Credits:

Irina Mejoueva

Description:

A stunning sonification of an inner vision. Debussy's new story begins. Irina Medjieva's latest recording in 2012 is a collection of Debussy's works on the 150th anniversary of his birth. The double disc set features the highly acclaimed masterpiece "Preludes" (24 pieces in 2 volumes), coupled with the early masterpieces "Two Arabesques" and "Bergamasque Suite," "Prints," in which Debussy is said to have established his own musical language, and the gorgeous masterpiece "Island of Joy," which represents his mid-career period of creation. Although some of the pieces have been previously recorded, the majority of them are Medjieva's first recordings. This is an ambitious work that challenges new repertoire. The clear tone, clear phrasing, and colorful changes in the pedaling are all the result of her skillful pedaling. The way in which Medjieva constructs the music in layers while finding new meanings in the detailed motifs is truly outstanding. The result is a strange Debussy that is at once novel and nostalgic at the same time. From the liner notes: "Debussy's new story begins." "...The figures depicted as dots in the landscapes begin to move before you know it, as if they have started various conversations, and a story you have never noticed before begins to emerge.It is as if the pictorial mottoes that Debussy attached to the music take on new meanings, imbue the music with new meanings, and set the psychological drama in motion." (Takeo Inoue) "A novel pianism that expresses Debussy's innovation and aesthetic sense." "...There are not many performances that so subjectively express not an external visual description but an inner impression that approaches the mind, and the unexpected chords and the skillful treatment of pedaling are so novel that they even make one shudder. The unexpected chords and the skillful handling of the pedaling are so novel that they even make one shudder. Above all, Medjieva's performance fully expresses the rare innovation and aesthetic sense of Debussy as an artist. (Yudai Majima) Wakabayashi Studio