Did we ever figure out the second encore incidentally? I’m listening again now, and I know this piece… it just eludes me what it is.
Indeed spectacular playing. Beautifully portrayed, and he handles sounds & textures as well as anyone.
Ahhh…
It’s Faure’s A-flat Barcarolle, Op.44.
Randomly I think your recording sounds great Brew. It’s not a HD recording this far away of course, but it’s clear enough and the acoustics give it a lovely ambience.
Thanks, I hadn’t had my xsdc masterclasses yet when I recorded it.
His appearance at the Tchaikovsky Comp was overwhelming. I was swept away like most people and have liked just about everything since.
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Reading this thread I get the feeling I should check out his Tchai comp…
Maybe because of the intensity of the emotion at the time, and how he came out of nowhere–I suppose this often applies to competitors but in particular to him–his Tchai Comp time is still unmatched for me. He’s done some great work since, it’s just hearing such incredible Gaspard and Medtner op. 5 in competition was breathtaking. I suppose Ivo left an impression like that.
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I just heard his Liszt-2 from the competition. Super intense, he owned the crowd within minutes. His solo rounds require a medici subscription however. Did either of you cap them?
I capped round two last night, but you shouldn’t need a subscription.
Oh! Indeed, that link works.
Thanks
I’m listening to Medtner (I suppose) from R2 now. He’s such a strange composer. This certainly sounds both compelling, intriguing and impressive, but it’s like listening to a conversation in a foreign language. It’s just passage work and notes stacked on top of eachother. Beethoven made music a bit like this as well, and the impressionists, but with a more on point message & narrative. Unless I’m simply blind to it all with Medtner it rather seems to be scenes and images which are being conveyed than a narrative, where one entire movement depicts a single image. In other words it doesn’t go anywhere, nothing happens, as the music progresses you just get a more complete view of what he’s describing. If so his music is really an extraordinary take on impressionism, rather than the high romanticism it gives itself out to be.
Or it’s just me who doesn’t get his music at all. 
Either way fantastic playing from Debargue, but I have to say I thought this sounded even more impressive at the TCE (possibly without really understanding what I’m listening to).
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This Gaspard is insanely legendary.
How could they let five other random mofos ahead of this? It’s not even particularly controversial or idiosyncratic playing, just phenomenally impressive readings.
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Brew, you’ve got a link to R1 too? I see them on the medici site, but when I click I only get an excerpt and large sign telling me how much it would mean to them if I subscribed.
Edit: nvm, clicked my way to it.
I don’t know how to describe Medtner other than to say if Rach is Mozart then Medtner is Beethoven.
Less melodically inclined, more about using motifs to build larger structures.
This is a generalization of course but the cliche holds true that his music requires repeated listens, and it’s clearly not for everyone. Although a famous author is clearly a fan! -
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Yes, he’s not always like this. The tale VH recorded for instance is a model example of music with a linear narrative. But his sonatas have always sounded like this to me, and the majority of his shorter pieces as well. It’s diverse ramblings on a single idea which is usually clear within the first few bars - but it sounds glorious.
This piece was my intro to Medtner, one of my favourites.
I’d love to hear Debargue’s colours in it!
Ahh yes, that’s an awesome recording! My Medtner introduction was Hamelin as well, but the Danza Festiva on the Wigmore disc.
Tru, I’d be totally up for a Medtner/Fauré disc from Debargue.
God so would I! I think it says on his site that he’s worked on all the sonatas, so it’s probably just a matter of time before he gives us more.
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Actually yes I think I heard the Wigmore first , then the Composer-Pianists cd.
The Festiva didn’t grab me as much at first.
This one was more of an immediate appeal too.
The first movement is in a normal sonata-allegro form. However, his textures are extremely thick, so it’ll probably take a few listens to get how it all fits together. Having said that, a great interpretation helps, which is what this Tchaikovsky performance was for me. In his hands I understood it straight away, in a way that I never quite had with Messrs Tozer, Hamelin etc.