Debussy: Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 4 Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

• 1 No. 1. Reflets dans l'eau 05:06
• 2 No. 2. Hommage a Rameau 06:08
• 3 No. 3. Mouvement 03:17
• 4 No. 1. Cloches a travers les feuilles 04:23
• 5 No. 2. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut 04:53
• 6 No. 3. Poissons d'or 03:41
• 7 No. 1. Pour les cinq doigts, 'd'apres Monsieur Czerny' 03:06
• 8 No. 2. Pour les tierces 03:39
• 9 No. 3. Pour les quartes 04:54
• 10 No. 4. Pour les sixtes 04:00
• 11 No. 5. Pour les octaves 02:43
• 12 No. 6. Pour les huit doigts 01:38
• 13 No. 7. Pour les degres chromatiques 02:10
• 14 No. 8. Pour les agrements 05:03
• 15 No. 9. Pour les notes repetees 03:05
• 16 No. 10. Pour les sonorites opposees 05:41
• 17 Etude retrouvee 03:55
• 18 No. 11. Pour les arpeges composes 04:27
• 19 No. 12. Pour les accords 04:32
• Total Runtime 01:16:21

Info for Debussy: Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 4

“Bavouzet commands all the shading, nuance and timbral sensitivity one expects in Debussy, together with virtuoso flair and characterful spontaneity.’ (Gramophone), “…there is a balance of clarity and lyricism that immediately distinguish the pianist’s work.” (International Piano) are just a couple of reviews from the previous three volumes of this highly praised recording project. This appraisal of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, an exclusive Chandos artist, affirms his position as one of the greatest Debussy interpreters.

‘We have a lot to learn from Debussy,’ writes Bavouzet. ‘Through the sophisticated sounds he seeks to create and the simplicity of his textures by which he builds, in just a few phrases and harmonies, a whole world of poetry, but also through writing which always reveals a highly contrapuntal way of thinking, Debussy compels us to listen to his music in a very private, intense and nearly religious manner.’

Here Bavouzet completes his cycles with works at the extreme of his pianistic style; Études Books 1 & 2 and Images Books 1 & 2. Étude retrouvée completes the recording. The Images were the product of Debussy the art-lover and derive from his early reading Baudelaire. The Études, on the other hand, look inwards at the properties and possibilities of the musical substance itself. They contain some of Debussy’s most demanding piano writing – five of the twelve were never recorded commercially until after 1950. But, despite their difficulty a playful spirit is very much in evidence. This series is a deeply personal project for Bavouzet who has been involved in all aspects of the recording process.

“Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's flexible virtuosity and innate grasp of Debussy's style and sound world yields ravishing, freshly minted interpretations of the Images and Etudes that proudly rank with (and sometimes surpass) the catalogue's reference versions.” GRAMOPHONE

Claude Debussy: Images, Book 1
No. 1. Reflets dans l'eau
No. 2. Hommage a Rameau
No. 3. Mouvement
Claude Debussy: Images, Book 2
No. 1. Cloches a travers les feuilles
No. 2. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut
No. 3. Poissons d'or
Claude Debussy: 12 Etudes
No. 1. Pour les cinq doigts, 'd'apres Monsieur Czerny'
No. 2. Pour les tierces
No. 3. Pour les quartes
No. 4. Pour les sixtes
No. 5. Pour les octaves
No. 6. Pour les huit doigts
No. 7. Pour les degres chromatiques
No. 8. Pour les agrements
No. 9. Pour les notes repetees
No. 10. Pour les sonorites opposees
Claude Debussy: Etude retrouvee
Etude retrouvee
12 Etudes
No. 11. Pour les arpeges composes
No. 12. Pour les accords

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet combines a rare elegance and clarity in his playing with deep and thoughtful musicality, for which he continues to win the highest acclaim from both critics and audiences.

Recent engagements for Bavouzet have included appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland and Philharmonia orchestras, and the New Japan Philharmonic. He also premiered Bruno Mantovani’s Piano Concerto with Orchestre National de Lille.

Highlights of his 2010/11 season include performances with Philharmonia and BBC Symphony orchestras and make debut appearances with the London Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony orchestras, and the Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy. In spring 2011 he will tour the US with the Orchestre National de France and Daniele Gatti.

An exclusive Chandos recording artist, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s discography includes a cycle of Debussy’s complete works for piano, which has been recognised by many international awards, not least of which a Gramophone and a BBC Music Magazine awards in 2009. His most recently released recording of Bartók’s Piano Concertos with the BBC Philharmonic has already received great acclaim.

Booklet for Debussy: Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 4