It
was nearly 10 years ago when a fledgling FanFaire first set its sights
on the star of a brilliant young pianist named Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Already
it was clear that here was an artist headed for the pantheon of classical music
- sequentially making indelible tracks as a concert and recording artist. His
album of opera
transcriptions by Franz Liszt had recently been released and it quickly
became a favorite. Here, we thought, was an extraordinary pianist with the soul
of an opera singer.
But could opera in fact have a special meaning to a celebrated pianist, we wondered.
When we asked him, he replied with words that were not only remarkably enlightening
but also spoken with incredible humility:
"I learn more from opera and from singers
than any piano or violin teacher can teach you in a lifetime. Things that should
come up in piano lessons but often don't - breathing, phrasing, legato, making
a connected line.
"The voice is the most beautiful musical instrument and my role as an artist
is to make the piano sing."
We came away from that conversation certain that his first album of opera transcriptions
was not his last.
Fast forward to February
2007... It is a decade later, his repertoire has grown, his discography
expanded. Decca announces the release of Thibaudet's second transcription album,
"ARIA:
opera without words"*, and like the first, it is greeted with great
acclaim. Not surprisingly, Thibaudet's star shines brighter than ever.
His performances and recordings glow with his impeccable artistry, inimitable
technique, sense of adventure, and youthful joie de vivre - indeed,
are enhanced by the maturity and grace that come with age and experience. One
can hear it all in "ARIA." And the intense devotion to opera that
informed his first opera album can be felt as strongly, if not more, in his
playing of the ten pieces (arranged by various composers or pianists, a couple
by Thibaudet himself in collaboration with movie composer-pianist Randy Kerber)
that he so thoughtfully assembled for ARIA, as well as in the touching dedication
page of the program notes. Same thought, a slightly different choice of words,
spoken with unstinting loyalty and undiminished humility:
"Since I was very young, I have loved
and been fascinated by the human voice and the operatic repertoire, and over
the years it has given me more pleasure and overwhelming emotional feelings
than any other form of music.
This is why I would like to dedicate this album to all of the wonderful singers
that I have had the great privilege to perform with. These precious collaborations
were certainly the most important and rewarding musical experiences of my life,
and they were my inspiration for this recording."
The album has ten tracks - you will find as we did that listening to each one
is a singularly rewarding experience. If his intent was to seduce, Jean-Yves
could not have chosen a more apt opening than his and Kerber's transcription
of Dalila's seduction arias. He plays with a delicacy that caresses and soon
casts a spell that will take you on an emotional journey that is at various
points frolicsome, nostalgic, romantic, thrilling, and rapturous until finally
you find yourself riding victorious across the skies to Valhalla, belting a
robust "Hojotojo!" with Brünnhilde and the Valkyries!
Tr 4: "Glück,
das mir verblieb" - Marietta's song from Die tote Stadt ( Erich Wolfgang
Korngold - arr. Jean-Yves Thibaudet & Randy Kerber)
Tr 5: Soirée
de Vienne: Concert paraphrase on Waltz themes by Johann
Strauss - from Die Fledermaus
and other works
(Johann Strauss - arr. Alfred
Grünfeld)
Tr 9: Portrait
of Madame Butterfly - An operatic sonata-fantasy on themes of
Puccini in four parts (Prelude
- Scherzo:Flower Duet - Nocturne - Finale)
(Giacomo Puccini - arr. Yvar
Mikhashoff)
In the program notes, Jean-Yves shares a childhood wish:
"Ever since I was the littlest boy, all
I wanted to do was sing because the human voice allows you to share the deepest
of emotions. Unfortunately, I was not born with the type of voice that one needs
for opera or Lieder, but I am thankful every single day that I was
given these hands so I can sing."
And with this wonderful new album, we can all sing along with him.
P.S. And those who are new to the art form hopefully will have been seduced
to begin a love affair with opera.
NOTABLE:
On February 28, 2007 Jean-Yves was honored by the Victoire de la Musique (the
French Grammy) with the Victoire d'Honneur, a lifetime career achievement award.
CLICK HERE to read about the award
and the ceremony held at the historic Salle Pleyel in Paris, including his acceptance
speech.
----------------------------
* ARIA was a FanFaire-DeccaCD GIVEAWAY in celebration of Jean-Yves
and his award of a Victoire d'Honneur. CLICK
HERE to join FanFaire's current GIVEAWAY.
** ramble is the Australian composer/pianist Percy Grainger's term for his improvisations.
A MESSAGE FROM JY (1999)
UK
It
was nearly 10 years ago when a fledgling FanFaire first set its sights
on the star of a brilliant young pianist named Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Already
it was clear that here was an artist headed for the pantheon of classical music
- sequentially making indelible tracks as a concert and recording artist. His
album of 
NOTABLE:
On February 28, 2007 Jean-Yves was honored by the Victoire de la Musique (the
French Grammy) with the Victoire d'Honneur, a lifetime career achievement award.
