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Cover: Claude Debussy – Préludes I & II · Children's Corner

Claude Debussy

Préludes I & II

Children's Corner

Paavali Jumppanen, piano

ODE 1304-2D · 2 CDs · January 2018

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Track listing

30 tracks · 104:46

CD 1

Claude Debussy

  1. Préludes Book I 44:03
  2. 1 1 I. Danseuses de Delphes 3:48
  3. 2 2 II. Voiles 3:51
  4. 3 3 III. Le vent dans la plaine 2:13
  5. 4 4 IV. « Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l?air du soir » 4:28
  6. 5 5 V. Les collines d?Anacapri 3:30
  7. 6 6 VI. Des pas sur la neige 4:17
  8. 7 7 VII. Ce qu?a vu le vent d?Ouest 3:39
  9. 8 8 VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin 2:56
  10. 9 9 IX. La sérénade interrompue 2:41
  11. 10 10 X. La cathédrale engloutie 7:17
  12. 11 11 XI. La danse de Puck 2:49
  13. 12 12 XII. Minstrels 2:29

CD 2

Claude Debussy

  1. Préludes Book 2
  2. 1 1 I. Brouillards 3:17
  3. 2 2 II. Feuilles mortes 3:43
  4. 3 3 III. La puerta del Vino 3:28
  5. 4 4 IV. « Les fées sont d?exquises danseuses » 3:14
  6. 5 5 V. Bruyères 3:19
  7. 6 6 VI. « General Lavine » ? eccentric ? 2:41
  8. 7 7 VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune 5:21
  9. 8 8 VIII. Ondine 3:37
  10. 9 9 IX. Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. 2:38
  11. 10 10 X. Canope 3:51
  12. 11 11 XI. Les tierces alternées 2:32
  13. 12 12 XII. Feux d?artifice 4:55
  14. Children's Corner
  15. 13 13 I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum 2:19
  16. 14 14 II. Jimbo?s Lullaby 3:52
  17. 15 15 III. Serenade for the Doll 2:41
  18. 16 16 IV. The snow is dancing 2:51
  19. 17 17 V. The little Shepherd 3:29
  20. 18 18 VI. Golliwogg?s cake walk 3:00

About this recording

After the five-volume complete recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas
Paavali Jumppanen’s new recording on Ondine turns attention to
Claude Debussy’s (1862–1918) piano works. This 2 CD set includes
complete Préludes together with the Children’s Corner.

Debussy’s oeuvre has been explored both by the amateur pianist and
the most legendary virtuosos of the keyboard. Throughout his career
Debussy sought new ways to express his musical vistas. He began
numerous large compositional projects and between these big ventures
wrote miniatures such as songs and piano pieces. Fine examples of
these are the Préludes and the Children’s Corner.

Debussy’s 24 piano preludes were published in two sets in 1910
and 1913. These miniatures are varied in character and style, and
include, among others, references to literature, poetry, nature, the
Mediterranean landscape and the events in Paris during Debussy’s
lifetime. This work resulted in the creation of such enigmatic pieces as
La cathédrale engloutie, La fille aux cheveux de lin and Des pas sur la
neige, to name but a few.

The six pieces forming the cycle Children’s Corner (1908) evoke adult
recollections of childhood. The set bears a dedication to Debussy’s
daughter Chouchou and includes some of Debussy’s most well-known
piano pieces, including The Snow is Dancing and Golliwogg’s cake
walk.

A dedicated performer of French music, Paavali Jumppanen often
performs the large cycles of Debussy’s late period, namely the Préludes
and the Études. About a Debussy recital, The Boston Globe reported
how “Jumppanen maximized piano’s deeply resonant qualities—not
just to create beautiful sound but to point up how radical Debussy’s
harmonic language was.” Another critic (ConcertoNet.com) noted:
”I was bowled over by Mr. Jumppanen’s performance. - - As for his
upcoming recording of the complete Debussy Preludes, sight-unseen, I
would urge any collector to grab it: if it is anything like the Etudes we
heard last Sunday, we are in for a treat!” New York Arts continued:
“Magnificent recital. - - I cannot imagine a more penetrating, subtle,
and beautiful traversal of Debussy’s final statement for the piano.”

Paavali Jumppanen’s blog can be followed at: www.paavalijumppanen.
com/

Features

Sleeve notes in English and Finnish.

The artists

Paavali Jumppanen

One of the most fascinating pianists from Finland, Paavali Jumppanen is equally at home on the stage as a soloist or chamber musician. His vast repertoire spans much of the classical piano literature, including Bach, Mozart, and the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, as well as contemporary music and avant-garde. His close collaboration with composer Pierre Boulez has resulted in the much acclaimed recordings of the composer's complete Piano Sonatas for Deutsche Grammophon, hailed by The Guardian "the best recorded disc of Boulez's piano music so far."

Full biography

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