Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) Solo Piano Music 1. Matin sur l'eau (Morning on the Water) 2. Scherzetto 3. Francaise 4. Toccata sur le nom d'Albert Roussel 5. L'espiegle du village de Lilliput (Mischief in the Village of Lilliput) 6. Valse 7. Felicie Nanteuil - waltz 8. Le vent dans les ruines (The Wind in the Ruins) 9. Noel en Picardie (Christmas in Picardy) Les rencontres (Meetings) 10. Les bouquetieres (The Flower Girls) 11. Les creoles (The Creoles) 12. Les mignardes (The Precious Girls) 13. Les bergeres (The Shepherdesses) 14. Les bavardes (The Chatterboxes) Histoires (Stories) 15. La meneuse de tortues d'or (The Girl Leading the Golden Tortoises) 16. Le petit ane blanc (The Little White Donkey) 17. Le vieux mendiant (The Old Beggar) 18. A giddy girl 19. Dans la maison triste (In the Sad House) 20. Le palais abandonne (The Abandoned Palace) 21. Bajo la mesa (Under the Table) 22. La cage de cristal (The Glass Cage) 23. La marchande d'eau fraiche (The Fresh Water Merchant) 24. Le cortege de Balkis (The Procession of Balkis) Denver Oldham, piano Recording location and dates not provided Altarus 9014 [74:53] Comparison Recording: Hae-won Chang/Naxos 8.554720 (1991) I've never given much thought to Jacques Ibert's music which has the reputation for being light, fluffy, and perhaps not very consequential. Now that I've intensively entered the world of his piano music, I need to rethink my preconceptions. The fact is that Ibert's piano music is always delightful, exquisitely crafted, and sometimes even deep in emotional flavor. I find the basic ingredients of his piano works to be: 1. Charm - Ibert can charm the pants off you with his silky and idiomatic phrasing for the piano. His music flows so well and seamlessly, and it's a pleasure to listen to any time of day or night. 2. Playfulness - Ibert loves to play with his audience through his enticing lines, and he always is ready to joke with us and insure that everyone is having a good time. 3. Sensuality - This is another primary Ibert trait. His music is often 'from the loins', although in a quite wholesome and natural fashion. He flirts with and teases us consistently. Reading biographical information about Ibert, it is clear that he lived 'the good life'. His father was a well-to-do mercantile agent, and his mother was the 2nd cousin to the composer Manuel de Falla. Jacques exhibited many precocious talents, and de Falla suggested that he audition for the Paris Conservatoire. The advice was taken, and Ibert was on his way to musical stardom. He studied harmony with Emile Pessard, counterpoint with Andre Gedalge, and composition/orchestration with Paul Vidal; fellow students included Darius Milhaud and Arthur Honegger. Ibert began making a living from music through music lessons, playing piano for silent movies, and composing popular songs and dance music. Then in 1919, he won the Prix de Rome for a Cantata he wrote and subsequently went on to compose music in most of the traditional categories as well as a healthy dose of music for film. We should not assume that all there is to Ibert is good cheer and delightful music. Life does have its dark days, and Ibert also experienced a few of them. He served at the front as an orderly and stretcher bearer during the First World War, seeing death and destruction first-hand on a daily basis. Further, his music was banned by the puppet Vichy regime during World War II. The pieces Ibert wrote at these cloudy times certainly delve incisively into the angst he felt. Some the reviews I have read of Ibert's music never mention the dark side his music, and paint Ibert as being a somewhat one-dimensional composer. Rest assured that this is not the case. Denver Oldham's performances are quite captivating. He fully captures the generally upbeat and playful nature of Ibert's music while also conveying Ibert's negativity when necessary. Oldham favors rounded contours and smooth phrasing for the most part, but I don't hear any damage done to the music as a result. Sound quality is excellent with ample richness and clarity. To the best of my knowledge, the only other disc devoted to Ibert's solo piano music comes from Naxos and Hae-won Chang. As it happens, Oldham and Hae-won Chang approach Ibert's music from opposite corners. Where Oldham is rounded and smooth, Hae-won Chang is usually sharp with greater rhythmic bounce and vitality. Since I'm having a hard time deciding which pianist does the best job, I'll just call it an even situation. Suffice it to say that both artists are very rewarding, and their respective programs differ enough to warrant acquiring both recordings. Altarus does offer the better liner notes; they bring up the impact that the two World Wars had on Ibert, while Naxos has virtually nothing to say on the subject. Of course, Naxos has the price advantage, and those on a limited budget should feel fine if they only purchase the Naxos disc. Since I'm feeling that this review is currently a little skimpy, here's a few highlights of Ibert's piano music and the Denver Oldham performances: "Morning on the Water" and Scherzetto were both originally composed for solo harp, and Ibert eventually issued the two pieces for solo piano. "Morning" is bitter-sweet music flowing in a silky manner, while the Scherzetto is a rhythmically active toccata. Oldham is a little too sedate in the Scherzetto, particularly in comparison to Hae-won Chang's sharper interpretation that also has much more rhythmic lift. "Francaise" is a delightful and fun piece in perpetual motion as is the Roussel Toccata. I am very taken with this short one-minute toccata, particularly when the lower voice enters and provides a bedrock of optimism in addition to an enhanced dialogue of voices. "Lilliput" is another vivacious piece displaying Ibert's penchant for blending ardor and charm. Oldham is great in these three pieces and scores points over Hae-won Chang in the Toccata; Oldham's lower voice is more enveloping. "Le vent dans les ruines" is directly tied to Ibert's harrowing war experiences in 1914 and quite different from his usual style in that it is music of seething tension and desperation. Ibert supplied his own program notes for the piece, writing of the "awful echo of the dead". That echo is certainly prevalent in the work, and all those who think of Ibert as a pleasant composer will be stunned by this composition that reminds me of Schumann's Florestan character at his most desperate moments. Oldham again surpasses Hae-won Chang, as his reading is substantially darker and more menacing. The one piece on the disc that I keep playing over and over is "The Girl Leading the Golden Tortoises" from Ibert's set of ten character pieces titled "Histoires". To be accurate, it's the Hae-won Chang version that I keep playing. With Oldham's rather quick interpretation, the music has a pristine and delicate nature. Hae-won Chang retains this nature but also adds the most subtle human urges through his compelling inflections from the soprano voice and middle-voice chords that are nearly sobbing. The result is a transcendent blend of lightness and depth that Oldham doesn't even attempt to approach. Don's Conclusions: Based on the excellent piano music on this Altarus disc, I will definitely be listening to additional music by Ibert whose charming sensuality and impressionist tendencies add up to a strongly rewarding listening experience. I highly recommend Denver Oldham's suave readings as well as the more vibrant offerings from Hae-won Chang. If you only want one of these recordings, I'd go with the Naxos disc based on cost considerations and the sublime performance of the first piece of "Histoires". For those whose music budgets are ample, get both recordings and enjoy. Don Satz [log in to unmask]