Octo_Russ

Debussy - Estampes [Arrau]

Another box set in this Arrau Edition series, this one is a two disc set, earlier in the month i played a Brahms box set by Arrau [3rd October 2010], this i feel is a more logical bunch of works, especially the Images and the Estampes, but also the 24 Preludes are given some enlightening interpretations by Arrau, a set to dip into and enjoy over the years.

These works were recorded between 1979-1981, when Arrau was 76 to 78 years old, and like i've said before, as he got older his interpretations somewhat slowed down with age, but also like a fine wine he matured in his insights, here we have the later thoughts of a master, roughly ten years before he passed away.

These box sets are wonderful, lovely pictures of Arrau [photos by Christian Steiner], with sheet music in the background, nicely housed in a handsome fatbox, with a thick 44 page booklet, very informative, it's a joy to own one of these, and they're quite rare now, i can't see any on Ebay at the moment.

I very much enjoyed the first two pieces in this triptych, especially the opening Pagodes, in many ways it's quite a complex piece, or is it that Debussy makes the simple sound complex?, it's a beautiful tone painting of East Asia, incorporating Oriental melodies, and even Eastern instruments, it's hard to nail down what i specifically find wonderful about this piece, as i find every bit of it so beautiful, so just some things i notice about Arrau, i love the way he has this ping ping at the end of the opening phrase [0:15 & 0:23], that is so gorgeous!, the two hands are almost commanded to play as separate entities, both almost unaware of each other, but the Pianist has to link them both by the heart, it's a joy to somehow hear the hands playing apart, and yet creating something greater than either of them can do, the piece gets louder and more agitated at [1:00+], but then mysteriously subsides, and the tolling bell starts up [1:29+], it gets forte again, but the quietness comes back, and the tolling starts again, but this time it's a double toll [2:11+] which develops an exciting trill to it, towards the end there's this wash of notes in the treble, like light rain [3:53-5:03], that last until the end of the piece, oh my gosh!, i haven't described a tenth of what's going on in this supreme piece of music, Debussy is surely a genius, and Claudio Arrau is a superb advocate of his music, this truly was a joy to retread these musical steps again as i reviewed my listening pleasure, my Blog is the literary spice which excites my ears all over again.

Here's Ying Chen playing Pagodes on YouTube.