This is Volume 3 of Pascal Rogé's traversal of all the piano works of Debussy, and again, what amazes me most about the playing is the clarity and lean textures. Pieces with titles like "Reflets dans l'eau" and "Cloches à travers les feuilles" are meant to sound shimmery and misty, but definitely not murky, and with Rogé every note, every minute detail is part of the soundscape. Some pianists tend to overuse the sustain pedal when playing Debussy, therefore blurring the lines, but with Rogé all the textures and colours are clear as day.

The recorded sound is close and intimate, which is ideal for this music, and the upper register notes have a nice sparkly tone. With a total of 16 pieces and over 78 minutes of music, it is a well rounded recording that will bring you hours of pleasure.

Jean-Yves Duperron