Search - Claude Debussy, Paul Jacobs :: Debussy: Préludes for Piano, Books 1 & 2

Great recording, great price!

MurrayTheCat | upstate New York | 12/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Debussy resides in my upper-most level of favorite composers and I passionately love the Preludes. Jacobs plays them magnificently with all the dream-like impressionism one could ask for. The piano is beautifully recorded with perfect ambiance--not too close, not too distant. These performances are slow enough to really embrace the music and produce quite a magical atmosphere. Jacobs doesn't languish, but dwells in the mood. He uses delicate colors where needed and he brings forth the bold stuff where he should. `La Cathedrale Engloutie' is one of my favorites and Jacobs floors me with it. What variety of tone he gets from the piano! I've never heard it better (and that includes the enthralling Zimerman). Thiollier (Naxos) makes `Voiles' more delicious than anyone else, and rivals Jacobs in many of these. But all in all, Jacobs stands up to any competition.It's not easy to choose just one set of Debussy's pastel-tinted Preludes. I own three sets: this Jacobs, Thiollier and Arrau (Philips). Plus, I'm thinking of adding the Michelangeli (DG), which I once owned on LP years ago. I also owned the Zimerman (DG) but couldn't deal with the extreme gain-riding gimmickry. (Never in my life have I heard a piano anywhere--in any room or hall--perform the irritating sonic gymnastics purported by that recording. What a shame, because Zimerman's performances are grand.) Thiollier's Debussy is top-self. Gieseking (EMI), from the 50s, is still around and still sounds very good. But if I had to live with just one set of these intoxicating pieces, it would be the Jacobs. And the two-for-one price makes this set very attractive.
Cheers,
Murray"

Magnificent performance

Davey Jay | 01/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"His rendition of the Preludes does justice to the mysterious and nebulous quality of Debussy's impressionism, yet his playing is still clear and technically brilliant. Highly recommended."

Nobody did it better

dm | 05/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a pity Paul Jacobs is no longer alive to make more brilliant recordings like this one. The performance is top-rank and even the audio quality is superb in this Nonesuch recording. Moods flit by and the album becomes richer with each listening."