Any sort of comparison with Michelangeli is likely to be feared by most pianists, but, as his other recordings would lead us to expect, Rouvier emerges from it well. Though Michelangeli's DG performances appeared on LP as far back as 1978, there is little to choose between the two CDs. Differences are mainly the result of the two pianists' rather divergent attitudes to piano tone. At their finest, Michelangeli's interpretations are vividly evocative, and there is more of the guitar, for example in his ''Serenade interrompue'' than in Rouvier's; also, the perfection of his every detail in ''La danse de Puck'' creates an unforgettable impression. Rouvier's playing as such is less highly individualized, also less aggressive; his sound is warmer, he makes the Preludes seem more intimate, and a bit smaller. His timings are mostly shorter than Michelangeli's yet there is never any feeling of haste.
It is typical that while in ''voiles'' Michelangeli shows a marvellous control of texture, at several levels Rouvier is gentler, softer-edged. Michelangeli gives a magical account of ''Les sons et les parfums'' but takes everything more to an extreme. In ''Les collines d'Anacapri'' Rouvier's tone is more rounded, Michelangeli's chiselled; and in ''La cathedrale engloutie'' the former makes the whole experience more remote, almost a mirage. Michelangeli is surely unsurpassable in ''Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest'', but Rouvier's performance, while less obviously spectacular, is still a fine piece of virtuosity. An outright recommendation is scarcely possible. Every Debussy collection must include Michelangeli's disc, yet Rouvier should be heard.'