Debussy: Préludes

Claude Debussy (Composer), Walter Gieseking (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Walter Gieseking
• Composer: Claude Debussy
• Audio CD (March 14, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00004R8TM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,547 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #53 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Preludes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save me! I'm drowning..., January 27, 2002

By 

Lee M. Mcguire (Urbana, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debussy: Préludes (Audio CD)

The watery allusions to Debussy music seem to have been taken far too literally by many pianists as well as piano music fans. Attempting to describe something inexpressible in concrete terms is inherently flawed, and to take an irrational "impression" and attempt to distill it down even further, results in loss of clarity. Though the music may be "softer," and less "rigid" and thus more flexible to subjective interpretation, it is distanced from the artist's first message; the music itself. Debussy's music speaks clearly, without the need for "Gaullic" over-sentimentalizing. I've never understood the arguments about Gieseking's Germanic interpretation, as if genetics and not culture were the main influence in one's artistic make-up. Though other great pianists who have recorded these Preludes caress wonderful tones from their instruments(Pollini, Moravec, Arrau), compared to Gieseking's mastery and control of colors and his tonal variety they sound overly warm, mushy even. Listening to Gieseking playing Debussy is to be at the water's edge, sight unimpeded by any mist rising from the surface of the pond, gazing upon a reflection of the moon that is not hazed in by clouds. After him, listening to other recordings is like peering at the same lunar image from the bottom of the pond. Save me Gieseking, I'm drowning...

22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, September 9, 2000

By 

Josef Krebs (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Debussy: Préludes (Audio CD)

If you want Debussey's piano preludes, and you want them played perfectly, then this is for you. It's a terrific after dinner album, of durring a nice bath.

This disk won: The Grammophone Award in the UK The Diapason d'Or in France The Prix de l'Academie de disque francais, also in France.

To quote Gramophone magazine, "The difinitive version and an outstanding issue. Neither the playing nor the recording can be faulted." I couldn't agree more.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully played, May 26, 2008

By 

Mark Hennicke (A stone's throw from Carnegie Hall) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debussy: Préludes (Audio CD)

Along with Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4 , La Boheme and Ravel: Piano Concerto in G; Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 4 , this is one of the finest entries in EMI's wonderful Great Recordings of the Century series. Gieseking gives a beautifully played & extraordinarily thoughtful performance of these pieces, so much so that, at times, I find it hard to imagine anyone else's renderings measuring up, though Michelangeli, for me, is a close second. For 50+ year old mono recordings, the sound is remarkably fresh & vivid (finely captured sonics are a hallmark of many selections in the GROC series.) Despite enjoying many other fine perfomances of these works, Claude Debussy: Préludes, Vol. 1; Images & Debussy:Preludes Volume 2 being chief among them, I can't help but recommend this Walter Gieseking disc as the best version available. This is beautiful music making at the highest of levels.