Best Debussy Pianist

[arensky]

Vote for your two favorite pianists. If you don't see them listed post them and I will add them to the poll.

For me it's Michelangeli and Cortot, with Richter and Aimard right up there too.

[retrouvailles]

Hamelin's Debussy preludes book 2 are some of the best I've heard. So add him to the list.

[arensky]

Hamelin's Debussy preludes book 2 are some of the best I've heard. So add him to the list.

I haven't heard them but I'm sure they're great. He's up there now.

[jakev2.0]

There's Michelangeli then everyone else.

Moiseiwitsch's few Debussy recordings are some of the best ever. Shame he didn't do more.

Moravec is tonally very sleek.

Edit: Arrau rules too. (Live Pour le Piano - very good)

[michael_langlois]

I haven't heard all of these recordings, but I enjoyed Zimerman's preludes.  Has anyone else heard them, particularly his interpretations of "Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir" and "Les collines d'anacapri?"

Michael

[nasalstein]

lets not forget Gianluca Cascioli when it comes to preludes.
i felt that he had his own style around age of twenty already.
you can watch him play preludes  on youtube.

[arensky]

lets not forget Gianluca Cascioli when it comes to preludes.

I couldn't forget him because I'd never heard of him 

you can watch him play preludes  on youtube.

I did ("...La Sérénade interrompue") and was very impressed; I preferred his interpretation to Michelangeli's. I'll be watching the rest of them!


Who else voted for Cortot?    I thought mine might be the only vote for him.

[nasalstein]

i couldn't forget him because i'd never heard of him 

i bet you can't from now on anyway..   
seriously, can you believe that he was barely 20 at the time?

i was about to vote for Cortot till i realised its been more than 20 years since i listened for his preludes
the last...

[retrouvailles]

Argh, I forgot to vote for Hamelin. Consider this post my vote.

[mephisto]

What about Thibaudet? One of the best living Debussy pianists.

It is really difficult to choose a favourite of all time

[arensky]

What about Thibaudet? One of the best living Debussy pianists.

It is really difficult to choose a favourite of all time

He there.

There are many good interpreters of Debussy, but isn't there one you like more than the others? 

[mephisto]

He there.

There are many good interpreters of Debussy, but isn't there one you like more than the others? 

Michelangeli

[thracozaag]

Kapell and Cortot.

[arensky]

Kapell and Cortot.

The Children's Corner; I bought the William Kapell Edition box set two years ago but haven't listened to all of it yet. Since there are only so many Kapell recordings, I always keep a few for the future as long as I can.

I just listened to his CC and it's amazing, like everything he did. Particularly I enjoyed "The Snow is Dancing" and "Jimbo's Lullaby". Rachmaninov is still my favorite for "Dr. Gradus" and Golliwog's Cakewalk", though. Now I'm curious; are there any other recordings of Kapell playing Debussy out there? A quick Google search turned up nothing.

[thracozaag]

The Children's Corner; I bought the William Kapell Edition box set two years ago but haven't listened to all of it yet. Since there are only so many Kapell recordings, I always keep a few for the future as long as I can.

I just listened to his CC and it's amazing, like everything he did. Particularly I enjoyed "The Snow is Dancing" and "Jimbo's Lullaby". Rachmaninov is still my favorite for "Dr. Gradus" and Golliwog's Cakewalk", though. Now I'm curious; are there any other recordings of Kapell playing Debussy out there? A quick Google search turned up nothing.

Here's what I compiled for the discography:

Children’s Corner Suite.
*1951.  Buenos Aires.  CD: VAIA/IPA 1048.

   Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum.
   *May 19, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4458 (or E1-RB-2169).  CD: BMG 09026-68995-2.
   
   Jimbo’s Lullaby.
        *December 21, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1967.  78: 12-3212-A.  45: 49-3212-A.  CD: BMG-        09026-68995-2.
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2187.  Unpublished.
   July 5, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2187-2.  Unpublished.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4653. Unpublished.

   The Snow is Dancing.
   May 19, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2171.  Unpublished.
   *June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2171-2.  CD: BMG 09026-68995-2.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4655.  Unpublished.

   Serenade to the Doll.
   December 18, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1966.  Unpublished.
   *May 19, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4459.  CD: BMG 09026-68995-2.
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2170-2.  Unpublished.
   July 5, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2170-3.  Unpublished.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4654.  Unpublished.

   The Little Shepherd.
       *December 20, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1968.  78: 12-3212 B.  45: 49-3212-B.  CD: BMG   09026-68995-2.
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2189. Unpublished.
   July 5, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2189-2.  Unpublished.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4656.  Unpublished.

   Golliwogg’s Cake-Walk.
       *December 20, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1968.  78: 12-3212-B.  45: 49-3212-B.  CD: BMG 9026-68995-2. 
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2188.  Unpublished.

Estampes: Soirée dans Grenade.
*February 28, 1945.  LP: IPAM 1101.

Suite Bergamasque.
1953.  Australia.  Unpublished.

I was informed recently the Suite Bergamasque from Australia will be released, along with the other Australian materials soon--I can only hope this is the case as it is an absolutely magical performance.

koji

[arensky]

Here's what I compiled for the discography:

Children’s Corner Suite.
*1951.  Buenos Aires.  CD: VAIA/IPA 1048.

   Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum.
   *May 19, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4458 (or E1-RB-2169).  CD: BMG 09026-68995-2.
   
   Jimbo’s Lullaby.
        *December 21, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1967.  78: 12-3212-A.  45: 49-3212-A.  CD: BMG-        09026-68995-2.
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2187.  Unpublished.
   July 5, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2187-2.  Unpublished.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4653. Unpublished.

   The Snow is Dancing.
   May 19, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2171.  Unpublished.
   *June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2171-2.  CD: BMG 09026-68995-2.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4655.  Unpublished.

   Serenade to the Doll.
   December 18, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1966.  Unpublished.
   *May 19, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4459.  CD: BMG 09026-68995-2.
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2170-2.  Unpublished.
   July 5, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2170-3.  Unpublished.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4654.  Unpublished.

   The Little Shepherd.
       *December 20, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1968.  78: 12-3212 B.  45: 49-3212-B.  CD: BMG   09026-68995-2.
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2189. Unpublished.
   July 5, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2189-2.  Unpublished.
   December 20, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-4656.  Unpublished.

   Golliwogg’s Cake-Walk.
       *December 20, 1950.  mtx: EO-RC-1968.  78: 12-3212-B.  45: 49-3212-B.  CD: BMG 9026-68995-2. 
   June 4, 1951.  mtx: E1-RB-2188.  Unpublished.

Estampes: Soirée dans Grenade.
*February 28, 1945.  LP: IPAM 1101.

Suite Bergamasque.
1953.  Australia.  Unpublished.

I was informed recently the Suite Bergamasque from Australia will be released, along with the other Australian materials soon--I can only hope this is the case as it is an absolutely magical performance.

koji

Thanks Koji! Is there a link to your discography?

I seem to recall hearing the Soiréee dans Grenade some years ago in a library collection. Hopefully that will be on CD also. It's been hard to keep track of International Piano Archives over the years, somethings are reissued on CD, some never are; I assume that money (or the lack of it) has a lot to do with their jumbled state of affairs.

[thracozaag]

I would be happy to email you the discography if you wish.

[dnephi]

Koji, did he ever record a set of Liszt Etudes?  I'd be interested in the discography, too, if I may.

dbaker@bsu.edu is my email address, if you so choose,

[thracozaag]

Not to my knowledge; he worked on several of the Chopin etudes, but never recorded or performed them publicly.

[arensky]

I was informed recently the Suite Bergamasque from Australia will be released, along with the other Australian materials soon--I can only hope this is the case as it is an absolutely magical performance.

koji

It's incredible, I bought "Kapell Rediscovered" the other day. I like his interpretation, his playing points out different things in the pieces ( particularly the Menuet) that I never noticed or thought of before. And the "Clair de Lune" was transcendental; he made me like it again!