Debussy - Masques

[andhow04]

this is from a concert a couple of weeks ago.  here is the whole program:

Medtner - two fairy tales, op.20
Quentin Kim - Sonata in g# minor
Franck - Prelude, Chorale n Fugue
INTERMISSION
Debussy - Masques / D'un cahier d'esquisses / L'isle joyeuse
Bartok - Musiques nocturnes
Messiaen - petites esquisses d'oiseaux

masques is part of a tryptich of pieces taht apparently debussy was goign to publish as a second suite bergamasque... the other two are d'un cahier and l'isle joyeuse.

UPDATE: this is the video:

[rachfan]

Hi anyhow,

"Masques" is not heard as often as it ought to be.  It's a vivacious piece, both brilliant and lyrical with touches of drama too.  I'm glad you chose it, plus you play it exceptionally well.  Thanks for posting it.

[andhow04]

thanks!  this piece is great fun to play!! and it looks impressive as well...

[ramseytheii]

Brilliant performance!  This is real virtuosity. 

It is a sad day when so-called pianists cannot respond to well-played recordings, and only want to hear that that makes them snicker and feel superior.  Thanks for keeping the standard of the Audition Room high, and for keeping us who care about the piano sounding well, interested.

Walter Ramsey

[go12_3]

Thank you for sharing this piece you played and you did a great job in
keeping up the tempo and consistancy of this piece, although I've never
heard it, it's nice to hear new pieces in the Audition room(whenever I have
time).   

[birba]

You really have a great gift for the french repertoire.  LIke I said in the messiaen, your touch has that clean, nitid quality, coupled with a mastering of the pedal, that serves this music so well.  wonderful.

[birba]

Hey!  Did you post the Franck?

[andhow04]

Brilliant performance!  This is real virtuosity. 

It is a sad day when so-called pianists cannot respond to well-played recordings, and only want to hear that that makes them snicker and feel superior.  Thanks for keeping the standard of the Audition Room high, and for keeping us who care about the piano sounding well, interested.

Walter Ramsey

well, whatever, but thanx for the words!
masques is fun to play and also the audiences really love it, sometimes telling me it was their favorite piece on the program... which actually surprised me

[emill]

for us ordinary John Does who love classical piano ..

one word...WOW!!

[storyseller]

Brilliant, in every way!

Flawless....

Masques just went up a slot or two in my "what to play next" list.

:-)

[andhow04]

for us ordinary John Does who love classical piano ..

one word...WOW!!

i highly recommend masques!

 

[andhow04]

Brilliant, in every way!

Flawless....

Masques just went up a slot or two in my "what to play next" list.

:-)

thanx for that!  i hope you do play it, and more ppl... its very satisfying!

i am embarassed to say i am slightly disappointed that noone commented on my l'isle joyeuse, which i thought when really well!

[birba]

Where is it?!

[birba]

Found it!

[rob47]

andhow04

you're playing is of the highest level really. it is stunnning!

having said that, i'm sorry to threadjack but i'd really be interested if you could give some thoughts on this topic:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=37283.0

thanks

[goldentone]

A very modern piece.  Superbly played, Andhow.

[andhow04]

andhow04

you're playing is of the highest level really. it is stunnning!

having said that, i'm sorry to threadjack but i'd really be interested if you could give some thoughts on this topic:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=37283.0

thanks

thanks for the nice complimtn.  actually i played scriabin 8th sonata (badly), and i just used 12345 fingering for that passage, by that i mean i just played as many notes as i could in one hand position and then just moved it over.
that sonata is so hard, esp. when he combines all the themes... you just have to let your ear take over completley and dictate what your hand is doing.

actually i think thats why a lot of his music is just themes repeated in different keys, or with other themes added on top, because that way, you can just give in to the sonority and let something else take control.  you dont really have to "think" about it, but it has to "just happen" somehow. its hard to play because of that mostly, i think. and i thnk that is what makes his music most unique

[iratior]

Masques is a piece that makes one marvel at the culture that was France at the turn of the twentieth century.  At the same time that Debussy was making this contribution to music, Henri Lebesgue was making his contribution to mathematics, and you still see it in college catalogues that advertise that Lebesgue integration will be taught in graduate level courses.  I'm happy to say I've studied both Masques on the piano and Lebesgue integration as a graduate student.  Masques is a very enigmatic piece, seemingly sitting on a rhythmic fence separating 3/4 time on one side from 6/8 time on the other.  I always feel a bit guilty about letting anything depart from the accentuation of 6/8 time, but anyhow's performance is very cogent and effective.

[andhow04]

Masques is a piece that makes one marvel at the culture that was France at the turn of the twentieth century.  At the same time that Debussy was making this contribution to music, Henri Lebesgue was making his contribution to mathematics, and you still see it in college catalogues that advertise that Lebesgue integration will be taught in graduate level courses.  I'm happy to say I've studied both Masques on the piano and Lebesgue integration as a graduate student.  Masques is a very enigmatic piece, seemingly sitting on a rhythmic fence separating 3/4 time on one side from 6/8 time on the other.  I always feel a bit guilty about letting anything depart from the accentuation of 6/8 time, but anyhow's performance is very cogent and effective.

thanks for bringing up this old recording and your interesting comments... i dont know much about lebesgue, actually nothing at all ! , but it's true that enigma is at the heart of this masques piece.  its reputedly based (or inspired, or just relevant to) this painting by watteau called mezzetine:
https://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/watteau/mezzetin.html
where there is also an enigma between the emotional minstrel and the faceless, cold statue...

on a related note, i can't believe i forgot to post the video of this piece, so it is in the original post now.