Fingerings and Tempo Question For L' Isle joyeuse

[louispodesta]

By way of introduction, I play this piece like a tone poem, with visual imagery throughout.  Most people play it basically just loud and fast.

In that it sold 10,000 copies in six months after it was initially published, coupled with the fact that Mrs. Debussy shot herself in the chest, it is my opinion that this piece begs a more inciteful approach.

So, first, I need some suggestions for fingerings for measures #36, 37, 39, 40, 47 & 48, both hands.

Second, in terms of tempo, the only one that didn't play this whole section like a blur was Horowitz, who didn't even pedal measures #36 - #39, and also #44 - #47.  Everybody else plays it as fast as possible, sometimes where you cannot even hear the voicings in either hand.

Besides Horowitz, the other recordings that I have are Frankl, and Entremont.   Marcelle Meyer's was even faster.

My thinking is that this is a transitional passage to set up the next section starting with measure #52.  If you play the section starting with #36 too fast, then the next section turns into a super-blur, where you can't hear any harmony or melody at all.  It is just a bunch of notes leading into the slow section.