# Debussy CD Recommendations



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I'm looking for a good collection of Debussy piano works. Any suggestions? (I'd like to be able to preview it on youtube if possible)

:tiphat:


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## Forss (May 12, 2017)

Beautiful renderings by Alain Planès for Harmonia Mundi:


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

Any of the following are a great place to start with Debussy's piano music:
Gieseking 
Michelangeli
Richter
Arrau
Jacobs
Zimermann


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

lextune said:


> Any of the following are a great place to start with Debussy's piano music:
> Gieseking
> Michelangeli
> Richter
> ...


Giving this a listen:


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Depends what you mean by "good". If you mean the performance, this is the set you should go for, Gieseking's playing is unbelievable. If you mean the sound quality, you may want to look elsewhere.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

chill782002 said:


> Depends what you mean by "good". If you mean the performance, this is the set you should go for, Gieseking's playing is unbelievable. If you mean the sound quality, you may want to look elsewhere.
> 
> View attachment 96327


Definitely wants the best of both worlds in terms of sound quality and performance.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Definitely wants the best of both worlds in terms of sound quality and performance.


Fair enough, probably best to go with one of the more recently recorded recommendations in this thread then.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

chill782002 said:


> Fair enough, probably best to go with one of the more recently recorded recommendations in this thread then.


I'm enjoying the Arrau collection!


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

You honestly can't do better than this for a starter. It's got the Arabesques, Images 1 and 2, Suite Bergamesque and Children's Corner... Roge is a formidable Debussy interpreter for me


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

I see no one has mentioned Bavouzet yet. Superb playing and sound quality.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

FYI

http://www.talkclassical.com/47874-debussy-recordings-suggestions-4.html

http://www.talkclassical.com/2569-claude-debussy-12.html


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

I think your search begins and ends with Michelangeli. This set is his complete (tho not Debussy's complete) recordings on DG. The kind of performances where you hear new things in music to which you've been listening for many years, and prior to these recordings, you thought you knew it. These performances place these works in a whole new light.

https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Pian...01260495&sr=8-2&keywords=michelangeli+debussy


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Omicron9 said:


> I think your search begins and ends with Michelangeli. This set is his complete (tho not Debussy's complete) recordings on DG. The kind of performances where you hear new things in music to which you've been listening for many years, and prior to these recordings, you thought you knew it. These performances place these works in a whole new light.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Pian...01260495&sr=8-2&keywords=michelangeli+debussy


I'm probably going to get this Arrau set, I'm liking it a lot and I think it's a full set of the piano works!

Do you have a youtube of Michelangeli of a particular CD I could check out?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Tallisman said:


> View attachment 96328
> 
> 
> You honestly can't do better than this for a starter. It's got the Arabesques, Images 1 and 2, Suite Bergamesque and Children's Corner... Roge is a formidable Debussy interpreter for me


Just put some Pascal Roge Debussy on, and it really is very good, I like it better than the Arrau. I feel like he brings out the emotion more, I'm listening to his Clair de Lune, and it's at a much slower tempo than I'm used to, and I really enjoy that!


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Giving this a listen:


I know, and love, Arrau's Debussy very well. And oh, how he adored Debussy:

"Debussy's music was a leap into a new region of art. It is like the music of another planet. I think he is one of the great geniuses of all time." -Arrau

....I just didn't want to overwhelm you with too many pianists.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Pascal Roge kind of looks like Chick Corea, haha!


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm probably going to get this Arrau set, I'm liking it a lot and I think it's a full set of the piano works!
> 
> Do you have a youtube of Michelangeli of a particular CD I could check out?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Omicron9 said:


>


Pascal got a little to aggressive in other pieces. Enjoying Michelangeli so far, but maybe not as much as Arau.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Pascal got a little to aggressive in other pieces. Enjoying Michelangeli so far, but maybe not as much as Arau.


What will behoove you is to find a version that speaks to you and acquire that one. There's no "best," there's only the "best" for you; it's different for each of us. The main thing is that you're becoming familiar with Debussy's work; this is a lifetime journey, and one that will pay great dividends. Enjoy the ride!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Omicron9 said:


> What will behoove you is to find a version that speaks to you and acquire that one. There's no "best," there's only the "best" for you; it's different for each of us. The main thing is that you're becoming familiar with Debussy's work; this is a lifetime journey, and one that will pay great dividends. Enjoy the ride!


I agree 100%! :tiphat:


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## classical yorkist (Jun 29, 2017)

FWIW I would recommend listening to Hamelin. A superlative interpreter of Impressionist piano music.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

Albert Ferber set is essential.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm probably going to get this Arrau set . . . I think it's a full set of the piano works!


It is not. It does not have what I would say is his most interesting piano work, or one of them, the etudes. There is a recording of the etudes which I like very much, by Mariangela Vacatello.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

I forgot to mention, I can understand why you like Arrau, I do too. Maybe if you are interested enough and can find samples, check out Philippe Cassard, he used Debussy's piano, he was young when he recorded them, what he does is not bad at all. His recordings are complete too for the solo works. You may want to explore the works for four hands too, there are some interesting things (like En Blanc et Noir)

But Arrau's Debussy is sui generis.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

These are the three I would start with. The string quartet is my favorite of his works and maybe my favorite string quartet period.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Arrau's Ravel is very nice too. I'm checking out Hamelin, very smooth and gentle touch, I enjoy that!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I feel like many interpretations of Debussy have exaggerated Fortissimos which take away much enjoyment for me. Arau seems to keep himself in line in a way that I much enjoy.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

^^Must have been a self-flagellator.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

This one is good: Richter. Who woulda thunk? Recorded in 1967.



Shows my age, but I've also always liked Paul Jacobs on Nonesuch, what I started with on vinyl. I'm a freak about it, too: I want the original cover art CDs.


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

millionrainbows said:


> This one is good: Richter. Who woulda thunk? Recorded in 1967.


Who wouldn't?! Richter was a master with Debussy. His version of Estampes is magical. It is quite literally one of a handful of my favorite recordings of all time.


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)




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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

​
Debussy: Préludes - Books 1 & 2 (24, complete)

Krystian Zimerman

Not to be missed Captain.:angel:


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## Myriadi (Mar 6, 2016)

Almost all of my favorites (Gieseking, Michelangeli, Richter, and Zimerman) have been mentioned already, I'll just add a recommendation for Uchida's CD of Debussy's late masterwork, the Études... although they're in many ways a world apart from the Préludes.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Looking through my Debussy CDs, Gieseking is wonderful and several people have already mentioned Pascal Roge. I really enjoy Ivan Moravec's playing too, and you might want to try Martino Tirimo and Fou Ts'ong. Both under-rated pianists with a lovely subtle touch. 
Way back, Peter Frankl recorded all of Debussy 's solo piano music for a budget LP label. Dodgy sound quality but consistently good playing.


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## Over the Rainbow (Oct 12, 2018)

Debussy is one of my preferred composer.

*Orchestral works*

The most beautiful version IMO







A more analytic version









*Quatuor*









*Piano works*
Richter is for me maybe the greatest for Debussy 
The problem is to find a quasi complete cycle
















Two wonderful CDs


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