Search - Claude Debussy, Walter Gieseking :: Debussy: Préludes

Save me! I'm drowning...

Lee M. Mcguire | Urbana, IL | 01/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The watery allusions to Debussy music seem to have been taken far too literally by many pianists as well as piano music fans. Attempting to describe something inexpressible in concrete terms is inherently flawed, and to take an irrational "impression" and attempt to distill it down even further, results in loss of clarity. Though the music may be "softer," and less "rigid" and thus more flexible to subjective interpretation, it is distanced from the artist's first message; the music itself. Debussy's music speaks clearly, without the need for "Gaullic" over-sentimentalizing. I've never understood the arguments about Gieseking's Germanic interpretation, as if genetics and not culture were the main influence in one's artistic make-up. Though other great pianists who have recorded these Preludes caress wonderful tones from their instruments(Pollini, Moravec, Arrau), compared to Gieseking's mastery and control of colors and his tonal variety they sound overly warm, mushy even. Listening to Gieseking playing Debussy is to be at the water's edge, sight unimpeded by any mist rising from the surface of the pond, gazing upon a reflection of the moon that is not hazed in by clouds. After him, listening to other recordings is like peering at the same lunar image from the bottom of the pond. Save me Gieseking, I'm drowning..."

Perfect

Josef Krebs | Seattle | 09/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you want Debussey's piano preludes, and you want them played perfectly, then this is for you. It's a terrific after dinner album, of durring a nice bath.This disk won: The Grammophone Award in the UK The Diapason d'Or in France The Prix de l'Academie de disque francais, also in France.To quote Gramophone magazine, "The difinitive version and an outstanding issue. Neither the playing nor the recording can be faulted." I couldn't agree more."

Gieseking Triumphs Over Music, But Not Sound Itself

Jonathan L. Kirsch | Chicago, IL | 07/21/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"To call Walter Gieseking an extraordinary pianist would be an understatement. After all, how many pianists could study their scores in utter quietude, playing the notes solely in their own minds as a form of practice? Just imagine Gieseking sitting for hours pondering the score with no movement besides his eyes flicking back and forth across the pages. If that wasn't miracle enough, his wife actually tolerated his behavior.



Gieseking is rightly renowned as a great interpreter of Debussy (among others), and here he never fails to disappoint. However, there are disadvantages to listening to a recording that is almost 55 years old. The obvious problem with this recording is that it is a mono recording. Put in laymen's terms, the listener hears "what he would hear at the microphone position if only one of his ears was functioning...in such a system it is not possible to gain any impression of the position of the instrument groupings in an orchestra, nor can lateral movement be indicated." Mono sound is less crippling for the pianist than for an entire orchestra. Nonetheless, the notes in this recording sound a little flatter and lack a little of the luster that you would find in a good stereo recording.



Some might argue that Gieseking's superb interpretation trumps such sound flaws - but I have to disagree. There are other terrific interpreters of Debussy. Hearing Radu Lupu play these same preludes in Orchestra Hall last year was a melodic experience that I won't soon forget, (though sadly Lupu has yet to record it). It's understandable if you are a connoisseur who would like this recording for its historic value or Gieseking's unique interpretation. But it would be a mistake to claim that this is the definitive recording of the preludes or that no other rendition is needed in one's collection.

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