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It is hard to figure out what pianist Emmanuel Despax had in mind for the concept of this album. Its various titles offer three ideas: Après un rêve comes from the title of a Fauré song Despax transcribes for his program opener, plus there is "Belle Époque: Nights at the Piano." None of these is of much use; few pieces other than the Fauré are particularly dreamy, and the largest piece, Poulenc's Soirées de Nazelles, is from the nervous 1930s and nowhere near the Belle Époque in time or mood. As for "Nights at the Piano," that fits the Poulenc nicely but not the concluding Gaspard de la Nuit of Ravel, which is an imposing virtuoso concert work carrying none of the connotations of "Nights at the Piano." Really, Despax excels in none of these three ways but rather in a fourth: he hits on an intriguing mix of familiar standards and unusual works. Among the latter group are the Soirées de Nazelles, which Poulenc disclaimed and, perhaps for that reason, have been seldom heard. They are delightful pieces that bear titles describing qualities, like the numbers of a Baroque French suite, but actually seem to have been devised by Poulenc to describe members of a group of his friends, like Elgar's Enigma Variations. The result is a work that distills the hint of improvisation that pervades some of Poulenc's keyboard music and songs, and Despax gives it the right lively, spontaneous feel. The Nocturne, Op. 165, of Cécile Chaminade and the keyboard version of Henri Duparc's Aux étoiles are also nice finds. As for the more heavily trodden works, Debussy's Clair de lune is pleasantly moody, although no one would select this album for the rote Gaspard de la Nuit or the rather un-macabre Danse Macabre, Op. 40, of Saint-Saëns. For Poulenc lovers, however, this is an important find.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Gabriel Fauré, Composer - PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Durand Editions, MusicPublisher - RICORDI G AND CO (LONDON) LTD, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Claude Debussy, Composer - PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS, Composer - PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Cecile Chaminade, Composer - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Maurice Ravel, Composer - PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Maurice Ravel, Composer - PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Maurice Ravel, Composer - PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
PUBLIC DOMAIN, MusicPublisher - Henri Duparc, Composer - Emmanuel Despax, MainArtist
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
Album review
It is hard to figure out what pianist Emmanuel Despax had in mind for the concept of this album. Its various titles offer three ideas: Après un rêve comes from the title of a Fauré song Despax transcribes for his program opener, plus there is "Belle Époque: Nights at the Piano." None of these is of much use; few pieces other than the Fauré are particularly dreamy, and the largest piece, Poulenc's Soirées de Nazelles, is from the nervous 1930s and nowhere near the Belle Époque in time or mood. As for "Nights at the Piano," that fits the Poulenc nicely but not the concluding Gaspard de la Nuit of Ravel, which is an imposing virtuoso concert work carrying none of the connotations of "Nights at the Piano." Really, Despax excels in none of these three ways but rather in a fourth: he hits on an intriguing mix of familiar standards and unusual works. Among the latter group are the Soirées de Nazelles, which Poulenc disclaimed and, perhaps for that reason, have been seldom heard. They are delightful pieces that bear titles describing qualities, like the numbers of a Baroque French suite, but actually seem to have been devised by Poulenc to describe members of a group of his friends, like Elgar's Enigma Variations. The result is a work that distills the hint of improvisation that pervades some of Poulenc's keyboard music and songs, and Despax gives it the right lively, spontaneous feel. The Nocturne, Op. 165, of Cécile Chaminade and the keyboard version of Henri Duparc's Aux étoiles are also nice finds. As for the more heavily trodden works, Debussy's Clair de lune is pleasantly moody, although no one would select this album for the rote Gaspard de la Nuit or the rather un-macabre Danse Macabre, Op. 40, of Saint-Saëns. For Poulenc lovers, however, this is an important find.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 19 track(s)
- Total length: 01:21:58
- Main artists: Emmanuel Despax
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Signum Records
- Genre: Classical
(C) 2023 Signum Classics (P) 2023 Signum Records
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