![]() Whenever possible, I prefer to read the French and German originals and make my own translations, rather than only the English versions. Rarely has a performer had quite so much affinity to a composer and shared it with such perfection.As I explore numerous digitized libraries via the internet, the vast printed literature yields glimpses into the milieux of the music we know and love from centuries past, sometimes written by the musicians themselves. The spectacular marathon was rounded off with a climactic Feux d’artifice which ended the morning perfectly with a discreet musical reference to the Marseillaise and a big climax. He raised his eyebrows at the audience in witty parts of the eccentric Général Lavine and looked as though he had great fun in performing the piece. A second longer interval of exchanging vouchers for coffee and croissants was required by all before Bavouzet went on to play the entire Book II – no less than twelve pieces – in a tireless manner. A small taster of three movements was played from Book I in the second part of the concert including a beautiful rendition of the well-known La fille aux cheveux de lin (“The Girl with the Flaxen Hair”). The acoustics at the Pittville Pump Room were soft enough to maintain that special ethereal quality required for Debussy, yet the mellow tones of the Steinway added to the warmth of the harmonic colour of his works.Īccording to Bavouzet, Debussy’s two-book collection of Préludes demand a separate category of their own, away from the rest of his compositions. The excellence of the performance was enhanced by a great venue. ![]() This is what Debussy calls ’la chair nue de l’émotion’ (the naked flesh of emotion), where the performer puts emotion into the music whilst maintaining control over the piece. Through his interpretation he uncovers the true emotion required to play Debussy. His style on the piano speaks his own heart, whilst staying as close to the particular edition he has chosen to perform of each piece as he can. It was evident from his discussion and performance that Bavouzet has wonderful technical ability, and also knowledge of Debussy as a composer and character: this was a unique interpretation of the music. In the second part of the concert, Bavouzet described the Etude I pour les cinq doigts d’après Monsieur Czerny as the right hand getting bored and wanting to join in, whilst the left hand repeated a study. His stage presence confirmed his intellect, providing informative yet witty observations about the pieces before playing them. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet brought energy to the performance, and every time he returned from an interval or from drinking a glass of water, he looked just as fresh as when he first came on stage. ![]() The in-depth study passed over three hours with an early start, not to bore but to delight – each and every step of the event was fascinating and gripping. The programme, entitled ‘The Essential Debussy’, was designed by Bavouzet to explore Debussy’s relationship with the piano and cover many of his major compositions, in a meticulous order and grouping. The charismatic pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet opened our eyes to the impressionistic world of Claude Debussy in this special three-part concert for the Cheltenham Music Festival. ![]() To perform so many of Debussy’s works in one sitting requires a certain amount of skill and understanding.
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