“We should strip ourselves of everything, preserving deep inside nothing but a raging yearning for space, true desire, future memories, light, weightless feathers and open arms.”
This quotation of Jacques Dor is an almost perfect illustration of Amandine Habib’s thinking when she was working on this original recording, which brings together pieces by Couperin and Debussy. Two centuries separate the two composers but the pianist’s intention, which may seem surprising at first, takes on its full meaning when one takes a closer look. Debussy had decided at the time to dedicate his Cahier d’Etudes pour les cinq doigts ("Etudes for five fingers") to Couperin; his passion for Chopin prevailed and he erased the name of the great baroque artist from his score to replace it by that of the master of romanticism. The two French composers were pioneers.
Couperin was the first to break away from the formalism of the dances predominant at that time. Menuet, gavotte and others: the references fade though the rhythms remain, giving way to poetry. Poetry and fantasy are at the heart of Debussy’s work for the piano. The composer wanted to give free rein to the imagination of performers and audiences. In his Préludes, the pieces have no ostensible title. He simply gave an indication by writing his own idea of one at the end of the score. He leaves to those who interpret the title the task of reimagining the content of his music, the images and the colours evoked.
Two hundred years apart, Couperin and Debussy are united by the will to bring mystery, sensuality and fantasy to life. Their guiding force is their desire to shed the burden of the conventions of the era, to infuse their compositions with colour and light, and prise open the box of dreams. What is more, performers must combine artistry and technicity to meet the challenges of their work. © 2019 Michel Egea/Melism