# Mozart Chopin and Debussy Solo Piano



## Mecc

Dear All,

Do any of you recommend any books, websites etc on the following three pieces:

Sonata in A, K. 331 - Mozart
Nocturne in C sharp minor Op. posth. - Chopin (used in The Pianist 2002)
Children's Corner - Debussy

Thanks in anticipation,

Regards

Matthew


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## Ras

Hi there Matthew

What are looking for more precisely? 
Instructions about how to play those pieces?
Introductions for a newbie listener?
What level are you as a listener and/or musician?

If you just need a basic introduction to those pieces you can find them on Wikipedia.


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## Mecc

Hi there Ras,

I am not a newbie, neither as a musician nor as a listener.

I would appreciate any information on their style, structure, form, interpretation, history. And if an issue on how to play it arises, why not, I also welcome it. I am looking for anything which you might think would help me understand these pieces better and know better what I am playing. Regarding Wikipedia, I would like more detailed info.

For example, it would be so much more interesting for a musician to know that Beethoven was totally deaf when he wrote his 9th Symphony or it would be so helpful to know that a rondo has several sections ABAC and so on... (the examples I gave here are simple so anyone can understand). I hope you can help me better.

Regards,

Matthew


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## Ras

*Here are the Wiki pages for you to consult first:*

Dubussy's Children's Corner on wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children's_Corner

Mozart's Piano Sonata in A, K. 331:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No._11_(Mozart)

Nocturne in C sharp minor Op. posth. :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturne_in_C-sharp_minor,_Op._posth._(Chopin)
___________________

I don't play piano myself, but as a "casual listener" I have found *Harold C. Schonberg's book "The Lives of the Great Composers"* very illuminating as a good solid background for each composer -- (even though the title is says "lives" not "music" the focuses first and foremost on the music than the biographical background.) - Every chapter focuses on one composer or a group of composers - so there are about 15-20 pages in each chapter. Chopin - Mozart and Debussy are included of course. Amazon has it here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lives-Grea...&sr=1-1&keywords=lives+of+the+great+composers
___________________

You can try *H.C. Landon's "The Mozart Compendium" *- I don't have it myself, but I would assume there is something about the K. 331 sonata that is so famous. Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Com...&qid=1534966379&sr=1-5&keywords=landon+mozart
_________________

You can also try this thread here on TC about music books - maybe people on that thread have suggestions for books you can read: Music Books - A Quick Reference


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## Ras

Hi again Matthew
I think I have found something useful for you about *Debussy's Children's Corner:
* -- Somebody named *Maurice Hinson wrote introductions to all movements of Children's Corner* - you can read it here on Google Books:
https://books.google.dk/books?id=bj...=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false
or you can buy it on amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Debussy-Ch...&qid=1535027754&sr=1-1&keywords=9780739014073


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## Mecc

Hi Ras,

Thanks so very much. I really appreciate your help. I will definitely take a look at it.


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## Josquin13

In regards to Debussy's Children's Corner, I'd make the following suggestions:

1. E. Robert Schmitz--his book, "The Piano Works of Claude Debussy"--a technical analysis with commentary. Schmitz was a friend of the composer, and gave the world premiere of Debussy's Premiére rhapsodie: https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Works-...575&sr=1-1&keywords=E.+Robert+Schmitz+debussy. Schmitz made a recording the Preludes Books 1 & 2.

2. Pianist/scholar Roy Howat--his book "Debussy in Proportion" (and "The Art of French Piano Music"), along with Howat's Edition of Children's Corner, etc.--anything Howat has written on Debussy, or other French composers is valuable reading (including his interesting program notes to Dinu Ciani's recording of the Preludes Books 1 & 2: https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Prél...1535126517&sr=8-1&keywords=dino+piano+debussy). You might find Howat's own recording of Children's Corner of interest too (though it probably isn't among my top two or three recordings for this work): http://www.royhowat.com/pb/wp_abd5f668.html

https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Prop...UTF8&qid=1535126335&sr=1-3&keywords=roy+howat
https://www.amazon.com/Art-French-P...UTF8&qid=1535126335&sr=1-1&keywords=roy+howat
https://www.amazon.com/Vol-4-Debuss...UTF8&qid=1535126301&sr=1-1&keywords=roy+howat

3. Pianist Harold Bauer--Debussy asked the English-born American pianist Harold Bauer to give the world premiere of his Children's Corner. Therefore, it's important to get to know Bauer's pianism, & his beautiful piano touch. Bauer published an autobiography, which I've not read, but it may contain useful information on his connection to Debussy & the premiere of Children's Corner. Though from what I can recall, his relationship to Debussy was more on the formal side. Even so, this is the pianist that Debussy had in mind to premiere Children's Corner! Bauer also published editions of Debussy's piano music, which may be helpful. (I might also add that Maurice Ravel dedicated the Ondine movement in his brilliant Gaspard de la Nuit to Bauer.)













https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Rec...8&qid=1535122384&sr=1-1&keywords=harold+bauer
http://www.johnmortensen.com/hanson-ipq.pdf

4. It's also essential that you hear Debussy's own piano roll recording of Children's Corner:






5. Pianist-teacher Marcel Ciampi--Ciampi was another friend of the composer, & was coached by Debussy in the Preludes, Pour le Piano, and Children's Corner. Unfortunately, there isn't a Ciampi recording of Children's Corner, but he did record seven of the Preludes. You should get to know everything you can about how Ciampi taught Debussy's music, the qualities he emphasized and valued, as they derive from Debussy--such as a "careful differentiation of sound levels, subtle pedaling and a caressing or sliding touch" (from "The Cambridge Companion to Debussy"). Ciampi's "recollections of his coaching with Debussy are incorporated in the new OEuvres completes edition." Students of Ciampi include pianists Kathryn Stott, Mícéal O'Rourke, Hephzibah Menuhin, Jean-Marc Luisada, Eric Heidsieck, and Cécile Ousset (who owns and teaches from Ciampi's Preludes scores, which contain markings by Debussy)--some of whom have recorded the piano music of Debussy (such as Stott, O'Rourke, Ousset, & Heidsieck that I know of), but unfortunately I don't think any of Ciampi's students have recorded the Children's Corner, not yet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Ciampi
http://www.djupdal.org/karstein/debussy/method/m06.shtml













6. Other pianists that were coached by Debussy & left recordings, include Marguerite Long, Riccardo Vines, and Marcelle Meyer (who was Satie's favorite pianist.) You should also try to hear the Debussy playing of Magda Tagliaferro, Gaby & Robert Casadesus (as Gaby was a childhood friend of Debussy's daughter, Claude-Emma or Chou-Chou--to whom Debussy lovingly dedicated his Children's Corner), & possibly Yvonne Lefebure (?) too, who were all active in Paris during the early part of the 20th century.













































7. Charles Timbrell on French Pianists: his book "French Pianism: A Historical Perspective" (2nd edition): https://books.google.com/booksid=ta...arcel Ciampi edition complete debussy&f=false

8. Paul Roberts: his book, "Images: The Piano Music of Claude Debussy": https://www.amazon.com/Images-Piano...35127167&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+roberts+debussy

http://www.paulrobertspiano.com/books/#images
//www.paulrobertspiano.com/

9. Scholar Roger Nichols has also written extensively on Debussy, and his books on contemporary recollections of Debussy and the composer's selected letters may be helpful:

https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Reme...5125386&sr=1-2&keywords=roger+nichols+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Lett...5125386&sr=1-9&keywords=roger+nichols+debussy

10. Off the top of my head, here's an array of very fine recordings of the Children's Corner (in my view):

https://www.amazon.com/Preludes-Ima...&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=michelangeli+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Imag...&sr=1-4-catcorr&keywords=michelangeli+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Prel...qid=1535125613&sr=1-1&keywords=freire+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-LOeu...35125715&sr=1-1&keywords=monique+haas+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Pian...25797&sr=1-1&keywords=samson+francois+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Work...25828&sr=1-2&keywords=jacques+fevrier+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Pian...5125856&sr=1-5&keywords=zoltan+kocsis+debussy
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Imag...ds=claude+helffer+debussy+children's+corne r
https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Chil...ywords=debussy+alain+planes+children's+corner

https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Pian...28452&sr=1-1&keywords=michel+dalberto+debussy






























11. The superb French pianist Jacques Rouvier gives online courses. I'm not sure if he's done a course on Children's Corner, but his teaching is well worth looking into (if you speak French):






12. Current French pianists whose Debussy playing is worth getting to know (on You tube or Spotify, etc.), include Philippe Bianconi (who studied with Gaby Casadesus), Michel Beroff, Michel Dalberto (who studied with Vlado Perlemuter), Philippe Cassard, Alain Planes (who studied with Jacques Fevrier), Georges Pludermacher (who studied with Jacques Fevrier), Anne Queffelec, and Jacques Rouvier (& the late Catherine Collard, who studied with Yvonne Lefeburé).

Hope that helps.


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## Mecc

Christ!! Sure as hell that helps! Wow.

Thanks very, very much Josquin13


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## Josquin13

Mecc said:


> Christ!! Sure as hell that helps! Wow.
> 
> Thanks very, very much Josquin13


You're welcome. As you can probably tell, I'm nuts about Debussy (& Ravel).


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## ChopinesqueLisztenian

*Emil Gilels*

Hello,

I apologize in advance if you already knew Mr. Gilels's Mozart and other performances.






CL


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## Ras

*Josquin13*

Are you familiar with *Stephen Walsh' book: "Debussy: A Painter in Sound." published by faber and faber *in March 2018. 
And if you are what do you think about it?
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...rid=2EPVJP4S6GK49&rh=n:283155,k:debussy+walsh


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## Josquin13

Ras--No, I'm not familiar with Stephen Walsh's book on Debussy. I've now put it on my wish list. & thanks for bringing it to my attention. Has anyone out there read it?


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## Josquin13

One more thought on Debussy's Children's Corner,

You should try to hear composer/pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff's early 1920-21 recordings of "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" and "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum". I've never heard another pianist play the "Cakewalk" with such character & humor. Rachmaninoff was considered to be one of the great pianists of his era.










https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DTTG4MF/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

As for the Mozart Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331, I'd recommend that you watch as many videos (on You Tube, etc.) as you can find of lectures given by pianist/scholars Malcolm Bilson and Robert Levin. Both men have a great deal of experience playing Mozart's Piano Sonatas (& Concertos), and have much to say about performing this music, and music in general.

Bilson's lecture "Knowing the Score":






"A Piano is not a Piano is not a Piano..."





Here is Bilson playing Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331:














Robert Levin on "improvising" Mozart, etc.:



























https://en.schott-music.com/shop/klaviersonaten-no136596.html

For further interpretations on a modern piano, I'd suggest that you should try to hear the following 10 pianists, who are all remarkable in Mozart, in my opinion (on You Tube, Spotify, etc.):

Mieczyslaw Horszowski (Arbiter)--Horszowski was a student of Theodor Leschetizky, who had studied with Beethoven's pupil, Carl Czerny, and early in life performed a piano concerto with Mozart's youngest son, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, conducting. Horszowski's mother, his first teacher, studied with Karol Mikuli, who was a student of Frederic Chopin.

Alicia de Larrocha (Decca & RCA)
Lila Kraus
Alfred Brendel (Philips)
Ingrid Haebler (Philips & Denon)
Maria Joao Pires (I generally prefer her Denon recordings to her later DG series)
Elizabeth Rich
Dubravka Tomsic
Christian Zacharias (EMI)
Fazil Say

Finally, if you wish to explore Mozart played on a fortepiano further, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Jos van Immerseel, Paul Badura-Skoda, Ronald Brautigam, Bart van Oort, & Alexei Lubimov are all worth looking into, in addition to Bilson & Levin.

Hope that helps.


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## joen_cph

Josquin13 said:


> In regards to Debussy's Children's Corner, I'd make the following suggestions:
> 
> 1. E. Robert Schmitz--his book, "The Piano Works of Claude Debussy"--a technical analysis with commentary. Schmitz was a friend of the composer, and gave the world premiere of Debussy's Premiére rhapsodie: https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Works-...575&sr=1-1&keywords=E.+Robert+Schmitz+debussy. Schmitz made a recording the Preludes Books 1 & 2.
> 
> 2. Pianist/scholar Roy Howat--his book "Debussy in Proportion" (and "The Art of French Piano Music"), along with Howat's Edition of Children's Corner, etc.--anything Howat has written on Debussy, or other French composers is valuable reading (including his interesting program notes to Dinu Ciani's recording of the Preludes Books 1 & 2: https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Prél...1535126517&sr=8-1&keywords=dino+piano+debussy). You might find Howat's own recording of Children's Corner of interest too (though it probably isn't among my top two or three recordings for this work): http://www.royhowat.com/pb/wp_abd5f668.html
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Prop...UTF8&qid=1535126335&sr=1-3&keywords=roy+howat
> https://www.amazon.com/Art-French-P...UTF8&qid=1535126335&sr=1-1&keywords=roy+howat
> https://www.amazon.com/Vol-4-Debuss...UTF8&qid=1535126301&sr=1-1&keywords=roy+howat
> 
> 3. Pianist Harold Bauer--Debussy asked the English-born American pianist Harold Bauer to give the world premiere of his Children's Corner. Therefore, it's important to get to know Bauer's pianism, & his beautiful piano touch. Bauer published an autobiography, which I've not read, but it may contain useful information on his connection to Debussy & the premiere of Children's Corner. Though from what I can recall, his relationship to Debussy was more on the formal side. Even so, this is the pianist that Debussy had in mind to premiere Children's Corner! Bauer also published editions of Debussy's piano music, which may be helpful. (I might also add that Maurice Ravel dedicated the Ondine movement in his brilliant Gaspard de la Nuit to Bauer.)
> 
> 
> 
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> https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Rec...8&qid=1535122384&sr=1-1&keywords=harold+bauer
> http://www.johnmortensen.com/hanson-ipq.pdf
> 
> 4. It's also essential that you hear Debussy's own piano roll recording of Children's Corner:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5. Pianist-teacher Marcel Ciampi--Ciampi was another friend of the composer, & was coached by Debussy in the Preludes, Pour le Piano, and Children's Corner. Unfortunately, there isn't a Ciampi recording of Children's Corner, but he did record seven of the Preludes. You should get to know everything you can about how Ciampi taught Debussy's music, the qualities he emphasized and valued, as they derive from Debussy--such as a "careful differentiation of sound levels, subtle pedaling and a caressing or sliding touch" (from "The Cambridge Companion to Debussy"). Ciampi's "recollections of his coaching with Debussy are incorporated in the new OEuvres completes edition." Students of Ciampi include pianists Kathryn Stott, Mícéal O'Rourke, Hephzibah Menuhin, Jean-Marc Luisada, Eric Heidsieck, and Cécile Ousset (who owns and teaches from Ciampi's Preludes scores, which contain markings by Debussy)--some of whom have recorded the piano music of Debussy (such as Stott, O'Rourke, Ousset, & Heidsieck that I know of), but unfortunately I don't think any of Ciampi's students have recorded the Children's Corner, not yet.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Ciampi
> http://www.djupdal.org/karstein/debussy/method/m06.shtml
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> 6. *Other pianists that were coached by Debussy & left recordings*, include Marguerite Long, Riccardo Vines, and Marcelle Meyer (who was Satie's favorite pianist.) You should also try to hear the Debussy playing of Magda Tagliaferro, Gaby & Robert Casadesus (as Gaby was a childhood friend of Debussy's daughter, Claude-Emma or Chou-Chou--to whom Debussy lovingly dedicated his Children's Corner), & possibly Yvonne Lefebure (?) too, who were all active in Paris during the early part of the 20th century.
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> Hope that helps.


Excellent post, of course.

There´s also _George Copeland_, an eccentric, who often has an original and interesting approach to the pieces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Copeland

"_Prelude a l´Apres Midi_" for piano 



"_Soiree dans Grenade_"


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## Josquin13

Joen--That is one of the most fascinating performances of the Faun I've ever heard! Thank you. Until now, George Copeland had just been a name to me. His "Soire dans Grenade" is equally fascinating. Are there any more Debussy recordings from Copeland?

I wanted to add one more thought to my above post,

In addition, I'd suggest that you read any and all of pianist Alfred Brendel's writings & thoughts on Mozart, especially the piano sonatas, which he considers "underrated" (as do I): For example, here's a valuable excerpt from Brendel's book, "A Pianist's A-Z" :

"M for Mozart

Grand master of opera, the piano concerto, the concert aria and the string quintet. His piano sonatas seem to me, with few exceptions, underrated. Artur Schnabel has splendidly summed up why: they were too easy for children and too difficult for artists. For the most part, the sounds they suggest are those of a wind divertimento; others, like the famous A major Sonata K331 and the C minor Sonata K457, are distinctly orchestral. So, too, is the C minor Fantasy K475. Orchestral versions of the two latter works emerged soon after Mozart's death. Mozart's relatively rare works in minor keys are particularly precious: the A minor Rondo K511 and the B minor Adagio K540 are soliloquies of the most personal kind. Stupendous in their chromatic boldness are the Minuet K355/576b and the Gigue K574. Wagner admired Mozart as a great chromaticist. Mozart - to quote myself - is made neither of porcelain, nor of marble, nor of sugar. The cute Mozart, the perfumed Mozart, the permanently ecstatic Mozart, the "touch-me-not" Mozart, the sentimentally bloated Mozart must all be avoided. An important key to Mozart playing is operatic singing. The grown-up Mozart said what he intended to say with a perfection rarely encountered in compositions of the highest order. More commonly, the minor masters smooth out what may sound rugged, bold or odd in the music of their great precursors. In Busoni's beautiful "Mozart Aphorisms" we find the sentence: "Along with the riddle, he presents us with its solution.""

https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1985/06/27/a-mozart-player-gives-himself-advice/
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2002/10/10/on-mozart-an-interview-with-alfred-brendel/

etc.


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## joen_cph

A good deal of Copeland/Debussy on you-tube.

At least some has been released on (rare) CDs too, but I haven´t bought or ordered any yet.

I agree, I like his style a lot too ...

51 minutes here


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## Josquin13

Yes, Copeland plays Debussy with the same kind of freedom of expression that you find in Debussy's own piano rolls. The only pianist today that I've heard approach Debussy's music in a fairly similar way is Radu Lupu.

I just bought the Pearl CD of Copeland's recordings, which includes a good deal of Debussy (but not the Faun transcription). Otherwise, I see that Copeland's Victor solo recordings are out of print, and appear to be hard to find (thank goodness for You Tube).

I also came across the following 2018 2 CD release from the Arbiter label, entitled "Debussy's Traces", which looks interesting, but it contains no recordings by Copeland. I was interested to learn that Horszowski had heard Debussy play his own music:

http://arbiterrecords.org/catalog/debussys-traces/

https://www.amazon.com/Debussys-Tra...6858&sr=8-1&keywords=debussy's+traces+arbiter
https://www.amazon.com/Debussys-Tra...6858&sr=8-2&keywords=debussy's+traces+arbiter

Edit: Thanks for the further Copeland link (51 minutes!), I'll listen to it tonight.


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## Larkenfield

Indispensable early piano roll performances of Debussy by Copeland, Rubinstein, Paderewski, Grainger, and others:

https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Piano-Ignacy-Jan-Paderewski/dp/B0000037LG

I love this era of pianism by some of these relatively forgotten first rate keyboard giants of the first half of the 20th century.


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