Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is one of a number of younger artists who has shown that there's perhaps unexpected life yet in the French recital and concerto traditions of the 19th century. Here he surrounds a pair of familiar Ravel standards for piano and orchestra with works that qualify as rarities by major composers. Bavouzet makes these into considerable revelations. The neglect of the Fantaisie for piano and orchestra of Debussy, composed in 1889, is a bit hard to understand inasmuch as it is Debussy's only work for this ...
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Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is one of a number of younger artists who has shown that there's perhaps unexpected life yet in the French recital and concerto traditions of the 19th century. Here he surrounds a pair of familiar Ravel standards for piano and orchestra with works that qualify as rarities by major composers. Bavouzet makes these into considerable revelations. The neglect of the Fantaisie for piano and orchestra of Debussy, composed in 1889, is a bit hard to understand inasmuch as it is Debussy's only work for this combination. It stands right at the point where Debussy's mature style emerged, seeming at first a work in Fauré's style. But soon it transpires that the piano is not forming contrasts with the orchestra but painting colors in the empty spaces it leaves, using textures and a surprising amount of whole-tone material. Bavouzet's performance is magical. Likewise the Massenet pieces, including the Valse folle (Crazy Waltz) that concludes the proceedings on a somewhat ominous note. The Ravel...
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