German pianist Joseph Moog (born in 1987), recipient of the prestigious Young Artist of the Year award at the 2012 and 2015 Gramophone Classical Music Awards as well as 2014 Solo Instrumentalist for his album “Scarlatti Illuminated”, has led a stunning fifteen-year international career that has led him to perform on the world’s greatest stages accompanied by excellent orchestras. His repertoire includes the great classical repertoire, romanticism and 20th century as well as rarities that have become his trademark (rather than a simple specialisation). He has tackled works from the likes of Leopold Godowsky, Ferruccio Busoni, Anton Rubinstein, Moritz Moszkowski and Ignaz Friedman, some of the most significant virtuoso-composers of their time. Here, we find him deep in exploration of the French repertoire with Debussy’s twelve Études, completed by a thirteenth one which was recently discovered in the composer’s drafts and duly finished by Roy Howat. The album also features an absolute essential, Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, which Moog performs with great clarity. It’s as if the preceding Études had warmed up his fingers as well as his mind and naturally spilled over into the famous triptych. © SM/Qobuz