FULL SOLO (2 vinyls)

Description

PAUL LAY IS A MARVEL OF THE PIANO. A SUPERHERO OF THE 88 KEYS, BENDING THEM UNDER HIS FINGERS TO HIS WILL. HE BRINGS OUT IN BEETHOVEN’S WORK THE DAZZLING MELODIST WHO ONLY ASKS TO BE TAKEN UP AGAIN, DERIVED FROM, REINVENTED AS TIME PASSES WITHOUT LOSING ANY OF HIS MODERNITY. Paul Lay is a Marvel of the piano. A superhero of the 88 keys, bending them under his fingers to his will. He belongs to this mutant generation that grew up with one foot in classical music, one foot in jazz, and understands the inherent truth of each of these traditions. One, centuries old, has always been devoted to melodic clarity and intonation, to the beauty of forms and polyphonies, while the other, still barely a century old, stubbornly explores all the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities of improvisation. Bring together these two legacies, forge them in the mold of the Conservatoire Supérieur National de Musique, sprinkle with genius, let harden for a few years and you have Paul Lay, Marvel of the piano. Needless to say, he did not go unnoticed: at 30, he was awarded the Académie Charles Cros prize for his second album, two years later it was the prestigious Django Reinhardt prize honoring the best musician of the year, then in 2020 the Victoires du Jazz confirmed that verdict. So it was in full command of his abilities that, at the request of René Martin for his Folles Journées de Nantes, the pianist turned that year to Beethoven’s works, whose 250th anniversary was being celebrated. The repertoire? Some of his universal melodies such as the Moonlight Sonata or Für Elise, via the Ode to Joy or his Symphony No. 7, but also compositions by Paul, inspired by the Master’s music and by visiting the places where he lived: Vienna, Heiligenstadt... It can be very risky to tackle such a repertoire, and that is where being a superhero makes all the difference. For neither technique, nor ideas, nor a taste for risk are lacking in Paul when he takes on these unforgettable themes (some of which are nightmares for pianists’ neighbors, I’m thinking in particular of Für Elise!). He slips into them like a glove with the ease of a jazzman playing the great standards, and brings out in Beethoven’s work the dazzling melodist who only asks to be taken up again, derived from, reinvented as time passes without losing any of his modernity. No hesitation or false modesty mars this conversation between the pianist and his instrument. The solo exercise is demanding, but the risk is multiplied when it comes to striding across the centuries to stand alongside the great masters, and the only solution is to give oneself over to it completely. So what this recording lets us hear is a true leap of faith, that of a Marvel of the piano inhabited by music to which he gives everything. In full solo. --- Laurent de Wilde ---. Difficult to put a name to Paul Lay’s universe, so broad is it, ranging from classical to jazz, with virtuosity and modernity. " --- FRANCE BLEU ---