The eclectic pianist Alexandre Tharaud here professes his great love of French song with a rich selection of 30 pieces drawn from the well-known repertoire, as well as from a few hidden treasure chests. Some interpretations are almost revisions (Sous le ciel de Paris, Mathilde…), others, respectful, even clean and straight readings (Évidemment, J’attendrai…). Some classics, for real, like this beautiful Improvisation No. 15, FP 176 “Homage to Edith Piaf” signed by Francis Poulenc, or the famous Les chemins de l’amour, also by Poulenc, to which we can add this Opus X by Léo Ferré, a posthumous release, the last track on the album Métamec from 2000, which offered previously unreleased tracks by the great poet-musician. Ferré wrote this short piece for solo piano somewhere in the 1980s. The artist dreamed of being a ‘’classical’’ composer, and this miniature, which perfectly captures the Ferré sound in just two minutes, will make us forever regret that he did not explore this side more thoroughly. Somewhere in between, versions in the form of more or less elaborate variations (Ne me quitte pas, Je suis malade, etc.).
There is no shortage of bouquets of pianistic tributes to French song. But Tharaud stands out for his refinement, his sense of elegance and his sense of restraint in expressiveness (no pseudo-Richard Clayderman here, phew). The Frenchman doesn’t feel the need to turn every piece into a Rachmaninov “Etude” to “create emotion.” His intimate conviction in the richness of these titles transcends time and space towards our own interiority.
Tharaud knows how to reinvent these melodies enough to maintain the sense of discovery, while also knowing how to expose their expressive force in order to satisfy our need to hear them as often as possible. PS: but why on earth did they put such an ugly cover?? It’s almost an insult.
