Debussy - Four Preludes

[andhow04]

a live recording of four preludes of debussy:

Des pas sur la neige (Book I)
La cathedrale engloutie (Book I)
Feuilles mortes (Book II)
La puerta del Vino (Book II)

these were recorded by a friend, not sure what device he used, who was sitting in the front row rather close to the piano, at times you can hear the pedal.

theres not much to say about these pieces, though i am struck by the visual aspect of Feuilles mortes. the passages in unison to me really seem to take on the shape and direction of dead leaves falling slowly from the tree, winding their way down to the ground. its striking.

la puerta del vino obviously highlights debussy's spanish interests, like so many other french composers of his time. the rhythm in the bass is that of the habanera, as in the famous aria from carmen.

des pas sur le neige is probably one of the more famous of the preludes; its a very poetic piece that is covered in coldness. towards the end, the major chords and rising melody seem to indicate the warmth of some distant memory, or possibly some future hope, but all turns to ice at the end. its amazing that in so short a time, debussy can call up such intense atmospherics.

the sunken cathedral is one of those grand chordal sonorities, and should be played by every pianist.
hope you enjoy

[furtwaengler]

Ah, the thought of Andhow performing Debussy  is like a dream. And here the reality does not disappoint. I love these preludes. La cathedrale engloutie was the first of the preludes I ever performed - and I agree it's one of those epic works every pianist should experience. Des pas sur la neige the only one I've shared online, and yes love it, and I love that I have gotten to enjoy two distinct and wonderful performances recently in this audition room.

Your performances, no matter what you are performing, are always marked by an excellent sense of pacing and nicely rounded vertical structure. It always reminds me of these similar qualities in recordings of the conductor, Jasha Horenstein. But though these are traits distinctive to your playing, your Bach always sounds like Bach, and here your Debussy is shimmering with his unique color. I enjoy these very much!

[rachfan]

Hi andhow,

I had some time to hear La cathedral and La Puerta.  Very fine playing!  In the Engulfed Cathedral, I was glad to hear you not rushing the first section on page 2.  Some cite the Debussy recording which is rushed there, but not grasping that in the earlier days of recordings, performances sometimes had to speed up or even be cut in order to fit pieces on piano rolls and later 78rpm records.  It's nice to hear it luxuriating at proper tempo in your recording.  Over on page 3, sounds like you employed the middle sostenuto pedal for the bass pedal points.  Good effect!  You shape the long line nicely.

I enjoyed The Wine Gate too.  You captured the mysterious intrigue at the gate and the nearby colorful festivities in the streets.  You put it across well. This is one of Debussy's most effective preludes and not easy to play.

David

Thanks for sharing your recordings.

[koopakool]

Just beautiful!

[troglodyte]

I really liked Des pas sur la neige. Nice colour, excellent pedalling, good articulation, and overall projecting very well. This piece looks easy at first but requires tons of concentration to sound that good. Your playing deserves a better recording equipment, there is a lot of hiss.

On the other hand I didn't like the cathedral that much. It sounded too rushed, the bells more desperate than majestic. This is of course a personal preference.