PAUL LAY IS A PIANO MARVEL. A SUPERHERO OF THE 88 KEYS, BENDING THEM TO HIS WILL. HE REVEALS THE DAZZLING MELODIST WITHIN BEETHOVEN'S WORK, JUST WAITING TO BE REVISITED, DERIVED, REINVENTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, WITHOUT LOSING ANY OF ITS MODERNITY. Paul Lay is a piano marvel. A superhero of the 88 keys, bending them to his will. He belongs to that mutant generation that grew up with one foot in classical music and one foot in jazz, understanding the inherent truth in each of these traditions. One, centuries old, has always focused on melodic clarity and intonation, the beauty of forms and polyphonies, while the other, still young at barely a century old, persistently explores all the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities of improvisation. Gather these two legacies, mold them in the crucible of the Conservatoire Supérieur National de Musique, sprinkle with genius, let them mature for a few years, and you have Paul Lay, a piano marvel. Needless to say, he didn't go unnoticed: at 30, he received the Académie Charles Cros award for his second album, two years later it was the prestigious Django Reinhardt award recognizing the best musician of the year, then in 2020 the Victoires du Jazz confirmed this 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 delved into Beethoven's works that year, celebrating their 250th anniversary. The repertoire? Some of his universal melodies such as the Moonlight Sonata or Für Elise, passing through the Ode to Joy or his Symphony No. 7, but also Paul's own compositions, inspired by the Master's music and visits to the places where he lived: Vienna, Heiligenstadt... It can be very risky to tackle such a repertoire, and that's 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 pianists' neighbors' nightmares, I'm thinking particularly of Für Elise!). He dons them like a glove with the ease of a jazzman playing great standards, and reveals the dazzling melodist within Beethoven's work, just waiting to be revisited, derived, reinvented with the passage of time, without losing any of its modernity. No hesitation or false modesty taints this conversation between the pianist and his instrument. The solo exercise is arduous, but the risk is multiplied when it comes to bridging centuries to rub shoulders with sacred monsters, and the only solution is to give oneself entirely. This recording therefore offers a true leap of faith, that of a piano marvel inhabited by music to which he gives everything. In full solo. --- Laurent de Wilde ---. "It's difficult to put a name to Paul Lay's universe, as it is so vast, ranging from classical to jazz, with virtuosity and modernity." --- FRANCE BLEU ---.
Amazon
eBay
Rare Vinyl
