# Samson Francois



## Aramis

Any fans here?

I'm digging his recordings since recently, I've got his Ravel (two concertos) and Chopin both sets of etudes. Concertos are unattractive but mainly because of orchestra. Etudes are quite okay. I'm getting this right now:










If I won't like this I give up.

If I do I'll get more of his Chopin and will try to hear his own works - he was not only a pianist but also a composer and jazz dude. But I'm not sure if it will be easy to get recordings of his own stuff, so far I saw none.


----------



## Lipatti

I have the Ravel concertos and I like his playing, especially in the one for the left hand. Very good bass line and clean pedal technique which is crucial there. You should also check out the Grieg concerto, which he also is very good at.


----------



## Air

His Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit is scary good, better than Michelangeli in many ways. I've also heard some of his Chopin - Alfred Cortot's influence as a teacher certainly shines through.


----------



## Aramis

Got new stuff from him:










And quite like it. Rubinstein's recording is too cloudy to my taste (it's matter of recording more than playing though) and Pollini sounds a bit sterile. This one is in between. I think it may become my favourite recording of Chopin's polonaises. WHO KNOWS... I must listen to it more carefully. But so far I'm certain that it was worth of getting.


----------



## tdc

I have several of his Ravel works, all around I find his playing quite good, if at times somewhat straying and erratic. I consider him somewhat in the style of Glenn Gould. He wouldn't be my 'go to' guy to get an over-all sense of a certain composer or a piece of music but when he is 'on' he is really on kind of a thing. He is not the best interpreter of Ravel I've listened to, but he is good and in the future I wouldn't shy away from his recordings.


----------



## flamencosketches

Bump for an old thread.

Samson François is (of course, alongside one of his one-time teachers Alfred Cortot) one of the greatest pianists I've ever heard, particularly in Chopin, Ravel, and Debussy. He does play it all differently than everyone else (he plays Ravel really slowly and impressionistically) but lately he's my choice in any of the 3. 

Anyone else a fan? He died too young, I wish there were more recordings out there.


----------



## wkasimer

flamencosketches said:


> I wish there were more recordings out there.


You mean that 36 CD's worth isn't enough? :devil:


----------



## philoctetes

But it's made of Unobtainium now.


----------



## Mandryka

flamencosketches said:


> Anyone else a fan?


Yes I think so, especially when he's well recorded, because of the lightness and a very attractive swing. Sometimes the piano tone sounds hard on the EMI recordings and that puts me off a bit.


----------



## Strange Magic

I find his recording of the Ravel Left Hand Concerto so singularly "right"-sounding that it has prevented me from fully enjoying anybody else's performance. After I wore out my old LP, I was bereft until the François Ravel concertos and Gaspard were reissued on CD--O Happy Day!


----------



## philoctetes

I have all his Ravel, Debussy, and whatever is included in the Cluytens box - concertos by Ravel and Prokofiev. He could easily be #1 in any of these. Not determined yet if he could make a Chopin fan out of me tho.


----------



## DavidA

Tremendously gifted pianist whose playing was erratic as his lifestyle. I have his Ravel recordings. The Left hand is greatest ever.


----------

