Definitive Impressionism: Walter Gieseking Performs Debussy's Complete Piano Masterworks (4xCD Mono)

UPC: 724356585522 

MPN: 724356585522 

Brand Name: EMI Classics

Overview

This highly sought-after 4-CD compilation presents the complete solo piano music of Claude Debussy, performed by one of the composer's most celebrated and historically significant interpreters, Walter Gieseking. Recorded in the early 1950s, these legendary mono recordings capture Gieseking's distinctive touch, famed for its ethereal subtlety, masterful pedaling, and unique ability to conjure the evocative, atmospheric world of French Impressionism. The set encompasses all the major cycles—including the elusive, full-bodied Préludes, Suite bergamasque with the timeless "Clair de Lune," Images, and the complete Etudes—offering a comprehensive look at Debussy's revolutionary contributions to the piano repertoire.

Product Features

• Format: 4 x Audio CD, Compilation, Mono
• Genre: Classical
• Style: Impressionist, Early 20th-Century Piano Works
• Performer: Walter Gieseking (Piano)
• Orchestra (for Fantaisie): Orchester Des Hessischen Rundfunks
• Conductor (for Fantaisie): Kurt Schröder
• Country of Release: Europe
• Release Year (of CD Compilation): 1995
• Original Recording Dates: Predominantly 1951-1954 (Solo Works)

Interesting Facts

• Walter Gieseking (1895–1956) is widely considered one of the foremost interpreters of Debussy and Ravel. His technique was characterized by a rare ability to achieve miraculous tonal shadings and "half-tints," giving the impression of a piano without hammers—perfectly capturing the atmospheric qualities of Impressionism.
• These EMI recordings of Debussy's complete piano works, which Gieseking recorded in the early 1950s, were remakes of earlier versions he had set down on 78rpm discs in the 1930s. The later EMI cycle remains the more widely reissued and definitive historical recording.
• The collection includes the monumental 12 Études, composed late in Debussy's life. Dedicated to Chopin, these final piano works are dazzlingly complex and explore new technical challenges, with titles like "Pour les huit doigts" (For the eight fingers) and "Pour les tierces" (For the thirds).
• Gieseking had an abnormally acute faculty for memorization, often learning entire concertos or major works while traveling by train, ship, or plane, a remarkable talent that contributed to his vast repertoire.

Track Listing (Highlights)

Disc 1: Préludes (Book I & II) (Total 12 tracks each)

• 1-1 to 1-12: Préludes, Book I (e.g., La Cathédrale Engloutie, La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin)
• 1-13 to 1-24: Préludes, Book II (e.g., La Puerta Del Vino, Feux D'Artifice)

Disc 2: Pour Le Piano, Estampes, Images I & II, Children's Corner

• 2-1 to 2-3: Pour Le Piano (Prélude, Sarabande, Toccata)
• 2-4 to 2-6: Estampes (Pagodes, La Soirée Dans Grenade, Jardins Sous La Pluie)
• 2-13 to 2-18: Children's Corner (Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum, Golliwog's Cakewalk, etc.)

Disc 3: 12 Études, Masques, L'Isle Joyeuse, etc.

• 3-1 to 3-12: 12 Études
• 3-15: L'Isle Joyeuse (Quasi Una Cadenza – Tempo: Modéré Et Très Souple) (4:57)

Disc 4: Suite Bergamasque, Arabesques, Fantaisie, etc.

• 4-1 to 4-4: Suite Bergamasque (Prélude, Menuet, Clair De Lune, Passepied)
• 4-9 to 4-10: Deux Arabesques
• 4-14 to 4-16: Fantaisie For Piano And Orchestra (Conducted by Kurt Schröder)

Publishers

• Label: EMI Classics
• Compiled By, Research: Ken Jagger
• Liner Notes: Bryce Morrison
• Producers: Geraint Jones, Walter Legge
• Remastered By: Andrew Walter

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