Préludes (Books 1 & 2), Images (Books 1 & 2), Children's Corner

Claude Debussy

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Images and Children’s Corner (1971); Préludes Book I (1978) and Book II (1988) 1971-1988

Gil's first recommendation for this group of works. Michelangeli has a 'wonderful feel' for Debussy's 'detached coolness.' He 'allows the chords to settle' and makes the most of 'the spaces in between the notes' with 'wonderful clarity' and a 'cultivated sound.'

YouTube — Images, Books I–II only.

Paul Jacobs

Préludes, Books I and II 1977

A 'beautifully sensitive recording' of the Préludes. A good complement to the 'more detached Michelangeli,' it has 'more of the beauty of the sound, a lot of warmth,' and is 'sumptuously recorded,' accentuating the 'mystical aspect.'

Apple Music

YouTube — Préludes, Book I, part 1 only.

Krystian Zimerman

Préludes, Books I and II 1991

A recording of the Préludes that is also 'very warm in both the tone and the recording quality.' It's 'a little bit more romantic in the way it's phrased' and is a 'fairly dynamic interpretation.'

Apple Music