Customer Reviews

Debussy Piano Works, Vol. 1

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's very hard to find fault with this recording, but at the same time something's missing. The piano sounds a bit muted, a little hollow, but that's not the problem - from Debussy I'd hope for a little more playfulness, a little more emotional range. Thiollier performs admirably but a little mechanically.

On the other hand, this is brilliant music, flawlessly (if blandly) performed. For a budget CD, you can not go wrong. If you just want to listen to Debussy's piano music playing in the background on a Sunday afternoon, buy this record. If you want to be swept away, look on.

I absolutely adore this album. I just recently fell in love with Debussy, so I'm sure one can imagine my delight stumbling upon Mr. Thiollier - the artist who's recorded the most of Debussy's work that I can find in digital downloads. I listen to it in the car on long drives (you wouldn't believe how much it serves to preserve the lives of insolent drivers I might encounter), cooking dinner with my family, and, my favorite, while reading a good book. Though the recordings aren't the best (give it some credit, the album is just three years younger than I am), the musical quality and the fervor with which Mr. Thiollier attacks the more lively and delightfully hectic pieces, coupled with the delicate and hauntingly beautiful lingering notes of Clair de Lune, for example, prove that this album is definitely worth both a place in my growing classical collection and the measly price I paid for it. In fact, I'm off to get Volume 2 as I finish typing!