© 2006 Centaur Records, Inc. www.centaurrecords.com

"With Schumann's Symphonic Etudes, Himy revealed his true talents: a prodigious muscular power and emotional forcefulness. Under Himy's hands, the variations were rapturously emotional, a veritable tidal wave of successive and rapidly altering emotions. The listener, knowing that by 1840 Schumann was displaying obvious signs of the mental instability that would require him to spend the final years of his life under institutional care, sensed a noble mind already being wrenched apart by competing emotions."
Stephen Neal Dennis www.allartsreview4u.com

In a salute to the 150th Anniversary of Schumann, pianist Eric Himy has put together an exciting selection of some of the composer's masterpieces. "Homage to Schumann" was recorded in the UK last August 2006 on the exclusive Steingraeber & Sohne piano. The first piano was built in Bayreuth, Germany in 1895 and it was the last instrument that both Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt owned.

This is the first CD recording made on the new Steingraeber Phoenix Piano. It was recorded at Hurstwood Farm Studios in Kent, England. The Phoenix system is a result for precise acoustic analysis and applying modern engineering techniques. It is the first of a production series of their "new millennium" bridge agraffe pianos, which offer better action, power, sustain and clarity. These instruments re-awake the spirit of seeking improvement in piano design which characterized makers and artists alike until the end of the 19th century.

"Liszt's "Don Juan Fantasy" was ferocious evidence that Himy is fully equal to the demands of music composed by a man who was a legendary piano prodigy during his lifetime. This work would be well beyond the capabilities of most pianists, and even those pianists who might have the technical ability to play the notes would generally lack the confidence to give the piece the emotional grandeur that Himy seems to insert naturally in his playing."
Stephen Neal Dennis www.allartsreview4u.com

In a salute to the 250th Anniversary of Mozart, pianist Eric Himy has put together a refreshingly original selection of Mozart and Mozartiana. The CD includes a Salieri manuscript, a delightful Mozart Sonata with a rare special cadenza added in the third movement, a Premiere of an Hommage à Mozart by noted Spanish composer Elisenda Fábregas, another Premiere of Variations by French composer Yves Ramette (studied in the same class as Pierre Boulez with Swiss composer Arthur Honegger at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris) which become a simple and tender affectionate homage to possibly the most famous Mozart Sonata for piano, also a rarely heard Wilhem Kempff transcription of Mozart's charming Pastorale variée and finally the exhilarating Mozart/ Liszt Don Giovanni paraphrase. Every phrase is Mozart, yet every note confirms Liszt’s originality! All was recorded on the exclusive Steingraeber & Söhne piano, Bavaria's most important piano manufacturer out of Bayreuth since 1852. An instrument used by Wagner and Liszt. http://www.steingraeber.de/

Recorded June 13-14, 2006 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater Rockville, Maryland. Produced by John Lawrence. Engineered by Ben Catania. Piano Technician: Marc Abram. Photo of Eric Himy: Helmuth Humphrey. Piano: Steingraeber & Sohne. Piano made available courtesy of Piano Craft. This recording of "Hommage a Mozart" is sponsored in part by the American Composers Forum through its Encore Program, supporting performances of new works. Cover and insert Photo: Jamie Harris / Lebrecht. Cover: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - graphic portrait of the Austrian composer with a piano, writing and signature. Graphic design. Evocative, atmospheric, historical, take on interpretation of the composer's life and time. Reworking of classic images and modern composition.

© 2006 Centaur Records, Inc. www.centaurrecords.com

"Himy's vivid treatment of Gershwin's An American in Paris couldn't be more straightforward and balletic. There's no denying Himy's virtuosic flair, this is a fascinating disc." Classics Today - Jed Distler

"Eric Himy plays my Gershwin transcriptions with great flair and style!" EARL WILD

Eric Himy belongs to that school of virtuoso musicians who extend their skills and musical awareness by going through the same process as the composer when he writes or orchestrates music, the art of transcription. His world premiere recording of his own personal transcription of Rhapsody in Blue is based on GERSHWIN's original unpublished manuscript and contains sections of music that were later cut off by publishers. Now, almost 80 years later, we have a unique piano rendition closest to the original intentions of the composer. The piano plays its own part and the orchestra, with its many shades and intricate tone colours. In An American in Paris (transcription: Eric Himy) , you can hear that the performer-transcriber has managed to capture the moods, the sounds, and the swing that GERSHWIN instilled in his orchestral score, with a real life experience dimension since Eric Himy lived himself as an artist in Paris for a while. The amazing Porgy and Bess rendition for piano of epic stature, is the work of the great virtuoso pianist-transcriber, Mr. Earl Wild, who inspired Eric Himy and to whom this recording is dedicated. The rest of the program is made of six of GERSHWIN's hit songs transcribed by Mr. Wild in a subtle and virtuosic manner, in the form of short studies for piano, at the same time musically interesting to listen to and challenging for the performer.
Marc-Henri Cykiert

Recorded January, 2002 at The Right Place/Odéon 120, Brussels, Belgium. Produced by Marc-Henri Cykiert and Michael Guttman. Engineered by Michael W. Huun. Musical Notes: Eric Himy. Piano: Steinway & Sons, Hamburg. Cover Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Photo of Eric Himy: Helmuth Humphrey. © 2004 Centaur Records, Inc. www.centaurrecords.com

(new) Reviews
Abeille Musique in French
Classics Today in English
Sélection des amis de la musique polonaise

In this first recording for Ivory Classics, Juilliard trained pianist, Eric Himy performs an all solo Ravel recital. A medal winner in many piano competitions, Mr. Himy has performed critically acclaimed recitals and with Symphony Orchestras throughout five continents. He has been hailed as, "one of the finest pianistic talents of our time." Many critics around the globe have praised his interpretations of such Spanish and French masters as Albeniz, Falla, Debussy and Poulenc. He is particularly well-known for his elegant and dramatic interpretations of the French composer, Maurice Ravel, having performed numerous all Ravel concerts throughout France and at the French Embassy in Washington D.C. The Washington post has said, "Himy has an awesome technique and musicianship." The performance of Scarbo on this disc is virtually demonic. Not to be missed.

1. Mozart-Liszt Fantasy on Don Juan
2. Gluck-Sgambati Melody from d'Orfeo
3. Chopin - Liszt Four Polish Songs: The Maiden's Wish
4. Springtime
5. Little Cradle
6. My Joys
7. Saint-Saens-Horowitz Danse Macabre
8. Delibes-Himy "Viens Malika" from Lakme
9. Chopin-Michalowski-Rosenthal Waltz opus 64 (minute waltz)
10. Ravel-Dusmenil Piece en forme d'Habanera
11. Bizet-Horowitz Carmen Variations
12. Albeniz-Godowsky - Tango
13. De Falla - El Amor Brujo ( The Socerer's Love) arr. by De Falla
    Scene - Song of the Will-o'-Wisps
14. The Ghost - Dance of Terror
15. The Magic Circle (The Fisherman's song)
16. Midnight - Ritual Fire Dance
17. Haendel-Kempff Minuet in g minor from Suite no. 1

Recorded in France. Steinway piano photo: Christian Steiner

1. *Prelude, Fugue et Postlude 9:33
2. Symphony No. 3 18:32
3. Symphony No. 5
   1. I. The Struggle 13:39
   2. II. Dreams and Visions/III. Ascent to the Light 15:40

*Eric Himy, pianist on Track 1: Prélude, Fugue et Postlude Ramette composed Prélude, Fugue et Postlude in 1952 for string orchestra, piano and kettledrums. The theme of the fugue is heard in the opening Prelude. Rhythmic movements subside and become calm as the fugue approaches. The Fugue begins pianissimo, featuring the warm tones of the bass and cello. After the exposition and development, the orchestra builds and is brought to full strength. The Fugue moves directly into the Postlude where the orchestra begins to subside until the mood again is calm as the piece ends with a final arpeggio of the piano.

1. Variations sur un theme d'Honegger 10:54
2. Naiades 8:28 Listen
3. Pastels 14:12
4. Fontaines et Cascades 6:02
5. Sonate 19:55
6. Humoresque 9:50

YVES RAMETTE (b. around 1925): Variations sur un Thème d'Honegger, Naïades, Pastels, Fontaines et Cascades, Sonate, Humoresque. The notes (by the composer himself) state that these are not descriptive or impressionistic works (the titles Naïades, Pastels and Fontaines... seem to come right out of Debussian Impressionism) and that they interpret emotions with the titles being applied after the composition. Nevertheless the last three mentioned items do have more than a little of the Impressionist tinge in their harmonies and rhythmic freedom. However, Messiaen is just as apt a comparison since Ramette obviously is fascinated by the pure sound of the piano and the wide possibility of colors he can coax from it and there are many places where bell sounds or even birdsong seems possibly to be evoked. At 20 minutes, the sonata is the longest work, a single-movement piece largely lyrical, somber and meditative, built on traditional thematic transformation and reaching a violent climax before a calmer resolution.

Recorded at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater Rockville, Maryland May 3 & 4, 2005 Recorded by Joe Palamara and Ben Catania Steinway Piano

Composer Yves Ramette was born in Bavay (France) where his father was the director of a school. From a very young age Ramette was instinctively attracted towards music. When he was seven years old he started learning musical notation as well as to play the violin and the piano. At age fourteen, while pursuing his secondary studies at the Beauvais Lycée, he also began taking advanced lessons in harmony. After finishing his studies in humanities, he entered the Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris to obtain training in harmony from Jacques de la Presle, and in contrapuntal and fugue from Simonne Plé-Caussade. He also took lessons in composition from Arthur Honegger at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris and was awarded first prize in 1945 with one of his early works. Ramette studied the violin with Robert Duforestel, the piano with Lelia Gousseau and Lazarre Levy and the organ with George Jacob. Under the able guidance of Eugéne Bigot, he took lessons in conducting and orchestration. From 1943 to 1953 he was the director of courses as well as organ and notation classes at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Named the "Maitre de Chapelle" and organ player at the Saint Ferdinand de Ternes Church in Paris, he resigned in1990 following a disagreement with religious authorities on the discontinuation of the devotional music. He founded the mixed choir "Voix Ardens" to promote devotional and secular choral music of the traditional romantic and modern maestros and gave many concerts as the head of this choir from 1968-1987. Since 1990 he has been devoting himself to composing music and he continues to practice the organ as well as his favorite instrument, the piano. He is the author of a book entitled "Grandeur et Décadence d'une tribune" (Grandeur and Decadence of a Tribune).

*Special --- Classics" compilations CD featuring Lyric Pieces (6), Book 3, Op. 43: no 6, In the Springtime Edvard Grieg, Les saisons, Op. 37b: no 6, Juin "Barcarolle" Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Liebesträume for Piano, S 541: no 3, O Lieb, so lang Franz Liszt, Eric Himy (Piano) BUY NOW