Debussy: Preludes II; En blanc et noir

Maurizio Pollini

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Debussy: Preludes II; En blanc et noir Review

by James Manheim

This release may set a record for the temporal distance between two volumes of the same set: Maurizio Pollini's first book of Debussy Preludes appeared in 1999, and he took 19 years to ponder the present release. For all that, Pollini's overall approach is consistent. It's not going to be everybody's cup of tea, but no one can doubt the clarity and the thought that has gone into the smallest details. This is rather Bachian Debussy, with little atmosphere even in a piece like Mists, and a great deal of consideration of harmonic structure. Does the humor that is part of Debussy's world get lost if you approach it this way? That's probably up to the individual listener to decide, but Pollini can't be called dour. A major attraction of this release is the presence of Pollini's son Daniele in the late and relatively infrequently performed two-piano work En blanc et noir, where we encounter Bach explicitly, and, as it happens, negatively: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott is made to symbolize the German enemy in World War I. This is a fascinating and deeply allusive work, and the father-son team has an X factor that gives the performance considerable power. Deutsche Grammophon contributes fine engineering from the Herkulessaal in Berlin to this characteristic second Debussy round from Pollini.

Track Listing

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Préludes, 2e Livre
1	I. Brouillards. Modéré, extrêmement égal et léger Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:36	Spotify Amazon
2	II. Feuilles mortes. Lent et mélancolique Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:25	Spotify Amazon
3	III. La Puerta del Vino. Mouvement de habanera avec de brusques oppositions d'extrême violence et de passionnée douceur Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:37	Spotify Amazon
4	IV. Les Fées sont d'exquises danseuses. Rapide et léger Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:59	Spotify Amazon
5	V. Bruyères. Calme - Doucement expressif Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:20	Spotify Amazon
6	VI. Général Lavine - eccentric. Dans le style et le mouvement d'un cake - walk Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:16	Spotify Amazon
7	VII. La Terrasse des audiences du clair de lune. Lent Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	03:34	Spotify Amazon
8	VIII. Ondine. Scherzando Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:48	Spotify Amazon
9	IX. Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. Grave Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:27	Spotify Amazon
10	X. Canope. Très calme et doucement triste Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:24	Spotify Amazon
11	XI. Les Tierces alternées. Modérément animé Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	02:27	Spotify Amazon
12	XII. Feux d'artifice. Modérément animé Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	04:05	Spotify Amazon
En blanc et noir
13	I. À mon ami A. [sic] Koussevitzky. Avec emportement Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	04:13	Spotify Amazon
14	II. Au lieutenant Jacques Charlot tué à l'ennemi en 1915, le 3 mars. Lent. Sombre Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	07:11	Spotify Amazon
15	III. À mon ami Igor Stravinsky. Scherzando Claude Debussy	Maurizio Pollini	04:09	Spotify Amazon

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Debussy: Preludes II; En blanc et noir Review

Track Listing

Maurizio Pollini Discography Browser