Notes and Editorial Reviews
Formerly available from VAI, the items that Ivan Moravec has selected for reissue on Supraphon establish him as a worthy successor to Walter Gieseking in French repertoire, though Moravec's "velvet touch" comes with a surer technique than Gieseking ever commanded. The virtues of these performances are deservedly well-known. Franck's masterpiece seldom has sounded so cogently integrated, with a particularly seraphic Choral introducing a fugue in which Moravec offers optimal linear clarity without any compromise in richness of tone color. Ravel's Sonatine rivals Argerich's in prismatic delicacy as well as virtuosic projection of the music's considerable technical demands.
The Debussy preludes include a
Read more
glittering Fireworks, a grandly imposing Engulfed Cathedral, and a particularly exquisite Sounds and Scents Swirl in the Night Air (alongside marvelous versions of The Hills of Anacapri and The Terrace of Moonlit Audiences). In these, as in the Franck and the sparkling final toccata of Pour le piano, Moravec's prevailingly gentle touch never precludes surprisingly powerful moments and a wide dynamic range where necessary. Sensitive, ungimmicky remastering gives an excellent sense of the tone colors at Moravec's command notwithstanding the diversity of instruments and venues used over a wide span of time (1962-69), with only a light touch of hiss betraying the age of the master tapes.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Prelude, Chorale and Fugue for Piano, M 21 by César Franck
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1884; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
2.
Sonatine for Piano by Maurice Ravel
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1903-1905; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
3.
Préludes, Book 2: no 12, Feux d'artifice by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912-1913; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
4.
Suite for Piano "Pour le piano" by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1896-1901; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
5.
Préludes, Book 1: no 10, La cathédrale engloutie by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
6.
Préludes, Book 1: no 5, Les collines d'Anacapri by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1909; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
7.
Préludes, Book 1: no 4, Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
8.
Préludes, Book 2: no 7, La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Ivan Moravec (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912-1913; France
Date of Recording: 1962-69
Customer Reviews
Be the first to review this title
Review This Title
