You might wonder why Jorge Bolet opted to record 16 of Debussy’s Preludes rather than all 24. Perhaps it’s just as well, for much of the playing is uninvolved, heavy-handed, occasionally inaccurate (not so much wrong notes as misread notes and rhythms), and just plain tired. To be frank, this noble artist either is not at his best or is plainly miscast in repertoire that he had no business recording so late in his career.
Dance-oriented selections like La sérénade interrompue, La danse de Puck, and Minstrels plop more than fizz, although the pianist manages to wring enough character out of Général Lavine–eccentric’s lumbering gait. He begins La Puerta del Vino promisingly with heightened dynamic contrasts and slashing accents, but soon loses shape as the basic habanera underpinning fades into the background. In Danseuses de Delphes the phrases seem to wind down like an old clock in disrepair, due in part to the pianist’s slight tenutos and weighty articulation.
However, at his best, Bolet was a supreme colorist. Young pianists can learn from the multi-leveled textural differentiation Bolet so gorgeously achieves in Des pas sur la neige, or from La cathédrale engloutie’s long-lined elegance. And to be fair, Bolet summons up reserves of energy for Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest. At least Bolet’s admirers will be glad to know they can obtain this release as an “on-demand” CD from Arkivmusic.com.
