François Chaplin BRAHMS Intermezzi, Rhapsodies

Along with composers like Alexander Scriabin and Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) knew how to write for the left hand just as effectively as the right hand. With the focal point of most pieces being delegated to the right hand, most composers tend to assign the left hand the simple role of harmonic support. But you can tell, especially when playing his music yourself, that Brahms applied meticulous care to the left hand note selections. He was aware that, to a certain degree, the use of different or unusual notes in the left hand can alter the tone, character and color of the melodic line in the right hand, and used this to his advantage when composing. Even the most subtle changes produce that effect, and pianist François Chaplin instinctively knows when and where to emphasize that crucial yet fragile relationship between the two hands. Throughout each piece his close attention to details in the left hand is highly apparent. And nowhere is that more obvious than in the enigmatic final Intermezzo of the Op. 118, in which Chaplin's restrained use of the sustain pedal delivers a clear and unmuddled reading. (Jean-Yves Duperron)