La fille aux cheveux de lin - Alfred Cortot

Alfred Cortot plays in 1930 from Claude Debussy's
preludes livre 1 " La fille aux cheveux de lin." 78rpm with on record envelope Cortot own hand dedication 1935 " en sympatique souvenir " to M° Luigi Ferrari Trecate and M° Alberto Mozzati.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ClaudeDebussy
• La
• filleAuxCheveuxDeLin
• AlfredCortot
• 78rpm

[CouldWeCareLess]

This piece was based on a painting of 2 girls sitting at a piano (google Two girls at the piano by Renoir). My pianoteacher said that Debussy based alot of his work on things like art and poems. For instance, this piece is played on the black notes, because the piano on the painting looks so old and used that it would sound abit less clear. If the piece was on white keys mostly it would be too clear.

[allegroconmoto]

@CouldWeCareLess You have got a powerful imagination but here the great black keys number only depends on the piece’s tonality : Debussy uses a Gb major key signature and the piece constantly changes from Gb major to an Eb pentatonic/minor natural. This tonal ambiguity is peculiar to all his music.

[GuinnevereB]

That was certainly unique among the interpretations that I've heard. Most modern pianists would never play this piece so briskly, but I find it intriguing. It just goes to show how different musicians approach a piece of music from some very different directions, and how accustomed listeners get to the generally accepted interpretation of the day.

Instead of a romantic impression of a young woman in a field of flowers, it made me think of a lovely, vibrant little girl at play in the garden.

[allegroconmoto]

I totally agree with you .We should add the bad influence of amateur pianists ( like me ) who maltreat these "easy" pieces that become sugary and emphatic The splendid Michelangeli' interpretation of this piece is very different from the oleographic one and make me to think to a sensual woman thougtful and enervated smoking a cigarette on her sofa

[Caramellatta]

@GuinnevereB

It was very interesting to read your comment, because I've been thinking about how different images of "la fille" would really change the interpretation of the piece. The poem, "La fille aux cheveux de lin" by Leconte de Lisle's is about a beautiful Scottish girl with tempting, crimson lips, but it is also youthful and pastoral, with mention of deer and hares and the lark and love in the bright summer sun. Corot's interpretation does suggest these images. I think I like it better.

[allegroconmoto]

@Caramellatta tank'you for the reference to the Leconte de Lisle poem : in fact we experience a sensation of open space in this Debussy's prelude ( like in the children's corner little shephered ) and Cortot balances here carefully foreground and landscape .He is magic !

[victooorrrr]

The piano is burning!

[lyricaltones]

@CouldWeCareLess From the booklet to CD with Martino Tirimo: "The inspiration for 'The girl with the flaxen hair' was Leconte de Lisle's poem of the same name."

[MrGuyAvern]

This is a brisk interpretation I agree, but I wonder if the technology on which they were recording it had any bearing on the speed he played. They often only had between 2mins or 3mins for recording direct onto disk. I guess we'll never know, but I think I'd be playing it a tad quicker than usual if I was told you've only got 2mins until the disk runs out!

Wonderful recording.

[GuinnevereB]

@Caramellatta I thank you for supplying information about the poem and name of its author. A quick search found it in the original French, and an English translation. It seems to be addressed to a pretty, "kissable" girl in the countryside on a sunny morning. (It sounds like a case of "first love" to me.) Knowing the original inspiration for the music still allows for various interpretations, and I do like Cortot's sprightly rendition. Thanks again.

[spookyben]

Yes very brisk but I love it.

[jansumi]

This version seems to me more Satie-like, and written late in D's life i can't help wondering if it's more true to the period, and therefore closer to D's intent... just playing here - doing some comparisons - have more to go, so, so far i prefer this to the Michelangeli... so far... <: