Debussy - String Quartet [Melos String Quartett] 

This is a lovely disc, coupling together the usual Ravel and Debussy pairings, usually it's the Ravel Quartet i always find superior, but this time listening, i feel i'm developing a new appreciation for the Debussy Quartet, the two Quartets are similar in so many ways, and of course the Ravel was based on the Debussy, both have a dynamic pizzicato second movement, it was good to get to know this Quartet better today. 

The Melos String Quartett is a German Quartet that was active for 40 years, from 1965-2005, they recorded this disc in 1979, the booklet front cover is a great one [picture by Annette Lederer], a colourful picture of the Quartet, large umbrellas in hand, very long grass in the background, and carrying their instruments in cases.

Well i just love all of the pizzicato playing, the second movement really is a true scherzo, brief and playful, here it lasts less than 4 minutes, a combination of pizzicato and bowing, and i just love that high treble plink plink [0:09+], and i just love the twang at [0:10], the way it resonates and dies, also in the first minute i can hear Grieg's 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King', after the pizzicato opening, the music  gravitates more towards bowing [0:58+], there's this lyrical yet sour song from the first violin [2:16-2:34], and right afterwards some lightning bowing from the whole Quartet in turn [2:34-2:43], ending on the cello, nice sonorities here, the pizzicato returns but it's different, i like the ending, a fairly lazy version of the opening tune [3:26-3:50], the whole thing kicks nicely, perfectly placed second in the whole scheme of the Quartet. 

Here's the Cuerteto Casals playing the second movement Assez Vif Et Bien Rythme on YouTube.

Debussy - Images Books 1 & 2 [Tiberghien] 

A really nice Debussy recital, and a well chosen programme to boot, i bought this in 2005, and it's slowly impressed me, it comes from Harmonia Mundi's 'Les Nouveaux Interpretes' series [The New Interpreters], showcasing up and coming French Artists, and giving them a platform to speak from, it's a great series, and there's some fine discs to be had, Tiberghien has gone on to greater things, and i think he's destined for a long and rewarding career, Check out his recordings of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas with Alina Ibragimova, he certainly builds his interpretations up to powerful climaxes, maybe in the real poetry of quiet passages, i don't find that intensity in abundance, maybe neither a vast palette of colours, but i'm still in the infancy of listening to this disc, so my feelings can still blossom and bloom.

Cedric Tiberghien is French, he is now 37 years old, he made this recording in 2000, this Harmonia Mundi series has a major black & white picture on the right, and then a colour scheme on the left and back, this one's orange, i like the way these are laid out, the picture [by Vincent Pancol] is excellent, black background and shirt, highlighting the face, stark lighting giving deep shadows, i like it a lot, if only he did something interesting with his hands.

Well what a wonderful work this is, 6 Images, all very different, and the one i liked the most was the third one from Book One 'Mouvement', if you watch the video for this, you can see how Debussy was a little devil in forcing the hands to play over and around each other, but it's actually great visual gymnastics as well as lovely music, lovely stammering and stuttering playing from Tiberghien at the beginning [0:00-0:30], those lovely hammered chords, going from treble in the right hand, and echoing in the bass in the left hand [0:30-0:44], and then again in a more legato and extended way [0:56-1:03], notice the satisfying transformation?, the way the whole thing starts over again is terrific [2:10+], lovely warbling treble right at the end [2:54-3:17], slowly moving higher and higher, and the delicious dead note right at the end [3:17], a perfect way to end a piece, yes it's really alive, it's amazing how much you can pack into three and a half minutes if you're Debussy!.

Here's Mouvement, the third piece from the First Book of Images being played on YouTube.

Debussy - Clair De Lune 'Piano Favourites' [Jones]

Here's a mixed anthology of Debussy's piano music, delving into all areas of his solo works, highlighting on the best / famous bits i suppose, taken from Martin Jones complete survey on 5 separate discs, this disc can be used as a satisfying recital in itself [which is what i use it for], or a sampler to see if you want to go further with the other discs, i find Jones a safe interpreter of Debussy's music, not in the league of the most astounding Pianists, but i like this set because there's areas of Debussy's solo piano music that i seem to have skipped over, especially the Etudes, and maybe it's time to re-listen to certain areas of his oeuvre. 

Martin Jones is English, now 71 years of age, he has recorded extensively for Nimbus, recording whole cycles of Composers works, he recorded this disc in 1988, the front cover is a painting by Claude Monet entitled Twilight, Venice, a silhouette full of gorgeous colours, mainly yellow and orange, i like paintings, but seem to find too many duds as artwork for disc covers [Naxos anyone?], but this is a lovely one. 

I was surprised how much of this recital i enjoyed that i didn't know quite so well, it's very generous [over 76 minutes], and nicely varied too, the tracks i liked the most were 1-3, 5 & 17,   

Debussy - String Quartet [The Keller String Quartet] 

About a couple of years ago the Ravel String Quartet came out of the 'like' department of my brain, and into the 'love' department of my heart, the Debussy String Quartet has lagged behind, not so memorable, not so... i'm not sure, but it hasn't hit me yet, i played the Ravel String Quartet on this disc just over a month ago [20th April 2011], now i turn to the Debussy, and slowly i'm getting there.

The Keller String Quartet were formed in 1987 in Hungary, and this recording was made in 1993, i like the booklet front cover, two thirds a close up picture of a leaf, showing green and yellow, a really sharp picture showing all the veins, really nice.

Both Ravel and Debussy make excellent use of pizzicato, it seems that Ravel based his Quartet on the Debussy, also employing a second movement that is an excellent mix of pizzicato and bowing, i really enjoyed Debussy's second movement Assez Vif Et Bien Rythme, it's short at under 4 minutes, but not short on excitement, just listen to the first Violinist [Andras Keller] play those opening pizzicato notes [0:08-0:37], it's those high treble plinks that really are lovely, and a nice jump to sweet bowing [0:57-1:26], and then to slightly more sour [2:10-2:26], the pizzicato of the opening returns [2:35-2:56], and right near the end a some clever lazy bowing by the lower strings [3:17-3:25], examining the Quartet more closely brings out dividends.

Here's the Brooklyn Ryder String Quartet playing the second movement on YouTube.

Debussy - Images 1 & 2 [Moravec] 

Here's some more of Moravec's Debussy, continuing from last months enjoyment of the Estampes [12 February 2011],

Ivan Moravec is a Czech, now 80 years old, this recording is from 1982 when he was 52, i like the booklet photo [by Waring Abbott], seems like a wide angle shot, either that or it's a baby grand piano.

Debussy - Estampes
[Moravec] 

This is another worthy Debussy recital, with for me the added attraction in that it collects the very best works of Debussy onto one disc, early this year i played another Debussy recital by Noriko Ogawa [4th January 2011], and there i praised her Estampes, i mirror that here, i was really touched by these three pieces, the recording is on an obscure label, the Moss Music Group [MMG], but it's an excellent recording, i can't fault it, a nice realism, bass / treble and left / right perspective are great.

Ivan Moravec was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930, now 80 years old, he is no longer in prime condition, and i believe he has some health issues now, he recorded these Debussy works in 1982, the booklet cover photo is by Waring Abbott, an excellent shot really, showing almost the whole of a grand piano,with some deep shadows, and with a grey wall and floor, it creates quite a monotone picture, however the lettering isn't very inspired in my mind, but the logo is interesting. 

Well on this listen i keep coming back to the Pagodes, the opening piece of the triptych, after the stuttering bass opening, the lovely opening gambit in the right hand 'tune maker' is such a treasurable moment [0:10], and nice pleading by the left hand [0:28], while the right hand now evolves / transforms into the accompaniment, it's a gorgeous opening gambit by Debussy, extremely memorable, i like the tolling of the left hand bell [1:40], and the orientalism that comes after it in the left hand is superb [2:02], the bell tolls again [2:28], but quickly changes to a double bell [2:31], a really clever idea, and so musically satisfying, and there's a lovely warbling trill in the treble [2:48], the reprise of the opening is so heart wrenching [3:01], and i like the way there's a nice forte in the bass [4:12], and then the rain comes down [4:28], and like some Japanese watercolour, the whole piece just gets washed away!, a tremendous piece with real atmosphere. 

Here's James Pritchett playing Pagodes on YouTube.