Just as he lived his brief life on the edge, French pianist Samson François (1924-1970) brought unbridled passion, big technique, and a restless, creative mind to whatever music he touched. This is primarily true in his recordings made between 1952 and 1961, when he was in his prime. The pianist’s volatile Chopin recalls the polyphonic angle and heroic ardor of his teacher Alfred Cortot, while his granitic sculpting of the Bach-Busoni sports Germanic sturdiness rather than Gallic brilliance. His Debussy and Fauré are lusciously shaded yet full of backbone, as are the Mozart variations. While the Toccatas (Schumann and Prokofiev) fall just short of Horowitz’s diabolical brilliance, no one has yet matched the relentless drive of François’ stupefying 1947 “Scarbo”, one of the greatest piano recordings ever made. All in all, a judicious survey that does this uneven but intriguing pianist full justice.
