Séverac, like Debussy and Ravel, composed by finding inspiration directly at the piano, using his fingers on the keys rather than relying solely on an 'inner ear'.
Performer Biography
Billy Eidi, the pianist on this recording, is known for championing the romantic repertoire and 20th-century French music, often discovering lesser-known works and composers.
Composer Biography
Despite his prolific musical ideas, Séverac was often too lazy to transcribe them, leading to many compositions being lost.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Déodat de Séverac, the composer, preferred to tell stories and evoke scenes from his travels rather than adhere to strict sonata forms.
Compositional Technique
Séverac's 'Baigneuses au soleil' and 'Les Naïades et le Faune indiscret' are considered a pair, with one being 'solar' and the other 'lunar', sharing related motifs and similar compositional caprices.
Compositional Technique
The suite Cerdaña, featured on this album, is a musical transcription of impressions and memories from Séverac's walks through the Cerdagne region.
Critical Reception
Alfred Cortot, a renowned pianist and dedicatee of Séverac's 'Baigneuses au soleil', controversially dismissed 'Sous les lauriers-roses' as an 'overlong joke'.
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