Eric Himy - Concert Pianist

Recordings

Yves Ramette - Compositions for Piano

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.

CD Yves Ramette

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