Debussy: Estampes, L.100 (Perianes, Goerner)

Two drop-dead awesome recordings of Debussy’s famous triptych, with the first on some days taking its place as my favourite Debussy recording of all time. Perianes takes the work at a slower tempo than you’ll usually find, and there’s a general anti-virtuoso character to his playing. But the colour, melodic shaping and obscenely fine dynamic tiering he generates is so much more than worth the tempo tradeoff. In Pagodes, I don’t think any other recording has managed to make the sections at 0:41 and 1:20 sound completely improvised; and in Jardins a whole bunch of overlooked textures are caught - the alternate-bar bass accents starting from 13:42, or the differentiation between the semiquavers and the grace notes at mm.148/150 (14:43). Goerner’s recording has a brighter hue than Perianes - quicker, the fast runs more sharply etched, a little more generous with primary colours and a little less insistent on pastel shades. Where Perianes is sphinxlike in La soirée, Goerner has heady exultancy, and if Perianes’ Jardin opens with a fine mist of water, Goerner opens with a mechanically precise, insistent patter of rainfall, building rapidly into a full-size rainstorm (with superb articulation throughout: see 28:12 for a perfect demonstration of how to pull off a non-legato-quick-semiquaver-against-staccato+tenuto-quaver-planing-chord texture.)
Pagodes (Pagodas) - A surprisingly effective imitation of gamelan music (2:16 and similar), especially since that gamelan tuning is really very different from Western systems. Written in ABA-Coda form (sections beginning at mm.1, 32, 53, 78). Debussy asks for the first theme to be played “almost without nuance”, suggesting an image of a pagoda frozen in a painting (the set’s called “Prints, so) or in a distant mist. The A section is knit together, essentially, from a mixture of pentatonic scales and a rising G#-C#-D# motif (sometimes expanded [m.11, 0:41], sometimes reduced to a C#/D# oscillation [m.15, 0:54], sometimes deployed polyphonically [m.23, 1:20], sometimes augmented [m.37, 2:04]). The LH melody which enters at m.7 (0:27) is especially clever: it not only reinforces the very deceptive syncopation established from the opening (listening to this section with a mental emphasis on the downbeats is basically impossible), but also prominently features the E and A#, the two notes missing from the B pentatonic scale from which the RH is built. The B section introduces some nice Lydian colour, while the coda beautifully “corrects” the syncopation heard at the opening (the rhythm hasn’t actually changed, but you hear the main motif’s rhythmic placement the way it’s actually written for the first time at m.80 [4:26]).
La soirée dans Grenade (Evening in Granada) - One of the most striking things Debussy ever wrote. Basically a habanera (its rhythm pervades the whole work), but one made to venture into some very anti-habanera soundscapes - stark, doleful, mystical, wry, and only occasionally joyous. The structure is a sort of interrupted arch form, Intro-ABCB*A*-Coda (sections beginning at mm.1, 7, 38, 67, 98, 122, 130), but there are so many distinct themes in this one speaking of structure isn’t terribly helpful. The most interesting large-scale features of the work are (a) the way the Arabic-scale theme bookends the piece in a kind of rapt stillness, wound around a high octave C# with the D nagging against it, and (b) how the work’s themes recur in an increasingly compressed form after they are first introduced. Harmonically, there are lots of treats here - planing (including the use of chromatic parallel dominant 7th chords for some textural raspiness at 6:12), whole-tone passages, and the use of an A+E pedal point (over which a C# chord ends up sounding like a A maj 7th chord with a b6 thrown in [m.52, 7:31] - a point Debussy cunningly acknowledges when he actually uses the b6 in the minor iv chord a moment later [7:40]).
Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain) - ABCD form (sections beginning at mm.1, 75, 100, 126). A taut little toccata study in various rainlike textures - precise and torrential in the first section, tender in the second, rich and swelling in the third, and exultant in the last. Several motifs recur throughout this piece: for instance, the melody from the A section returns in the C Section at m.112 (13:54), while the B section’s melody gets transformed into a little upward flourish in the D section at m.128 (14:14), and then into a big joyful (éclatant, Debussy writes in the score - “brilliant”) leap up from the bass at 14:21 (interspersed with a chromatically planed version of the A section melody).

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Perianes: 00:00 - Pagodes 05:31 - La soirée dans Grenade 11:22 - Jardins sous la pluie Goerner: 15:05 - Pagodes 20:03 - La soirée dans Grenade 25:22 - Jardins sous la pluie

[@johnchessant3012]

jardins sous la pluie

[@crcpek9979]

Ashish can you upload Liszt's Grosses Konzert Solo ? ( Grand concert solo S. 176.) Thanks for your time!

[@trutwijd]

Ashish this is such a great channel - do you take requests?

[@LucasOliveira-wo9xj]

Ih, ó lá, Debussy, um francês, toca pagode no piano. Um monstro.

[@AllNewYear]

The number one classical piano channel on KZbin.

[@LukeFaulkner]

Pagodes has got to be one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

[@Woodcut60]

I totally agree. Magic!

[@ruperttmls7985]

Había escuchado antes a Debussy, pero esta es la primera vez que escucho esta obra, y es realmente hermosa. :)

[@Scriabin_fan]

I agree I’m totally obsessed with it

[@Fildoggy]

does anyone know any similar music

[@p-y8210]

@@Fildoggy godowsky's java suite

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

So I mentioned Perianes’ dynamic control in the description above, but I really have to point out that the high octave C#s at 10:22 feature the ppp-iest ppps I’ve ever come across. Like, I have no idea how to even describe them - they sound like they’ve leaked out of a neighbouring universe.

[@ThePianoenergy]

yes, almost sounds like from another piano further away..

[@truekingvictory]

Yes! It's like enjoying a sultry summer night, and suddenly there is a faint twinkling star in the distance just edging into your awareness. It's in total contrast to the "Leger et lointain" sections just before, which is like sitting for a nice slow dinner at a cafe, when a mouse pops outta nowhere, scampers all around the restaurant floor, then vanishes into its hidey hole.

[@chansolpark6860]

I'm so glad you highlighted 0:41- it really feels like I'm listening to a gamelan ensemble play a sequence...

[@lucawuthrich6594]

Last october I went to a Luganski concert, and in Rachmaninoff‘s op. 23 no. 4 towards the end he played those high notes so softly, especially the last one of those, I didn‘t know it was possible. These right here are probably about the same.

[@andrewgregg3617]

#s

[@shadowcadence378]

I'm less than 2 minutes in and the pianissimo is already inhumanly good. Seriously, how is that physically possible? I can't believe I've never heard of this pianist before.

[@borbalbuddy]

Very nice! By the way, are you considering doing Debussy's Etudes at some point? It would be very interesting to see your commentary on them. Thanks as always for the work you do, and stay safe.

[@miguelfontesmeira]

Wow, I'd love that!

[@pacom.8815]

One of the best versions I've ever heard of Estampes by one of the best Spanish pianists ever: Javier Perianes. Thanks for sharing :)

[@nestor4249]

I don't know what's more impressive: the music and their intepretation or your essayical, deep analysis with the ability to point out all the little moments of musical mastery. Fantastic! Please keep doing this.

[@timofeytereshenko]

Omg, you comeback ! Thank you for all what you do, your channel changed my life

[@timward276]

I love the gradations of softness marked in the coda of Pagodes: first pp, then "plus pp" (more soft), "encore plus pp" (again more soft), and "aussi pp que possible" (as softly as possible) as the piece floats to a close. Perianes' Pagodes and Soirée, especially are stunning; his control and voicing in Pagodes, and his rhythmic freedom in Soirée, are both perfect, and I liked the relaxed tempo of both pieces. Also, those final octave C#s in Perianes' Soirée are exactly how you should play ppp--they sound like they're tiny bells, heard from a great distance. Finally, I like that he doesn't simply turn Jardins into a speed run.

[@lifestyleastherapyafterstr9423]

I mean, if it came down to total conformity to already existing notation, Debussy could have used pp, then ppp, then pppp. But I guess he wanted to emphasize the different levels of pp, and I'm not really sure what that means. Would "pp as much as possible" subtly also imply "p and ppp as least as possible"?

[@classicore22]

@@lifestyleastherapyafterstr9423 I think it just means as softly as possible in this context.

[@bartremmelzwaal5775]

Wow, the way Perianes playes each musical line so distinct of each other is out of this world. The multi layerdeness is just incredible

[@simonkawasaki4229]

Utterly hypnotic. It takes me to the depths of the ocean. He was a genius of harmony.

[@m.a.g.3920]

He was THE genius of harmony, along with late Skriabin, Messiaen and perhaps late Chopin to a lesser degree

[@alvarito45]

How many likes can I give? Debussy in Perianes hands are "MAGIC". Gracias compatriota!!!

[@erikbreathes]

I love Perianes' Pagodes and Jardins sous la pluie. His dynamic control is amazing.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

Estamps is unrivaled by any other piano music This splendor of words can not arrive

[@lucasamory7056]

I know you've already done a fantastic video on Miroirs but you should check out Beatrice Rana's latest recording! Some of the most vivid coloring I've ever heard in a Ravel performance.

[@truekingvictory]

It's been a long while since I've listened to Jardins, and a couple of stray thoughts immediately occurred to me at two sections. First is the L'Isle Joyeuse vibes from 13:39 -- in fact I wonder if one could do a hilarious mashup between the two pieces. Second, the ecstatic ending conjures up the ending of Scriabin's Vers la flamme, and Ravel's Jeux d'eau...I wonder if there was any inspiration amongst these composers and those particular pieces?

[@toothlesstoe]

That piano that Perianes plays on has quite a unique timbre, not quite like any piano I've ever heard. It adds an extra layer of ethereality to the music, along with the complementary colorful interpretation. I'd be interested to know what piano is being used in that recording.

[@Scriabin_fan]

Wouldn't be surprised if it's a Bosendorfer, it has that deep resonant bass that I've heard from Bosendorfers.

[@tchaffman]

​​​@@Scriabin_fan possibly, I'd also guess that those kinds of effects can be enhanced in post-production

[@brynbstn]

According to a review, it’s a Steinway. I’m sure you can find it …

[@swishking1042]

Thank you, the estampes are among my favorite works of Debussy.

[@lupash]

7:02 what a build up on that A pedale then just to resolve on its maj7, how beautiful and how much of Debussy is condensed into that

[@abulasan]

So perfect and beautiful.

[@PlatypusPower89]

Ahh so good, Estampes is my favourite of Debussy's works

[@subplantant]

Lovely - but I always wish pianists would make the rhythm clear at the beginning of Pagodes. It always sounds like the melody begins on the beat (because of the delay on the downbeat) whereas it's all on offbeats.

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

But it's so much better when it's deceptive! It's clearly written to be heard wrongly (all the strong notes are off-beat, and the beaming also follows the "wrong" note grouping), plus the deceptive rhythm (a) sets up the nice correction in the coda, and (b) keeps the whole thing feeling rhythmically free. Playing this rigidly just seems to make this very interesting music sound a bit more pedestrian.

[@subplantant]

@@AshishXiangyiKumar Hang on, the beamings clearly follow the beat structure apart from in b4 and equivalent places where the ambiguity can be enjoyed after having set up the rhythmic structure in the previous bars. I also think moderement anime and presque sans nuances (forgive lack of diacritics), plus D's clear rit/A Tempo markings show enough - there's nothing in this to suggest that floaty, arrhythmic feel - (he doesn't put sans rigueur or con rubato or anything - look at something like Clair de Lune for comparison) least of all that the music it's referencing is usually quite pulse based. I would say you've never heard a recording of this that actually brings out the rhythmic subtleties (I haven't - probably should make one haha). I feel that those LH chords appearing on the beat makes this feel much more 4 square, and then you get to an awkward hiccup at the end of the phrase which then sounds like an error. Also, the "strong notes?" There's no reason why the strong notes can't be the D#s in the RH melody, and then when the LH starts moving, we can hear a ravishing row of appoggiaturas rather than a plain melody starting on the D# and ending on an awkward syncopation....

[@subplantant]

BTW I absolutely love your channel and your analyses - do hope there's room for some alternative viewpoints!

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

​@@subplantant Those aren't unreasonable points, but I'm not quite persuaded (although here we get to talking about composer intent, which is a whole ocean of _bleh_ to me!). The beaming I'm referring to is what you identify, and I think it' a strong giveaway about how we're meant to feel the section. You mentioned hearing the D#s as the strong note, but I find that hard to do when nothing in the score marks them out. Your ear naturally hears the pulse on the chords (with the F#/G# directly above), since they're more aurally prominent. But the strong notes I was actually referring to were the chords in the LH entering at m.7. You could feel them as a syncopation, but unless you do something to accent the C#/A#s nothing aurally tells you to hear it as a syncopation. You could make a case for the low F# to B quaver leap at the end of m.4 (and similar) as the implicit musical instruction establishing a syncopation, but then Debussy goes out of his way to blur that -- he writes "rit." over an already rhythmically slower triplet in the RH. The result is that you end up hearing every two bars as one 9-beat hypermeter, which is rather nice. Nothing at all against alternative viewpoints, and I actually enjoy hearing people reason out their different musical understandings! The only things which puzzle me are when (a) people write things like "Too fast" with no further explanation, so I have no way of accessing why they feel this way; or (b) say "This isn't what the composer intended", as if that were meaningful criticism.

[@subplantant]

@@AshishXiangyiKumar Agree with 100% of your last paragraph!!! Yes b7 was my appoggiatura reference - not saying it's easy!! I think just playing the quaver rest at the beginning of the bar as it is is the way to go - don't double its length. Then just play in time, presque sans nuances, until the rit. Course this means you have to move quickly to the chord and risk landing with a thump (or a bad voicing) which is why I think people take their time. This is even more of a problem if you play moderement anime (note that this is the same indication he used for Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum...) Got to confess I have a thing about performances of early Debussy which I think are all too often swamped in far too much langour and broad-stroke rubato to the point of distortion. Also this suite was one of my most performed through college and when I was still soloising so I spent a lot of time thinking about it!

[@Nathan-hp3cj]

3:51 oh my goodness, the bass notes on this passage sound so dramatic and mournful.

[@toothlesstoe]

Just based on the beginning bars alone, I can already tell that Perianes' interpretation already tops Goerner's.

[@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji]

Such charming beauty...

[@ilmusicofilo]

Quality is really getting higher and higher. Thank you so much for your job!🎼❤️

[@nathanmannpiano5621]

Was there once upon a time a video on this channel that contained Rafael Orozco playing Chopin's 2nd sonata, or is my mind tricking me?

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Nathan Mann Piano It’s tricking you!

[@nathanmannpiano5621]

@@AshishXiangyiKumar Alright, well in that case, I have no idea how I came across that recording. Oh well, was worth a try.

[@mike-0451]

95% of life is uninteresting. I don't know how I can live when only 30 minutes of my day is dedicated to thoughts other than jumping off a bridge. Anyway, this piece was a good use of my time today. Thank you.

[@someoneelse354]

Wow just found your channel. So unique and enriching to have music together with text/ analysis! Looking forward to all to come (and taking a lot of time to listen/read with old videos😊)

[@atheism5284]

Do Liszt Years of Pilgrimage

[@LukeZX4]

Absolutely sublime. Goerner has always been my go-to, but now I'm kicking myself for not finding Perianes before this. What an incredible traversal.

[@alvarito45]

Excellent Perianes! I really believe It's not easy to catch the spirit and sonority of Debussy. Thank you!!

[@sofijavukic9126]

Hey!! I wanted to start uploading some piano recordings to yt because i have a bunch of them, and today i tried to upload my first video, but it was blocked because of the copyright. Can you please help me. How do you post videos??

[@grizzley6937]

Well, what piece is it? It may still be copyrighted. copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Heres a guide to when copyright expires for pieces. If the piece is new enough to still be under copyright, that may be why.

[@lflagr]

Any ideas on why this collection is called "Estampes"? I feel like for three such programmatic, evocative, and descriptive pieces to have a relatively mundane overall title of "Prints" has always been amusing and a little bit ironic. Maybe it's just Debussy being Debussy with his sense of humor.

[@maxolydiann]

this is completely my interpretation of the title and probably nowhere near Debussy's intention, but the title "engravings" seems to suggest descriptions of different scenes written and immortalized in papyrus, or a clay tablet. When I hear the Estampes, it is like reading these engravings, and reenacting them through sound.

[@MumbleJumbles]

I believe the title was a nod to the woodblock prints of Japanese artist Hokusai. (Fun fact - La Mer was directly inspired by Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa.) Debussy wanted to emulate how Hokusai developed evocative, poetic scenes, but for the ear instead. It's certainly a more subtle connection, however it's safe to say both artists were incredibly detail-oriented in their respective crafts.

[@sirchoppy1810]

i like the harp sound at 4:30

[@pppp-zp2vo]

this is my favorite version on estampes, sounds so considerate and subtle

[@shin-i-chikozima]

I get a kick out of the wonderfulness of Estamps The wonderfulness of Estamps is undisputed Javier is an Alchemist of Debussy‘s music, and this fabulous performer’s performance is off the charts Javier perfectly understand Debussy’s aesthetics and spirit I am listening to this fabulous performance on the Pagode while bathing claire de lune with Debussy's spirit. Inspired by this wonderful performance, I may dream of Debussy … From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun🇯🇵

[@netizencapet]

Perianes's interpretation = B; Goerner's = B+. There are many A+ available - a pity Kumar sicked us with these mediocre ones.

[@athanasiusleong3815]

Will the Emperor you analyzed be posted, Ashish?

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Of course. But there are so, so, so many recordings to get through.

[@athanasiusleong3815]

@@AshishXiangyiKumar I wish you the best of luck!

[@alexmensan7178]

HELLO! I was wondering if you had an idea of what edition this video is using for the sheet music! Thank you!!!

[@Sam-zj6mw]

Good lord! The Perianes Pagodes is better than Richter!

[@Peekx237]

Thank you for your time and effort!

[@flyingpenandpaper6119]

"I don't think any other recording has managed to make... sound completely improvised," from the description. Could someone explain to me why this is a desirable quality? (Not to say that it isn't; I enjoyed his interpretation of Pagodes very much.)

[@p-y8210]

That means that he's mastered this piece. To make it sound like he just came up with it.

[@Piotr-jx4bu]

My favorite debussy piece. Can you take our more ravel please.

[@juanmaschoclan]

Where did you find this score? The one I have is slightly worse

[@ThePianoenergy]

Great choice, thanks!

[@yasupiano]

ドビュッシー大好き😘

[@InfernalPasquale]

What a story this piece tells

[@claude1918]

Pagodes is messed with curious tempi choices. The pianist changes tempo when not indicated and doesn't do it whenever Debussy wishes so.

[@June_Hee]

Absolutely splendid choices.

[@athanasiusleong3815]

And Ashish is back again!

[@InfernalPasquale]

The most beautiful piece ever written. Simply the perfect interpretation

[@foolim1]

アンビエント音楽の走りですね

[@maina_yokoi.Pianist]

Sooooo beautiful!!!!!

[@gabriellazaro9819]

Incredible

[@nmt9711]

hello, if anyone has played this piece before, can you please tell me what technical difficulties are in this piece? and how would you rate the difficulty of this piece from 0 (Reverie) to 8 (Feux d'artifices)? thanks in advance! i really want to learn this masterpiece sometime soon.

[@bennygotthard6641]

I'd say round about a 5 to 6.

[@stacia6678]

The whole thing or which movement? If you mean the whole thing, around 6. But there are much more difficult pieces than Feux d'artifice, look at his Etudes Book II for example.

[@skoromoh_]

Good morning. I back here. . 12224

[@morganmartinez8420]

Man, have you checked if uploading weber's piano sonatas is something you have enough material to do?

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Yep, but there aren't any really great recordings out there!

[@morganmartinez8420]

@@AshishXiangyiKumar I can make a list of recordings that I liked and please let me know if they are good enough for a video N.1: Arrau, Ciani, Vermeulen, Carbonara, Vedernikov, Endres N.2: Gilels, Endres, Cortot, Carbonara, Vermeulen N.3: Richter, Endres, Vermeulen, Carbonara N.4: Magaloff, H.Schnabel, Endres, Vermeulen, Carbonara Let me know what you think!

[@yuehchopin]

dankeschön

[@JFNolet]

Great setLiszt !

[@DollyWink7]

0:27

[@e1ly.x_]

26:48

[@e1ly.x_]

28:24

[@jamesgorman7846]

Merci!!!!!

[@aldoringo439]

der der der da da

[@stacia6678]

the rhythm at the beginning of pagodes

[@soutteruk1]

The excellence of this music's execution is all-too obscene ... it should even be taken down AT ONCE, sir!

[@cheifqueeef]

4:27

[@timward276]

I always see Jardins sous la pluie translated as "Gardens in the rain" and it's always bothered me. "sous" doesn't mean "in"; it means "under". "Gardens Beneath the Rain" would be a better translation.

[@camilarestrepo610]

Que obra más hermosa ❤

[@mediumsizedgrape]

Yay!