Debussy’s Preludes are divided into two parts. Book I was composed in a short time between December 1909 and February 1910. Each Prelude has a title. Debussy took great care in assigning these titles, and several contain quotations from various poems. The titles are placed at the end of each prelude, a deliberate decision by Debussy that was meant to suggest the mood of each piece.
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:37:26
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | WVK001 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Digital Converters | Horus |
| Mastering Engineer | Robert Friedrich—Five/Four Productions |
| Microphones | Sanken CO100 |
| Mixing Board | Millenia Mix Suite |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Thomas C. Moore – Five/Four Productions |
| Recording Engineer | Robert Friedrich—Five/Four Productions |
| Recording location | The New York Academy of Arts and Letters |
| Recording Software | Merging (Pyramix 11.2 DSD Recorder) |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD256 |
| Release Date | August 26, 2016 |
Press reviews
Stereophile
I finished my listening to this admittedly super-expensive system with a live DSD 256 recording of a Debussy piece by Russian pianist Ilya Itin decoded by the Merging Technologies Merging+NADAC DAC — Double wow!!
Positive Feedback
An acid test! If you want to see how your system really handles a recording of performing brilliance and extraordinary dynamics, then Ilya Itin, a Steinway Contract Artist, recorded directly to Quad DSD by the team of Thom Moore and Robert Friedrich will certainly do it!
The quiet passages are amazing, but the occasional thunderous moments will knock you back in your seat! This is one of the most fantastic piano recordings that I know of, combining Debussy (another favorite of mine) with an artist whose interpretation of the Preludes has become my current ne plus ultra. If you don’t have this recording in its native Quad DSD, then you are missing out quite seriously, amigo!
Can’t handle Quad DSD? Then get yourself a Quad DSD DAC!
Daily Telegraph, London
Itin’s is a rare and exciting artistry indeed…poised, pure, and ravishing in its range of color, Itin’s playing is a prime example of a superb technique put at the service of an inquiring and imaginative mind.
Living The Classical Life
I don’t think I shall soon hear a greater performance of Debussy in my life.
Positive Feedback
My conclusion? Simple, really: The Wave Kinetics Records two-album set is truly the finest, most right-on performance of Debussy’s Preludes I have ever heard, with the most outstanding production and audio engineering of a solo piano that I’ve ever experienced. Frankly, I consider it to be worthy of a The GRAMMYs Award, for both its performance and for its production values. I hope that Wave Kinetics Records pursues this recognition for its sterling work here.
Regardless of whether you’re listing to Ilya Itin’s Debussy Preludes on a major full-range system, or via headphones, or anything in between, you’ll hear what I mean. This is a true world-class reference album, a modern classic in our own time.
Those of you who have Quad DSD playback will definitely want to add this to your collection; you’ll listen to it again and again. Debussy lovers, attention: Ilya Itin is a brilliant artist!
And if you don’t have Quad DSD playback capabilities yet, what the hell are you waiting for?! Given the proliferation of Quad DSD playback over the past several years, there is no excuse for you live without this supreme audiophile reference format. These two album downloads all by themselves justify making an upgrade…but there are many more Quad DSD recordings available now, as well.
1 review for Debussy – Preludes Book 1
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Sound:
The naturalness, dynamic range and resolution of the sound are quite astonishing compared to typical hi-res PCM records. On the downside, I think, microphone placement: it feels that you are above or very close to the piano and not in a listener position of the concert hall, which somewhat disturbs spacial information.
Artist performance:
In the description there are many gratitudes and praises for this rendition, which somewhat elevates expectations. In my opinion there are much better performances of Preludes. The best of which, for my taste, seems to be of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, but not only. With exception of several songs on this record, the majority of performances feel somewhat mechanical with clear breakups to original melody. And it also does not look like the interpretation of Debussy’s work.
Alexey Sulinov (verified owner) –