Florian Billot - Paris 1884-1959 (2014) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

With 'Paris 1884-1959', his first record with Aparté, Florian Billot gives us the soul of a city of which he is the pure musical result: he studied with Michel Béroff at the great institution common to almost all composers on this album, the Conservatoire de Paris, from 2002. From the romanticism of Franck, to the enlightening appeal to sensuality of Debussy, through the clear writting of Henri Dutilleux's 'Sonate', Florian Billot leads us to French musical treasure. 'Pavane pour une infante défunte' and 'Improvisation n°15, Hommage à Edith Piaf' by Francis Poulenc, end the disc with a heartfelt hommage from one of the Six to his friend. Florian Billot offers a subtle and comforting musical interpretation, highlighting the colours of Parisian life in the early 20th century.

Florian Billot, you too studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire. The piano repertoire of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is vast. How did you select the works presented here? Afer having devoted myself specifcally to the German Romantic repertoire, I decided to turn to French music, which offers an infinitely wide spectrum of works. My aim here was to present different aesthetics from that rich musical period and to highlight different styles. These pieces, by composers from Franck to Poulenc, have been with me for a long time and I cherished the idea of bringing them together on the same recording.

Tracklist:

01 - César Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue (1884): I. Prélude
02 - César Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue (1884): II. Choral
03 - César Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue (1884): III. Fugue
04 - Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899)
05 - Claude Debussy: L'Isle joyeuse, L. 106 (1904)
06 - Henri Dutilleux: Sonate pour piano (1946-48): I. Allegro pour piano
07 - Henri Dutilleux: Sonate pour piano (1946-48): II. Lied
08 - Henri Dutilleux: Sonate pour piano (1946-48): III. Choral et Variations
09 - Francis Poulenc: Improvisation No. 15 'Hommage à Édith Piaf' (1959)

Recorded, Edited & Mastered by Florent Ollivier (Little Tribeca).
Recorded on October 7-9, 2013 at l'IRCAM, Salle de projection, Paris.

Musicians:
Florian Billot - piano


Thanks to the Original customer!