Livia Rev

At Classics Today today, Jed Distler begins a review of a new CD by Liva Rev: 'Lívia Rév seems to have been all but forgotten among piano collectors ever since the British Saga label released her highly regarded Debussy cycle in the late 1970s.' Distler is apparently unaware of the many fine recordings Rev made for Hyperion after that. Get me rewrite?

Paul Goldstein

I don't know, but that Saga set was really outstanding (despite somewhat watery sound).

I don't know, but that Saga set was really outstanding>>

To me it was very good but significantly bettered by some other pianists - Cortot, Casadesus, Beroff, Michelangeli et al. Noel Lee's set of Debussy was also good but made little impact.

To me it was very good but significantly bettered by some other pianists - Cortot, Casadesus, Beroff, Michelangeli et al. Noel Lee's set of Debussy was also good but made little impact.

Brilliant Classics have a 7 CD box of tremendous Debussy by Fergus-Thompson (frankly I cannot imagine it being bettered, or engineered), with 2 of the CDs being devoted to Ravel by Crossley. A real bargain at 14 Euros. The recordings were made in 1983 and 1989, and were originally on ASV and CRD. An unbelievable bargain.

From my LP days, I admired Livia Rev as an artist, and she was probably more of a musician's musician. Highly thoughtful. But hearing Fergus-Thompson in Debussy, is like being at the top of the Premier League. Phenomenal, and has had me thinking about the sheer genius of Debussy. How he could be left out of anyone's top 10, is totally beyond me.

Regards,

# http://www.users.bigpond.com/hallraylily/index.html See You Tamara (Ozzy Osbourne)

Ray, Taree, NSW