This album features pieces written during Claude Debussy’s last years of activity. Six épigraphes antiques (1914), composed originally for two pianos and here in the piano solo version by the author, blends together Debussy’s late stylistic devices with the aesthetics of earlier piano collections such as Estampes and Images Oubliées. A large part of the musical material derives from the author’s accompaniment music for Pierre Louÿs’ Les Chansons de Bilitis, composed in 1901.
Commissioned by the painter André Hellé who also illustrated the score, La boîte à joujoux (1913) is one of the author’s three ballet pieces. The children’s theme is dear to the author, who eventually dedicated the piece to his beloved daughter Emma, whom he used to call “Chouchou”.
Due to the worsening of his health condition, Debussy could not see its premiere, postponed to 1919 after the end of World War I. Jacopo Salvatori is pianist and composer. Based in Germany, he combines together his passion for new music with his dedication to the classical repertoire.
The recording was made using a couple of historical Brüel & Kjær in NOOS set. It is fully natural and native as 88.2/24-bits.