Back to the homepage Wedding Cake / Pascal & Ami Rogé
3 Weddings and 1 CD…
2009 has been a magical year for Pascal & Ami…
A traditional wedding in Japan,
A wedding cake party in France,
A romantic wedding in Venice… Las Vegas !
As an epitome of happiness, love and romance, they recorded a CD with two hearts and four hands…
Crystal Dream
It was Pascal Rogé's own personal decision to have such unprecedented programming of alternating two composers, Satie and Yoshimatsu for this very unique CD. From the beginning, it starts with Satie's Gymnopedie, followed by Yoshimatsu's Interlude to Water, then Satie's Gnossienne, etc... Satie and Yoshimatsu are from complete different period. They might resemble each other in the fact that they both defied the musical trend of their own time, and there might be other similarities, but their music are vastly different. And of course, for that reason, the mix of the two composers becomes interesting, and the contrast between the two brings each other out more vividly. Rogé's Satie is absolutely wonderful. It's organic, and one can feel the genuine human warmth in his playing. And Rogé's Yoshimatsu (by the way the CD title is "Crystal Dream") also has a dreamlike atmosphere. What purpose did Rogé have in mind in creating this album...such kind of question dissolves away as one loses himself in listening to the recording. Of course, that might have been Rogé's very purpose. By combining the two composers, it feels as though we can get a glimpse of heaven better than from anywhere else. In any case, Rogé created this CD that no one has ever thought of, a CD of such a marvelous world of poetry. And it's not just the idea that counts, it was successfully conceived, because of Rogé's splendid skill and talent. Jiro Hamada (The Record Geijutsu, April 2009)
New Album Release, from Octavia Record Company in Japan. A collection of piano works by Erik Satie and a Japanese composer Takashi Yoshimatsu, illustrated by the Japanese artist, Matsui Shinobu. Received outstanding reviews from The Record Geijutsu magazine (ongaku no tomo) in Japan. This CD is currently available from the Octavia Records website.
Debussy - Preludes
First volume of projected first complete Debussy cycle from today's great ambassador and stylist of French piano music. Pascal last recorded Debussy piano music over 25 years ago for Decca and never recorded Book 2 of the Preludes. Complete Préludes on one very well-filled CD (79 minutes) for which there is hardly any stereo competition (Zimerman, Thibaudet etc all take 2CDs). Inauguration of the Rogé Edition, a collaboration with Onyx designed to present the complete range of Pascal's work going forward.
Debussy Piano Works 2
The second volume in Roge’s first complete Debussy cycle has been eagerly awaited, following the highly acclaimed Preludes (ONYX4004) for which reviews have been outstanding:“ A superb disc “ (Rob Cowan, Independent *****), Record of the Year (Stephen Pettit, Sunday Times), “Close to a definitive interpretation” (BBC CD Review) “sets a new benchmark in French music -Top 100 Recordings of all time” (Evening Standard).
Pascal Rogé is today’s greatest ambassador and stylist in French piano music. Winner of two Gramophone Awards, his name is synonymous over many years with the finest in French piano playing, both in concert and on disc for Decca, and now in Debussy for ONYX/Roge Edition
This second volume includes many of the most well-known short pieces – in particular the perennial favourite Clair de Lune, the Golliwogg’s Cake-Walk and Le Petit Nègre.
Debussy Piano Works 3
Third volume in Roge's first complete Debussy cycle following the highlyacclaimed Preludes (ONYX4004) and Vol II (ONYX4018) for which reviews have been outstanding: A superb disc (Rob Cowan, Independent ***** Vol 1), Record of the Year (Stephen Pettit, Sunday Times, Vol 1), **** Telerama (Vols 1 & 2), A model of piano recording (Daily Telegraph, Vol 2) This third volume includes the two large sets of mature Images, the favourite suite Pour le piano and some of the most well-known short pieces in particular the perennial favourites Rêverie and L'Isle Joyeuse.
"...une pure merveille, je ne sais où Pascal Rogé va chercher pareilles sonorités, c'est à la fois d'une poésie enveloppante et d'une lisibilité parnassienne... on sort de là avec l'impression d'avoir touché du doigt la beauté..." Michel Wasserman, écrivain
Mozart Concertos 9 & 25
Pascal Rogé makes a rare detour on disc from his French music niche in his first Mozart Concerto disc ever, released to coincide with the 250th celebrations. In fact, Rogé plays these concertos in concert very frequently.Rogé’s last concerto disc received rave reviews (Gershwin and Ravel Concertos on Oehms), as did the first volume of his complete Debussy (ONYX4004).Outstanding collaboration with Baroque and Classical specialist Raymond Leppard who was chief conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony from 1987-2001 and is currently its Conductor Laureate. A generous 75 minute programme featuring Mozart’s astounding youthful masterpiece the ‘Jeunehomme’ concerto with the grand symphonic C Major Concerto K503 of 1786, the ‘Coronation’. The A Major Rondo of October 1782 completes an attractive programme of early, middle and late Mozart concertante works.
