New Debussy Discovered

ARTS Music has let it be known that one of their favourite catalogue items, "Claude Debussy: Complete Piano Works Vol. 2" is available again. To celebrate the occasion, the already lavishly endowed CD (which featured 71 minutes of music in its first incarnation) now boasts of three more pieces:  "Pièce pour piano (Morceau de Concours)", "Berceuse Héroique" and a world premiere, "Les soirs qu’illuminait par l’ardeur du charbon". That's a rather long title for a rather short piece but it sure is one of the most welcome discoveries of the last few years. Composed in 1917, the piece was a tribute to Monsieur Tronquin, a coal merchant and alludes to Baudelair's poem "The Balcony". According to the label, "Les soirs..." is both prophetic and nostalgic, displaying a very direct and melodic style, which Debussy might have continued, had he not died of cancer just a year later. Leave it up to experienced pianist Jean-Pierre Armengaud to present this "debut" in a suitable fashion.

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