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Liszt, Beethoven, Debussy: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano). Wigmore Hall 16.2. 2008 (CC)


Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's Debussy recordings have been creating quite a stir of late, but what of his Beethoven?. He is in the preocess of recording the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas (I believe, although I stand to be corrected, for Exton). When I interviewed Bavouzet last yeat for a print-based magazine, he spoke of his admiration for the Beethoven of Yves Nat. There is a lineage in evidence here – Nat taught Banouzet's own teacher. Pierre Sancan. I echo without reservation the admiration for Nat's Beethoven (Nat's complete sonata traversal is available as part of a fifteen-disc set from EMI France), and was therefore keen to hear Bavouzet's own take.

The chosen sonata was the A major, Op. 101, but not before Bavouzet added an item to the advertised programme: the 'Invocations' from the first version of Liszt's Harmonies poétiques et réligeuses. Despite the fact that Bavouzet has a proven track record with Liszt (having recorded some for Dabringhaus und Grimm), this still felt a surprising choice. The piece is positively nocturnal, and therefore one would have thought unsuitable for a Sunday morning audience, some of whom were presumably still rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Perhaps it was intended as some sort of acoustic warm-up, for right-hand projection threatened to be too much at times. No doubting the effectiveness of the ecstatic climax, though.

The opening of the Beethoven Op. 101 emerged like a ray of light after the Liszt. Chords were expertly placed, and true levels of projection came to fruition here. Laudably unafraid of contrasts, Bavouzet gave a performance of real power, especially the explosive Lebhaft second movement. Rhythms were clearly and emphatically dotted and there was a fine sense of independent lines. Throughout, one became aware of the power of gesture in this music.  Technically, trills were close to perfect, but it was in the clear awareness of melodic strands that Bavouzet was most notable.

Bavouzet's Debussy series on Chandos has been rightly praised in the Press at large (there are reviews on this site by Christopher Howell). In interview, Bavouzet was keen to impress on me the fact that Debussy was not to be wrapped in cotton wool, and indeed what made this account of the second book of Préludes notable was its emotional and dynamic range. The very first piece,   'Brouillards', was shrouded in mystery, yet with a clarity that enabled one to hear every note; hints of a more wide-ranging approach than is the norm came in the form of the sudden capricious gestures of 'Feuilles mortes', set against superbly weighted chords, before the extent of the range was made explicit by the near-violence of 'La puerto del vino' (a performance that was certainly more robust than that on his Chandos recording). No cotton wool here.

There was plenty of humour in evidence, though, from the lolloping gait of 'General Lavine' through to the British National Anthem of 'Pickwick' (which melted beautifully into Debussy's sound-world). There were moments of proto-Messiaen: 'Les terrasse des audiences du clair du lune' seemed to nod forward towards the 'Baiser de l'Enfant Jésus' from Vingt Régards. Finally, there was the virtuosity of 'Feux d'artifice' (again, there was a Messiaen-like jubilation in the air in this explosive, high-octane reading). Superb.

As an encore, we were treated to a substantial item, the Rigoletto Fantasy of Liszt, chock-full of delights. A memorable lunchtime's music.

Colin Clarke

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