• Composer: Claude Debussy
• Audio CD (May 18, 2004)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B0001N9ZCA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,933 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #1 in	Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Dances
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  #2 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Short Forms > Character Pieces

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Debussy Favorites in OK Performances, Variable Sound, May 23, 2004

By	J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Francois-Joël Thiollier has recorded much of Debussy's piano music for Naxos. This CD appears to be a 'favorites' album drawn from several previous issues. The most familiar and probably the best-loved Debussy pieces are here, beginning with a dreamy (but somewhat soupily-recorded) 'Clair de lune' ('Moonlight'). [The cover illustration is a nice reproduction of Eugène Boudin's gorgeous 'The Effect of the Moon.'] As of yet Amazon has not listed the contents, so I shall do so: Clair de lune, La plus que lente, Arabesque Nos. 1 & 2, Le petit nègre, excerpts from The Children's Corner (The snow is dancing, The little shepherd, Golliwog's cakewalk), La soirée dans Grénade, Jardin sous la pluie, Valse romantique, Tarantelle styrienne, Toccata, Reflets dans l'eau, Poissons d'or, Mazurka, Révérie, The Girl with the Golden Hair, and The Engulfed Cathedral.

Thiollier often takes slower than usual tempi, and he often sounds rather deliberate or even stodgy as a result. This is not to say there aren't some quicker tempi taken: 'Le petit nègre' starts off with a real Gottschalkian verve, but when he comes to the second theme he backs off. 'Poissons d'or' ('Goldfish') swim excitedly (and beautifully). 'The snow is dancing' all right, but it seems to be doing a sarabande. These are pretty straight interpretations; one misses the drama or sadness in, say, Golliwog's Cakewalk. I think one problem in all these performances is a lack of crisp articulation. Debussy's soft-edged harmonies can lead a pianist to play in a flaccid, dreamy fashion and that works for some of the pieces, but on the whole Debussy requires more rhythmic spine, and that is often lacking here.

The primary thing going for this compilation is the price. But I couldn't recommend it to anyone other than someone on a sharply restricted budget and who wants these particular pieces. For somewhat more outlay, one could have performances by say, the fabled Michelangeli or the spectacular Kocsis or the legendary Gieseking.

TT=78:10

Scott Morrison

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful music I've ever heard .. , March 29, 2009

By	Monica "Monica" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Well, I have to admit that I only know about Debussy because of Twilight, but it was well worth the discovery.

Such beautiful music .. a must have.

Monica,
San Diego.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The perfect rain music, but I wish for more, April 25, 2007

By	An Anonymous Child - See all my reviews

Collections are tricky. Either they fulfill your needs perfectly, leading to you wanting more, or they don't fulfill enough, leading to you wanting more. Either way, you're left with the uncomfortable feeling that "something"'s missing. Is that the case with this "favorites" CD? Yes.

Oh, this is a nice enough collection to get you into a Debussy mood, but after listening to it, I felt frustrated. Why, I thought, did I buy a collection? Now I would have to find MORE. Yes, I got the generic favorites. I now have "Clair de lune" and "Reverie" (my reasons for purchasing the CD), but the musical beauty made me want more and more, to the point where I got very frustrated. After all, collections only give you a taste. Now I need to find... MORE.

The rain quality can be either a plus or a minus. By "rain quality" I'm referring to a slightly fuzzy sound. Not the best quality, that is. It sounds like the radio on a rainy day, so while getting you in the mood perfectly, it's a bit... well. It's of lower quality, though it does enhance the mood. I personally like it, but facts are facts.

While I listen to this CD often, I think that it's probably better just to jump straight to full CDs. No snippets. While enjoyable, it's not amazing and it leaves you with the slight sense of, "...well?". So... well?