Renée Fleming, Jean‐Yves Thibaudet

About

Jean Yves Thibaudet has spent a lifetime immersed in the music of Claude Debussy, and the French pianist is widely regarded as one of the leading interpreters of that composer's work. His particular passion centres on Debussy's 24 Préludes, a cycle written between 1909 and 1913 that helped establish musical impressionism as a serious force. For Thibaudet, the pieces showcase every dimension of Debussy's range, from neoklassical tone painting to impressionist colour and esoteric vision. Each prélude is its own self contained world, from the transcendent La Cathédrale engloutie to the sparkling fireworks of Feux d'artifice. In performance, Thibaudet approaches this music the way a watercolour painter works, blending colours, rhythms and melodies with a stylish lightness of touch. He has performed the complete Préludes cycle as an integral whole, bringing together music that has been deeply woven into his career from the very beginning.