LES DISCOPHILES FRANÇAIS DF 211 – 212
MARCELLE MEYER PLAYS DEBUSSY
This LP edition of Debussy’s complete piano Preludes, with other pieces, performed by the legendary Marcelle Meyer is exceptional in more than one respect :
– It’s unpublished as an LP record ! We have discovered that a 2 LP’s album should have been published by Les Discophiles Français, with the reference catalogue number DF 211- 212 in 1959 ( see photos of a record review « Disques » ); but its publication was finally deleted. Was the reason – – Fail of the editor who was about to be sold to Pathe Marconi ? Was a complete recording of Debussy piano work in the point to be planned (projected) ? Or not ready to be completed ? We have not to forget that the pianist was suffering from rhumatoid arthritis
In any case, this Debussy album had to be among the very last ones of that kind to be published for sale with the famous luxurious canvas presentation (with for example the Bach sonatas played by Michèle Auclair). The present record is therefore an original issue as an LP, and in no way a reissue.
– this edition has been produced according to the highest standards of quality and luxury both in term of sound as in term of album manufacturing ( see details ). The unrivalled luxury here brings the collector back to the golden age of classicial records, in the fifties !
– finally, if it’s well known that Vlado Perlemuter studied Ravel complete piano works with the composer ( and also Fauré’s with Fauré ), it is often ignored that Marcelle Meyer too studied Debussy’s complete piano preludes under the direction of the composer !
Celebrating both the 60th anniversary of the pianist’s death (1958) and and the centenary of the composer’s one (1918), this record is not only a kind of return to the roots, but also of historical importance.
Rarely – or never ?! – Marcelle Meyer’s playing had been reproduced with as much truth and clarity ; the listener can easily enjoy the typical fluidiy of her playing, her tone, her color… The truth of her performance is revived for us.
The fact that it’s also the first genuine original Discophiles Français record published for 60 years, all this makes of it a real record event !
The text of this edition has been written by Frédéric Gaussin, a musicologist, pianist ( former pupil of Agnelle Bundervoet ), who is one of the best connoisseurs of the french piano school.
Technical advice to play this record : to listen to our record and enjoy it the best possible way, as the lackers have been cut in real monaural, we highly recommand to use a mono cartridge, with a weight of approx. 2g – 2,5 g.