Jean-Yves Thibaudet ~ Debussy - complete piano works, vol. 1

Claude Debussy (Composer), Spoken Word (Composer), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Jean-Yves Thibaudet
• Composer: Claude Debussy, Spoken Word
• Audio CD (August 13, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B000004294
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,224 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Préludes (12) for piano, Book I, L. 117: 1. Danseuses de Delphes

2. Préludes (12) for piano, Book I, L. 117: 2. Voiles

3. Préludes (12) for piano, Book I, L. 117: 3. Le vent dans la plaine

4. Préludes (12) for piano, Book I, L. 117: 4. Les sons en les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir

5. Préludes (12) for piano, Book I, L. 117: 5. Les collines d'Anacapri

6. Préludes (12) for piano, Book I, L. 117: 6. Des pas sur la neige

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Préludes (12) for piano, Book II, L. 123: 1. Brouillards

2. Préludes (12) for piano, Book II, L. 123: 2. Feuilles mortes

3. Préludes (12) for piano, Book II, L. 123: 3. La puerta del Vino

4. Préludes (12) for piano, Book II, L. 123: 4. Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses

5. Préludes (12) for piano, Book II, L. 123: 5. Bruyčres

6. Préludes (12) for piano, Book II, L. 123: 6. General Lavine - excentric

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Jean-Yves Thibaudet in conversation with Anthony Fabian

2. Jean-Yves Thibaudet entretien avec Philippe Danel

3. Jean-Yves Thibaudet gespräch mit Anne Schneider

4. Jean-Yves Thibaudet intervistato da Giorgio Giandomenici

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another installment of great by Thibaudet, June 12, 2000

By	Trevor Gillespie "sol_man" (San Jose, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thibaudet certainly has a great knack for playing French music. Perhaps it is because he is French himself, or perhaps it is because he has been blessed with a wonderful insight to piano music in general. I say this, because he brings such great musicianship to whatever he puts to record or performance. This two CD set of Debussy's Preludes exudes the personalities of both the composer and the pianist. Debussy, known as the great impressionist composer, delicately has painted numerous portraits in his preludes and this recording certainly does well at bringing them out. Technically, these pieces are played with virtuosity and clear attention to precision, clarity, and musicality. One of the best parts of this set is the a bonus CD of short interviews with Thibaudet in various languages where he himself explains what he has brought to the table in playing these pieces and what insights he had in mind when approaching these pieces.

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior recordings and performances, September 17, 2005

By	Gontroppo "Music and Theology Lover" (Bathurst, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Thibaudet's Debussy, September 9, 2008

By	Christopher T. "RachMan" (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Thibaudet's performances of the Debussy Preludes (all 24) is remarkable. For those already familiar with his work, this is not surprising. For newbies, you should give him a listen.

Thibaudet's expressiveness is breathtaking because he makes use of a wide dymanic palette, from hushed pianissimos (very soft tones) to masculine fortissimos (very loud tones). Debussy's octaves ring out with crystal clarity, his lush chords sparkle with all the color a good Steinway has to offer, and his single note passages are always clear and well-shaped. Thibaudet clearly understands Debussy, and his phrasing is exceptional.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM (along with a similar by Krystian Zimerman, though it does have occasional background sounds--of the creaking bench and of Zimerman's heavy breathing). The Thibaudet set includes three CD's, by the way, so that you get other Debussy works besides the Preludes.