Debussy / Baranova - Unfolding Debussy - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The intimacy, the proximity of the song stems from this special dialogue between voice and piano in which poetry can be found as much in the text as in it's musical transcription, with a refinement of elocution and musical form. The French art of the song ('la mélodie') was born in the early years of the nineteenth century, and the greatest composers excelled in it, from Gabriel Fauré to Claude Debussy, not forgetting Reynaldo Hahn and others less celebrated but no less fascinating, such as Déodat de Séverac. The programme of this revisits songs originally conceived for voice and piano, here transcribed for guitar. The delicacy of the plucked strings reinforces this proximity between the two languages, poetic and musical, as if the spider-like touch of the guitar was better suited than the paradoxically heavier finesse of the piano. This project, however, is above all the outcome of long years of work from the Duo Varnerin, a knowledgeable blend of a beautiful family story and a delicate musical encounter. After having followed an individual path with their own experiences before, sister and brother joined forces to unite their knowledge, their techniques and their musical affinities in the service of an uncommonly rare programme, with all the tenderness and refinement that these gems of French song deserve.

Debussy / Taverna - Debusy & Ravel [COMPACT DISCS] date 06/16/2017

Julia Bartha writes of her new InchThorsten Encke has created a wonderful collection of extremely associative and clearly defined character pieces with his Aprèsludes. The multi-layered music fires the imagination and is a rewarding challenge for listeners and pianists alike. I very much enjoyed working on these pieces; they are not only a real pleasure to play, but also take me on a wonderful journey on which I can encounter Debussy. From D'autre part via Ombres-tristesse, Un beau brin de fille, Monsieur Croche-Double Croche and Cloches up to the impetuosity of Bateau-ivre we are repeatedly confronted with extreme opposites. Spontaneity and freedom are juxtaposed by mechanical severity. Individual motifs from Debussy's Préludes flash up. The subtlest pianissimo passages, tender glissandos and bell-like sounds are 'pushed aside' in the next movement by brusque martellato chord clusters, and the consistent utilization of the sostenuto pedal leaves behind vibrant traces of sound. An intensely individual music, which perpetuates Debussy's concept of new tonal aesthetics in our time.Inch First prize-winner of the 'Jugend musiziert' competition, finalist at the Clara-Haskil Competition in Vevey/Switzerland, and prize-winner at the Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition in Vercelli, Julia Bartha achieved the leap on to major podiums of the German-speaking and wider international world at an early age. She has appeared at numerous festivals, and her unique profile as a concert pianist is highlighted by the refreshingly unconventional ways in which she bridges the gap between different forms of artistic expression.