Hans Henkemans plays Debussy

Description

A the birth of the Philips record label in 1951, the Dutch company signed a contract with pianist Hans Henkemans who recorded, from 1951 to 1957, almost all of Debussy's piano works, among others. His current Debussy recordings have mysteriously fallen into oblivion and have, until today, with rare exceptions, never been released on compact disc. Perhaps his vision of the Debussy universe was too modern for his time: a vision made of violent contrasts, contrasts of sonorities, dynamics, and tempos, an avant-garde conception that would be found thirty years later with some French pianists of the new generation. But the name of Henkemans is not forgotten by all: it seems that pianist Kristian Zimerman holds him in the highest esteem. In this year when we celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Claude Debussy's death, music lovers can rejoice in discovering or rediscovering Hans Henkemans and his interpretations of Debussy, most of which are unpublished on CD in this present box set.