Pierre-Laurent Aimard and
the modern colours of Debussy.
The
programme Piano Colours that I have been touring
with Pierre-Laurent Aimard (painting kinetic images to Liszt, Scriabin, Murail
and Benjamin) consists of a beautiful juxtaposition of these works with the Préludes of Debussy. Demonstrating what
a crucial figure Debussy
was in the transition to the modern era in Western music and “modern” his works
can sound.
Debussy
doesn’t need illustrating (he hated being termed an “impressionist”). That
label may have originated from the titles of many of his works (the Sunken
Cathedral, Footprints in the Snow, Fireworks, etc.), which get us straining to
“glimpse” vague visual “impressions” in the music. In doing so we may forget to
listen to him as a modern abstract colourist.
In a letter of 1908, he
wrote: "I am trying to do 'something different'— an effect of
reality...what the imbeciles call 'impressionism'”. How different? What did he
mean? Cue Thea Derks…..
As part of her excellent "Quick-start" course on contemporary
music, music publicist Thea Derks will show how Debussy was the father of the French music of 20th and 21st century (at 18.45), preceding a performance by Pierre-Laurent
Aimard of all 24 of Debussy’s Préludes,
in the Amsterdam Muziekgebouw at 20.15 on January 11th. PLA's Préludes are sublime. Thea’s good, too!
An alert for
all my Dutch readers: Book now for the course and concert!
Photo: Marco Borggreve
Pierre-Laurent Aimard's
recording of Debussy Préludes has
just been nominated for a Japanese Record Academy Award.
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