So good that one could only wish it were better, Steven Osborne's 2006 recording of both books of Debussy's preludes just misses greatness. Osborne manifestly has the technique. Even in the most technically difficult pieces, his hands fly over the keyboard to land with amazing power and ideal balance on exactly the right combination of notes at exactly the right time. He clearly has the insights. Even in the more recondite and recherché pieces, he appears to understand the poetic and symbolic meanings of Debussy's music. ...
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So good that one could only wish it were better, Steven Osborne's 2006 recording of both books of Debussy's preludes just misses greatness. Osborne manifestly has the technique. Even in the most technically difficult pieces, his hands fly over the keyboard to land with amazing power and ideal balance on exactly the right combination of notes at exactly the right time. He clearly has the insights. Even in the more recondite and recherché pieces, he appears to understand the poetic and symbolic meanings of Debussy's music. But one is always aware of Osborne's technique -- it doesn't disappear into the notes but remains all too firmly in the foreground. And one is always aware of Osborne's insights -- they don't vanish into the music but remain all too clearly explications rather than interpretations. The higher virtuosity and deeper poetry of Richter, Michelangeli, Pollini, or Zimmerman's performances isn't Osborne's, and while his playing is radiantly brilliant and his insights are evidently genuine, he...
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Add this copy of Preludes to cart. $27.22, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Hyperion.
Add this copy of Debussy: Preludes to cart. $29.39, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2006 by HYPERION RECORDS.
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