Name: BRAHMS // The Complete Solo Piano works
SKU: LDV 170.5
Price: 30.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

6 CD | LDV 170.5 | total duration: 360'30 | release date: 18/03/2016

BRAHMS // The Complete Solo Piano works

Geoffroy Couteau,

Only passion and time can give one a profound understanding of a composer such as Brahms. The bond between Brahms and Geoffroy Couteau is visceral, fundamental, vital . . . At the opposite extreme from gratuitous opportunism, this recording became a true imperative for the pianist, a personal odyssey that would reveal his innermost nature.

2016, Brahms, Geoffroy Couteau, Piano

30,00 €

Booklet

Description

Fully conscious of the scale of the project, Geoffroy devoted himself to it exclusively, taking the risk of an ‘artistic retreat’ for nearly two years in order to offer the very best of himself. In an era of ultra-rapid connectivity, the demands of this project might seem to come from another planet! The choice of recording the complete piano works of Brahms in a little more than three months was unquestionably one of the greatest artistic adventures he has ever been lucky enough to experience. Total immersion in an exceptional place, with an equally exceptional recording team and piano.

CD 1 - SCHERZO OP. 4 / SONATAS OP.1 & OP.2

Scherzo in A-flat minor, op.4 8’59
Sonata n°2 in F-sharp minor, op.2 – Allegro non troppo, ma energico 6’07
Sonata n°2 in F-sharp minor, op.2 – Andante con espressione 5’45
Sonata n°2 in F-sharp minor, op.2 – Scherzo : Allegro 3’33
Sonata n°2 in F sharp minor, op.2 – Finale : Introduzione (sostenuto) 12’24
Sonata n°1 in C major, op.1 – Allegro 11’27
Sonata n°1 in C major, op.1 – Andante 4’55
Sonata n°1 in C major, op.1 – Scherzo : Allegro molto e con fuoco 5’34
Sonata n°1 in C major op.1 – Finale : Allegro con fuoco 6’40

CD 2 - SONATA OP.5 / VARIATIONS OP.9 & OP.21 N°2

Sonata n°3 in F minor, op.5 – Allegro maestoso 12’03
Sonata n°3 in F minor, op.5 – Andante espressivo – Andante molto 10’34
Sonata n°3 in F minor, op.5 – Scherzo : Allegro energico 5’09
Sonata n°3 in F minor, op.5 – Intermezzo (Rückblick) Andante molto 3’16
Sonata n°3 in F minor, op.5 – Finale : Allegro moderato ma rubato 8’05
Variations on a theme by Robert Schumann in F-sharp minor, op.9 17’42
Variations on a Hungarian melody in D major, op.21 n°2 6’32

CD 3 - 4 BALLADES / VARIATIONS OP.21 N°2, OP.18B

Ballade n°1 in D minor – Andante – Allegro (“Edward”) 5’00
Ballade n°2 in D major – Andante – Allegro non troppo – Andante 6’44
Ballade n°3 in B minor – Intermezzo (Allegro) 4’29
Ballade n°4 in B major – Andante con moto – più lento 9’41
Variations on an Original Theme in D major, op.21 n°1 15’10
Variations in D minor op.18b 10’22

CD 4 - 25 VARIATIONS OP.24 / VARIATIONS OP.35 / 16 VALSES OP.39

25 Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel in B-flat major, op.24 28’34
Variations on a Theme by Paganini in A minor, op.35 – Book I 13’06
Variations on a Theme by Paganini in A minor, op.35 – Book II 10’03
Valse n°1 in B major, op.39 0’50
Valse n°2 in E major, op.39 1’15
Valse n°3 in G-sharp minor, op.39 0’44
Valse n°4 in E minor, op.39 1’20
Valse n°5 in E major, op.39 1’16
Valse n°6 in C-sharp major, op.39 1’00
Valse n°7 in C sharp minor, op.39 1’58
Valse n°8 in B-flat major, op.39 1’23
Valse n°9 in D minor, op.39 1’09
Valse n°10 in G major, op.39 0’37
Valse n°11 in B minor, op.39 1’30
Valse n°12 in E major, op.39 1’37
Valse n°13 in B major, op.39 0’38
Valse n°14 in G-sharp minor, op.39 1’21
Valse n°15 in A-flat major, op.39 1’19
Valse n°16 in C-sharp minor, op.39 0’59

CD 5 - HUNGARIAN DANCES / 8 PIECES FOR PIANO OP.76 / THE RHAPSODIES OP.79

Hungarian Dance n°1 in G minor – Allegro molto 3’02
Hungarian Dance n°2 in D minor – Allegro non assai. Vivace 2’45
Hungarian Dance n°3 in F major – Allegretto 2’10
Hungarian Dance n°4 in F minor – Poco sostenuto. Vivace 4’23
Hungarian Dance n°5 in F-sharp minor – Allegro vivace 2’03
Hungarian Dance n°6 in B-flat major – Vivace 3’08
Hungarian Dance n°7 in F major – Allegretto. Vivo 1’33
Hungarian Dance n°8 in A minor – Allegro ma non troppo 1’51
Hungarian Dance n°9 in E minor – Allegro ma non troppo 1’51
Hungarian Dance n°10 in E major – Presto 2’03
Capriccio in F-sharp minor, op.76 – Un poco agitato 3’30
Capriccio in B minor, op.76 – Allegretto non troppo 3’25
Intermezzo in A-flat majeur, op.76 – Grazioso 2’29
Intermezzo in B flat major, op.76 – Vivace 2’09
Capriccio in C-sharp minor, op.76 – Agitato ma non troppo presto 3’09
Intermezzo in A major, op.76 – Andante con moto 3’20
Intermezzo in A minor, op.76 – Moderato semplice 2’59
Capriccio in C major, op.76 – Grazioso ed un poco vivace 3’26
Rhapsodie n°1 in G minor, op.79 – agitato 9’54
Rhapsodie n°2 in G minor – Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro 5’15

CD 6 - 7 FANTASIES OP.116 / 3 INTERMEZZI OP.117 / 6 PIECES FOR PIANO OP.118/ 4 PIECES FOR PIANO OP.119

Capriccio in D minor, op.116 – Presto energico 2’06
Intermezzo in A minor op.116 – Andante 3’53
Capriccio in G minor op.116 – Allegro passionato 3’07
Intermezzo in E major, op.116 – Adagio 4’13
Intermezzo in E minor op.116 – Andante con grazia ed intimassimo sentimento 3’06
Intermezzo in E major, op.116 – Andantino teneramente 3’28
Capriccio in D minor op.116 – Allegro agitato 2’04
Intermezzo n°1 in B-flat major, op.117 – Andante moderato 4’40
Intermezzo n°2 in B-flat minor, op.117 – Andante non troppo e con molto espressione
Intermezzo n°3 in C-sharp minor, op.117 – Andante con moto 5’32
Intermezzo in A minor, op.118 – Allegro non assai, ma molto appassionato) 1’43
Intermezzo in A major, op.118 – Andante teneramente 5’36
Ballade in G minor, op.118 – Allegro energico 3’04
Intermezzo in F minor, op.118 – Allegretto un poco agitato 2’43
Romance in F major – Andante 3’49
Intermezzo in E-flat minor – Andante, largo e mesto 4’54
Intermezzo in B minor – Adagio 3’22
Intermezzo in E minor – Andantino un poco agitato 4’36
Intermezzo in C major – Grazioso e giocoso 1’38
Rhapsodie in E-flat major – Allegro risoluto 4’19

Brahms has always fascinated Geoffroy Couteau. After winning First Prize at the International Johannes Brahms Competition in 2005, he went on to record the composer’s complete solo piano works for La Dolce Volta. The specialist press unanimously acknowledged this extraordinary discographical venture by categorising it among the finest recordings of the year 2016.

Geoffroy Couteau has appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Main Auditorium of the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Cidade das Artes in Rio de Janeiro, the Auditorium of the Musée d’Orsay, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Maison de Radio France, the Salle Gaveau and the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.

He is a regular guest at such festivals as Piano aux Jacobins, Menton, Saintes, Radio France-Montpellier, Lille Piano Festival, L’Esprit du Piano in Bordeaux, the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, Piano en Valois, the Chopin festivals of Nohant and Bagatelle, the Festival Messiaen au Pays de la Meije, and the Eygalières Festival.

Geoffroy Couteau had a dazzlingly successful career at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he studied with Michel Béroff.

He is now artist in residence at L’Arsenal de Metz, a fertile collaboration that showcases his musical qualities.