# Jean-Efflam Bavouzet



## World Violist

Born in 1963, didn't even start concertizing until the '90s, when he was discovered by Georg Solti just before Solti's death (he was replaced by Boulez, with whom Bavouzet still collaborates). He recorded just one CD before he was 30 years old (some Haydn), and his next CDs didn't materialize until 2005, well into his 40's. But he's one of the best pianists alive.

One of his first projects was to record the complete piano solo music of Ravel, which came out in 2005. He then signed an exclusive contract with Chandos, with whom he immediately began recording the complete piano works of Debussy, which was completed a few years ago. After that there were recordings of the three Bartok concerti, the Ravel concerti (along with the Debussy Fantaisie and some shorter pieces by Massenet), and the first disc in a complete cycle of Haydn's piano sonatas. He's also going to record the complete Beethoven sonatas, and has said that he has many other plans with Chandos.

I think Bavouzet could be the first pianist I become a true "fan" of. His piano playing has brilliance, an uncanny sense of color, character aplenty--all while drawing absolutely no attention to himself. He's one of the most humble pianists I've ever heard (hence probably his "late blooming") in the best possible way.

Has anyone else heard this pianist?


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## tdc

Thanks for the recommendation, I own this compilation of Debussy solo piano music :










I can't say its bad, but it hasn't really 'clicked' with me yet either, and I'm looking for new interpretations.

Bavouzet's Reflets dans l'eau in this video sounds quite good:






I'll be looking into this guy further.


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## StlukesguildOhio

I am quite enamored of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet myself. After a glowing review in BBC Music Magazine I picked up one of his volumes of Debussy's piano works... wanting a contemporary alternative to the classic Walter Gieseking recordings. I was so impressed with his work that I eventually picked up all 5 volumes. I also greatly enjoyed his recent disc of Bartok concertos and have his solo piano works by Ravel on my "wish list". I've seen his Haydn disc but haven't yet checked into these as I already have a complete Haydn cycle as well as a number of favorite sonatas played by a number of different pianists. 

He is certainly a pianist whose work I immediately look into.


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## Delicious Manager

I did a short stint at a London artists agency in 1998-99. One of the artists I was asked to look after was a little-known French pianist by the name of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. It was clear from the outset that he was a very special musician. Unfortunately his first CDs, dating from 1996 were on the Japanese 'Pony Canyon' label, which was not distributed in Europe (I'm not sure about the rest of the world) and so were unheard by most music lovers around the world. I have a copy of the Debussy 12 Etudes, _Children's Corner_, _Page d'album_, _Elégie_ and _La plus que lente_ and it remains one of the treasues of my collection.

I remember getting Jean-Efflam a date with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on 2 January 2000 and that Jean-Efflam's flight would mean he was in the air during that time when we were all being duped that there was a 'millennium bug' that would send computers crazy when 31 December 1999 became 1 January 2000. He was quite concerned. he arrived perfectly safely, apparently.


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## World Violist

Having looked a bit further into Bavouzet's recordings, it turns out there are a few Japanese CDs, and true to form they are not available on Amazon US, but are on Amazon JP. I think he's said himself, though, that he hasn't changed much in the intervening years, so I'm not in much hurry to get them since by the looks of it he's rerecorded the lot in what's probably better sound, except an early Chopin disc... and I have a very profound apathy toward Chopin, so I don't mind.


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