debussy Preludes, Book I & II
HIROKO SASAKI Pleyel 1873
BOOK I I I. Danseuses de Delphes (Dancers of Delphi) 2:48 2 II. Voiles (Veils; Sails) 2:56 3 III. Le vent dans la plaine (The wind on the plain) 1:52 4 IV. “Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir”
(“Sounds and perfumes mingle in the evening air”) 2:54
Preludes, Book I & II
5 V. Les collines d’Anacapri (The hills of Anacapri) 2:50
CLAUDE DEBUSSY ( 1 8 6 2 -1 9 1 8 )
6 VI. Des pas sur la neige (Footprints in the snow) 3:33 7 VII. Ce qu’a vu le Vent d’Ouest (What the west wind saw) 2:57 8 VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin (The girl with the flaxen hair) 2:21 9 IX. La sérénade interrompue (The interrupted serenade) 2:19 10 X. La Cathédrale engloutie (The sunken cathedral) 5:07 11 XI. La danse de Puck (Puck’s dance) 2:16 12 XII. Minstrels 2:02
BOOK II 13 I. Brouillards (Fog) 3:05 14 II. Feuilles mortes (Dead Leaves) 2:59 15 III. La Puerta del Vino (Gateway of the Alhambra Palace in Granada) 3:08 16 IV. “Les Fées sont d’exquises danseuses” (“Fairies are exquisite dancers”) 2:42 17 V. Bruyères (Heather) 2:49 18 VI. General Lavine–eccentric 2:18 19 VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (The Terrace for Moonlight Audiences) 4:06 20 VIII. Ondine 2:52 21 IX. Hommage à S.Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. 2:24 22 X. Canope 2:44 23 XI. Les tierces alternées (Alternating Thirds) 2:27 24 XII. Feux d’Artifice (Fireworks) 4:00
Total track time: 69:29 2
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debussy preludes, book I & II
T
he piano prelude with nothing following, like the orchestral overture without
As for No. 12, its very conclusion, brief and barely audible, whispers “Vive la France” as it
an opera, was a 19th-century innovation. Though not the first, Chopin’s set of 24,
dies out, letting us know not only where, but probably also on what day of the year those
published in 1839, was the most famous and established a precedent: the pre-
fireworks took place.
lude, henceforward, was a short, or sometimes long, composition with no pre-established requirement other than that it should be inspired. Chopin’s had no titles, even if one or two got them later (e.g., the “Raindrop”). Debussy, whose two sets of twelve were published in 1910 and 1913 respectively, was obviously making a point by printing the titles at the end of each piece, in parentheses, and preceded by three dots, as if to say, “Well here, if you
It may be that the titles, like the abundant performance directions in the score, are there to help the pianist realize the deeper intentions of Debussy, whose mature style, after all, had entered new, unexplored ground. And perhaps, in the end, the parentheses are an invitation to the listener to forget the titles and listen to the music.
really want it, is a title.” The three dots softened the titles’ impact, corresponding to today’s “like” or “whatever” in the mouths of the young: program music perhaps, but realism never. The audience was surely meant to be helped by the titles, or at least playfully mystified. If the music of Book I No. 8 does not necessarily conjure up the image of a girl with flaxen hair, or that of No. 10 the image of a sunken cathedral, that of Nos. 9 and 12 comes pretty close to handing us the title before we ever get to read it at the end. In Book II, Nos. 3, 6 and 9 takes us unmistakably to their respective locales: No. 3 to Spain, No. 6 to America, No. 9 to England. The title of No. 11, Les tierces alternées, is the only one among all the Debussy preludes that does not suggest anything outside the music; but the piece itself is significant in another respect, containing as it does subtle indications of Debussy’s admiration for Stravinsky’s latest ballets, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. 4
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—Piero Weiss
p l e y e l 1873 The piano on which this recording was made is a beautiful instrument built in 1873 by Pleyel, Lyon & Cie. of Paris. One of the largest piano manufacturers in France, Pleyel was the piano of choice for pianists and composers such as Debussy, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns. This particular instrument is built in a harpsichord case decorated in the Louis XV “Chinoiserie” style; the brilliant red case, raised on six legs, terminates in hoof sabot with depictions of trees, blossoms, exotic birds, and butterflies applied in gold leaf. The piano has been completely restored by Klavierhaus, Inc., the premiere restorer of pianos in the United States. It possesses a beautiful tone reminiscent of the “golden age” of piano building, and is perfectly suited to repertoire of the period.
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It wasn’t that I was trying to find an unusual instrument to record the Debussy Preludes on. The music had meant much to me for over two decades, and I had decided to record it. I went through the normal process, checking out all the available concert grands. I wasn’t feeling quite at home with any of them, when I just happened to spot this strange-looking instrument at Klavierhaus in NYC. I had played on some Pleyels before, and I had been charmed by their personal and sweet qualities that seemed difficult to find on modern instruments. But I never thought I would record or perform on one. Especially one that looked so strange! It looks like a harpsichord, in an extravagantly ornate case, and it’s red and gold! It was just for fun that I sat down and tried out a couple of preludes. But the moment I played it, I sensed some amazing possibilities. It seemed like a crazy idea, but the more I played on it, the more I fell in love with it. I was able to express aspects of the preludes which I previously could not on modern instruments. Moreover, I felt that I understood parts of the music better, or at least differently, as a result of the Pleyel’s unique and intimate sound. Of course, there were also some limitations. It is a small instrument, with short strings. In some of the bigger and louder preludes, such as West Wind, I could not produce the sheer volume of sound that a modern concert grand can provide. It also required a different physical approach, which took some time to get used to. But I truly loved the intimacy and sweetness of the sound, which seemed to tell me what has once been told, long ago, in Debussy’s day. So here it is. I hope that I might share something of what this unique instrument gave to me.
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hiroko sasaki
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h i r o k o s a s a k i, p i a n o
Hiroko Sasaki has established a successful career as recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist. Ms. Sasaki’s concert debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall prompted Harris Goldsmith of the New York Concert Review to declare her “a true artist at work.” Musical America praised the same concert for its “exquisite proportion and rare poetic understatement.” The Washington Post has acclaimed her “radiant playing,” and the 2004 Musical America singled her out as one of the world’s most outstanding young musicians. Ms. Sasaki continues to perform extensively as recitalist and chamber musician in England, Scotland, Taiwan, France, Hungary, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S. She gives annual recitals in Carnegie’s Weill Hall and makes frequent tours of Japan. She has regularly performed chamber music in festivals such as the Budapest Spring Festival, the Huddington Festival, the Yehudi Menuhin Festival, Tanglewood, Taos, Banff, Tel Hai, Richmond, and L’Academie Musicale de Villecroze, where she won a career-development grant. She is currently a member of the Amadeus Trio, which performs regularly throughout the United States. She has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, the Budapest Chamber Orchestra, and members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Sasaki left Japan at age 13 to attend the Yehudi Menuhin School in England, and soon after made her European debut as soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra. At 16, she entered the Curtis Institute, where she studied with Leon Fleisher, graduating in 1994. She later earned a Master of Music degree with Mr. Fleisher from the Peabody Conservatory, and an Artist Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Her teachers have included Marc Durand, Yoheved Kaplisnky, Gilbert Kalish, and Sophia Rosoff.
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I owe thanks to many people. The sponsors whose generous help made my music education possible. In chronological order, Kenichirou Satou of Rohm Music Foundation, Takuya Okada of Okada Bunka Zaidan (whose generous help in part made this CD possible), Ken Hayashibara of Hayashibara Mutual Aid Accociation, Syouichi Ueda, Misako Kawai, Yoshihisa Muroga and Masaharu Isogai. I would like to thank my teachers and mentors. Mitsuko Uchida, who opened the door to the world for me, Leon Fleisher for showing me what it’s all about, the late Piero Weiss for caring for me like a father, Harris Goldsmith for introducing me to Piano Classics, and Sophia Rosoff for reconnecting me to my inner self. I would like to thank my family for many years of warm support–my sister, my parents who were crazy enough to send me to half way across the world when I was 13, my grandmother for working in a bento store to support my study, and last but not least, my husband Michael Torre, love of my life, whose always been there for me and supported me, without whom this CD would not exist.
Recording: October 29/30 & November 29/30 2010, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York Producer/engineer: Judith Sherman Engineering/editing assistant Jeanne Velonis Photos: Michael Wilson Design: Gabriele Wilson 13
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