Tamás Vásáry’s 1970 Debussy recital disc for Deutsche Grammophon was last available on a DG Privilege budget reissue. Here’s roughly half of the selections, coupled with most of a 1960 Debussy collection featuring Jörg Demus. The Austrian pianist’s clearly contoured yet sensitively nuanced playing will surprise listeners who understandably link this artist to the German repertoire. Demus, in fact, had studied with Walter Gieseking, whose name is synonymous with Debuusy. Demus brings a more assertive profile to the Images and Children’s Corner than his teacher, albeit without the master’s ravishing, somewhat disembodied sonority. I also like the dry-point directness that Demus brings to the Suite Bergamasque and the Tarantelle styrienne. But I prefer Vásáry’s playful brand of nervous energy in the latter two works, and I’m sorry his performances were not chosen over Demus’ less personalized versions. Still, we get Vásáry’s wonderfully rakish Arabesques, a Pour le Piano highlighted by effervescent outer movements, and soft, murmuring repeated notes in Masques. L’isle Joyeuse is less succesful because Vásáry’s push and pull rubatos in the central section undermine the cumulative momentum leading to the Lisztian coda. Meantime, let’s hope for some enterprising soul to reissue Demus’ complete Debussy cycle, once available on LP from the Musical Heritage Society. Eloquence’s transfers from the original DG mastertapes are true to timbre, but not as hiss-free as they might have been.
