After his complete Ravel for Naxos, the Franco-American pianist Francois-Joel Thiollier now turns his attention to Debussy. Like his other series, this one is well worth considering at Naxos’s super-bargain price but does not complete with certain other pianists for whom one pays more to receive more – among them being the deeply sensitive Zoltan Kocsis, whose two highly regarded Philips recitals (4/85 and 2/90), however, cover, of the music here, only the Suite bergamasque, Pour le piano, Deux arabesques and Reverie. Thiollier brings a pleasing grave charm to the first of these, with tempos that are in places a touch deliberate but which are perfectly acceptable. If there’s anything lacking, it’s a sense of spontaneity, but I will not make too much of this since I enjoyed his performance.
The shorter salon pieces all come off well, and the Nocturne reminded me how much more than a trifle is this 1890s work – and indeed the same may be said of other things, too, in this recital of the composer’s earlier piano music, which ends with the suite he named Pour le piano (1901). This latter brings the only music on the disc that seeks obvious pianistic brilliance, but such is Debussy’s genius that there are no longueurs or pallors in what precedes it, and Thiollier’s performance has plenty of fire. A clear yet atmospheric recording complements his playing, and budget-conscious collectors wanting these pieces need not hesitate.'