Ousset,Cecile Complete Warner Recordings 16Cd CD

The EMI Classics recordings of C?cile Ousset (b. 1936), spanning the years between 1982 and 1991, would mark her third and most prestigious recording collaboration, launching her, at age forty-six, into the international limelight. Indeed, recognition did not come easily to this grand dame of the piano, who, at the age of fourteen, obtained her prize at the Paris Conservatoire under the tutelage of Marcel Ciampi and began the grueling rounds at major competitions shortly after: Geneva, Long-Thibaud, Queen Elisabeth and Busoni, as well as the inaugural edition of the Van Cliburn. As a young female pianist, doors remained firmly shut, even with the support of the great Arthur Rubinstein, who personally invested in Ousset's early career after witnessing her performance at the Long-Thibaud competition. Her rise to international fame came primarily in the 1970s, notably through her recordings for the German Eterna label as well as for Decca France. The year 1982 marked the release of her first solo recording with EMI, a vivid program pairing Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition with Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit. Writing in The Musical Times, Cyril Ehrlich lauds a "luminous tone" and a "sense of style", proclaiming, "C?cile Ousset is an exhilarating pianist". Her strong technique, based on the Russian method taught by Ciampi lends her playing a clear-cut and robust tone; her virtuosity is proved incontestable, revealing a mastery of sound, color and brilliance. Works of the French repertoire continued to occupy an important place in Ousset's programs. To France's greatest modernists, Debussy and Ravel, the pianist would consecrate significant recordings in the second half of the 80s. Liszt and Chopin were essential components of her repertoire as well. The recording of Chopin's Third Sonata brims with poignant lyricism and heroic sentiment, it's excellent pacing just as admirable as the naturalness of the playing, hardly ostentatious but in every way spellbinding. "Like Pollini," observes Gramophone, "the masterful Ousset commands in this work... [her] Chopin CD will give immense pleasure by reason of her indefatigable musical verve." A survey of C?cile Ousset's acclaimed concerto recordings for EMI may point to a seemingly-logical conclusion - that the pianist was drawn to the unabashedly-virtuosic heavyweights of the concerto literature: Rachmaninov, Saint-Sa?ns, Liszt, Prokofiev, Grieg, Tchaikovsky

1. Pictures at An Exhibition: Promenade I 2. Pictures at An Exhibition: I. the Gnome 3. Pictures at An Exhibition: Promenade II 4. Pictures at An Exhibition: II. the Old Castle 5. Pictures at An Exhibition: Promenade III 6. Pictures at An Exhibition: III. Tuileries 7. Pictures at An Exhibition: IV. Bydlo 8. Pictures at An Exhibition: Promenade IV 9. Pictures at An Exhibition: V. Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks 10. Pictures at An Exhibition: VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmu le 11. Pictures at An Exhibition: Promenade V 12. Pictures at An Exhibition: VII. Limoges, the Market 13. Pictures at An Exhibition: VIII. Catacombs 14. Pictures at An Exhibition: Cum Mortuis in Lingua Mortua 15. Pictures at An Exhibition: IX. the Hut on Fowl's Legs "Baba Yaga" 16. Pictures at An Exhibition: X. the Great Gate of Kiev 17. Gaspard de la Nuit, M. 55: I. Ondine 18. Gaspard de la Nuit, M. 55: II. Le Gibet 19. Gaspard de la Nuit, M. 55: III. Scarbo 20. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22: I. Andante Sostenuto 21. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22: II. Allegro Scherzando 22. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22: III. Presto 23. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: I. Allegro Maestoso 24. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: II. Quasi Adagio - III. Allegretto Vivace 25. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: IV. Allegro Marziale Animato 26. Impromptu No. 2 in F minor, Op. 31 27. Impromptu No. 3 in A-Flat Major, Op. 34 28. Estampes, CD 108, L. 100: No. 1, Pagodes 29. Estampes, CD 108, L. 100: No. 2, la Soir?e Dans Grenade 30. Estampes, CD 108, L. 100: No. 3, Jardins Sous la Pluie 31. Miroirs, M. 43: IV. Alborada Del Gracioso 32. 10 Pi?ces Pittoresques: No. 10, Scherzo-Valse 33. 10 Pi?ces Pittoresques: No. 6, Idylle 34. 3 Gymnop?dies: No. 1, Lent Et Douloureux 35. 3 Gymnop?dies: No. 2, Lent Et Triste 36. 3 Gymnop?dies: No. 3, Lent Et Grave 37. Allegro Appassionato, Op. 70 38. 6 ?tudes, Op. 52: No. 6, ?tude en Forme de Valse 39. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26: I. Andante - Allegro 40. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26: II. Andantino - Variations 1 to 5 - Tema. L'istesso Tempo 41. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26: III. Allegro, Ma Non Troppo 42. Piano Concerto in C-Sharp minor, FP 146: I. Allegretto 43. Piano Concerto in C-Sharp minor, FP 146: II. Andante Con Moto 44. Piano Concerto in C-Sharp minor, FP 146: III. Rondeau ? la Fran?aise 45. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: I. Moderato 46. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: II. Adagio Sostenuto 47. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: III. Allegro Scherzando 48. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Introduction. Allegro Vivace ; Variation I. Precedente 49. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Theme. L'istesso Tempo ; Variation II. L'istesso Tempo 50. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation III. L'istesso Tempo 51. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation IV. Pi? Vivo 52. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation V. Tempo Precedente 53. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VI. L'istesso Tempo 54. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VII. Meno Mosso, a Tempo Moderato 55. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VIII. Tempo I 56. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation IX. L'istesso Tempo 57. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation X. Poco Marcato 58. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XI. Moderato 59. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XII. Tempo Di Minuetto 60. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIII. Allegro 61. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIV. L'istesso Tempo 62. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XV. Pi? Vivo, Scherzando 63. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVI. Allegretto 64. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVII. Allegretto 65. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVIII. Andante Cantabile 66. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIX. a Tempo Vivace 67. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XX. Un Poco Pi? Vivo 68. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXI. Un Poco Pi? Vivo 69. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXII. Un Poco Pi? Vivo. Alla Breve 70. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXIII. L'istesso Tempo 71. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXIV. a Tempo Un Poco Meno Mosso 72. Piano Concerto in a Minor, Op. 16: I. Allegro Molto Moderato 73. Piano Concerto in a Minor, Op. 16: II. Adagio 74. Piano Concerto in a Minor, Op. 16: III. Allegro Moderato Molto E Marcato 75. Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, MWV O7: I. Molto Allegro Con Fuoco 76. Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, MWV O7: II. Andante 77. Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, MWV O7: III. Presto - Molto Allegro E Vivace 78. Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 79. 6 ?tudes D'ex?cution Transcendante D'apr?s Paganini, S. 140: No. 1, Tremolo 80. 6 ?tudes D'ex?cution Transcendante D'apr?s Paganini, S. 140: No. 2, Octave 81. 6 ?tudes D'ex?cution Transcendante D'apr?s Paganini, S. 140: No. 3, la Campanella 82. 6 ?tudes D'ex?cution Transcendante D'apr?s Paganini, S. 140: No. 4, Arpeggio 83. 6 ?tudes D'ex?cution Transcendante D'apr?s Paganini, S. 140: No. 5, la Chasse 84. 6 ?tudes D'ex?cution Transcendante D'apr?s Paganini, S. 140: No. 6, Th?me Et Variations 85. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 1, Danseuses de Delphes 86. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 2, Voiles 87. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 3, Le Vent Dans la Plaine 88. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 4, Les Sons Et Les Parfums Tournent Dans I'air Du Soir 89. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 5, Les Collines D'anacapri 90. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 6, Des Pas Sur la Neige 91. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 7, Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'ouest 92. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 8, la Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin 93. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 9, la S?r?nade Interrompue 94. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 10, la Cath?drale Engloutie 95. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 11, la Danse de Puck 96. Pr?ludes, Livre I, CD 125, L. 117: No. 12, Minstrels 97. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 1, Brouillards 98. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 2, Feuilles Mortes 99. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 3, la Puerta Del Vino 100. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 4, Les F?es Sont D'exquises Danseuses 101. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 5, Bruy?res 102. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 6, General Lavine - Excentric 103. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 7, la Terrasse Des Audiences Du Clair de Lune 104. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 8, Ondine 105. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 9, Hommage ? S. Pickwick, Esq., P. P. M. P. C 106. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 10, Canope 107. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 11, Les Tierces Altern?es 108. Pr?ludes, Livre II, CD 131, L. 123: No. 12, Feux D'artifice 109. Pour Le Piano, CD 95, L. 95: I. Pr?lude 110. Pour Le Piano, CD 95, L. 95: II. Sarabande 111. Pour Le Piano, CD 95, L. 95: III. Toccata 112. L'isle Joyeuse, CD 109, L. 106 113. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: I. Allegro Maestoso 114. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: II. Scherzo 115. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: III. Largo 116. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: IV. Finale. Presto Non Tanto 117. Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 118. Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38 119. Ballade No. 3 in A-Flat Major, Op. 47 120. Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 121. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat minor, Op. 35 "Funeral March": I. Grave - Doppio Movimento 122. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat minor, Op. 35 "Funeral March": II. Scherzo 123. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat minor, Op. 35 "Funeral March": III. Marche Fun?bre. Lento 124. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat minor, Op. 35 "Fun