Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Favorite recordings of Debussy Preludes?

Let me know who you like.

I wish Richter had done a complete set - I like his approach to individual ones.

For complete set: Krystian Zimerman.

Ah, the Preludes. They are the very heart of Debussy's piano works, IMO. Among my favorites are:

Gieseking : classic set that everyone interested in Debussy should listen to, even if one may disagree with certain aspects of his interpretation. Often thought to be the model of Debussy playing. Sound is of course dated (mono). Review by Jed Distler.

Zimerman : in some ways the polar opposite of Gieseking. Each prelude is very vividly characterized, and as always he uses a very wide dynamic palette. One minus: he doesn't follow the idiosyncratic tempo notation of La cathédrale engloutie (many don't).

Planes : perhaps my favorite recording so far. He uses a period instrument to great effect (one really gets an idea of what sound Debussy had in mind), and is more faithful to the score than most pianists. Review by Luca Sabbatini.

Other sets that I haven't listened to but which have earned rave reviews include those by Osborne ( review by Jed Distler) and Bavouzet .

The Planes recording sounds interesting, I ordered it already, though I wish there were some samples for me to listen to.

I like the work of the late Austrian pianist Walter Klien. I don't believe he has recorded all the preludes, but he has certainly covered most of them.

Ed

I always enjoyed Claudio Arrau's versions of the Preludes. They happen to be the first recording of them I ever heard, so that could be why, but I always thought his were done the best from what I've heard.

Thank you to everyone who wrote in.
I'm am planning on working on the preludes and I look forward to hearing these.

I just downloaded from iTunes recordings my Jacobs and Roge and I'm looking forward to getting time to listen to these as well.

What, no Michelangeli recommendations yet?!?! Shocking!! :-)

By the way, I haven't heard his recording, but I heard Thibaudet play Book II live, and it's etched in my memory as the one of the more amazing demonstrations of piano playing I've ever heard. Not only was his control of the instrument uncanny (after the first few jaw-dropping moments, my jaw just stayed dropped throughout), but his understanding of the music was a rare thing, too. I feel privileged to have heard it (and I know, he doesn't always play at that exalted level).

I guess I should not answer, since I have not yet grown up to really appreciate Debussy's music, and especially not the preludes.

But if I want to listen to Debussy, this man has a way of playing his music that I like :

http://www.simax.no/artikkel.php?id=493&sn=simax

I also like the way mr Austbø plays Grieg, but that's another story.

Ragnhild

Youri Egorov.
The most beautiful Debussy's Preludes recorded in my opinion.

I will be happy to recommend the Paul Jacobs CDs of both Books I & II of the Preludes on the Nonesuch label. These are older recordings, from the 1970's I think, but remastered. The piano sound is very warm. I really love this set. I have not heard all of the others, mostly just the Arrau.

Oh..I forgot...I like his Images too....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cv3m9r2w7HA

I went to a Radu Lupu recital yesterday in Montreal where he played all 12 preludes from the Premier Livre in the second part of the program and thought it was played with delicacy and perfect control - it was bewitching !

It was the first time I heard these pieces though, so I really can't compare with anything.

The only set I have is probably as authentic as you can get, Debussy's student, E. Robert Schmitz. It does not seem to be available on CD now, however.