Marie-Catherine Girod

MARIE-CATHERINE GIROD
French pianist (b 1949)

My discovery of Marie-Catherine Girod brings me no end of joy. She is a superb pianist who is devoted to playing the music of many 20th century composers with which I am entirely unfamiliar.

The sonata by Pierre de Bréville is particular delight. I was also very excited about encountering the piano music of Arthur Lourié and Pierre-Octave Ferroud for the first time, and so splendidly played. Unfortunately the copyright police has forced the removal from YouTube of her recordings of these wonderful composers who are virtually unknown in most of the world. How this helps the composers or those who release recordings of their music is beyond me. But if any of you have ever wondered what was going on in French music while Debussy, Ravel, Satie and Poulenc were turning the world on its ear, her performances of the music of these little known French composers is a must.

Marie-Catherine Girod has recorded what appears to be the complete works for piano of Mendelssohn and much, if not all, of Chopin. Her Mendelssohn is superb and a number of these recordings are offered below. Her Chopin is also very fine, but the available recordings have only been on YouTube for several months and I fear their eventual removal as well. I include several impromptus, beautifully played.

Mendelssohn 7 Charakterstücke, Op 7

1 Sanft und mit Empfindung (Andante)
02:38 ➢ 2 Mit heftiger Bewegung (Allegro vivace)
04:26 ➢ 3 Kräftig und feurig (Allegro vivace)
07:35 ➢ 4 Schnell und beweglich (Con moto)
10:38 ➢ 5 Ernst und mit steigender Lebhaftigkeit (Fuga)
17:11 ➢ 6 Sehnsüchtig (Andante)
20:06 ➢ 7 Leicht und luftig (Presto)

Mendelssohn Rondo Capriccioso, Op 14

Mendelssohn Three Caprices, Op 33

1 Adagio quasi fantasia. Presto agitato
07:46 2 Allegro grazioso
14:59 3 Adagio. Presto con fuoco

Mendelssohn Six Preludes and Fugues, Op 35

1 Prelude And Fugue In E Minor - Prelude: Allegro
02:21 Fugue: Andante espressivo

08:41 2 Prelude And Fugue In D Major - Prelude: Andante quasi allegretto
11:28 Fugue: Tranquillo e Sempre Legato

14:43 3 Prelude And Fugue In B Minor - Prelude: Prestissimo staccato
16:44 Fugue: Allegro con brio

19:43 4 Prelude And Fugue In A Flat Major - Prelude: Con moto
22:56 Fugue: Con moto, ma espressivo

27:22 5 Prelude And Fugue In F Minor - Prelude: Andante lento
31:14 Fugue: Allegro con fuoco

34:48 6 Prelude And Fugue In B Flat Major - Prelude: Maestoso Moderato
38:05 Fugue: Allegro Con Brio

Mendelssohn Variations Sérieuses, Op 54

Mendelssohn Fantasia in F♯ minor, Op 68

Mendelssohn Prelude (Prestissimo Staccato) from Prelude and Fugue in B major

Mendelssohn Fugues for piano

in C♯ minor

in D minor

in E♭ major

in G minor

in B minor

Chopin Impromptus

2 in F♯ major, Op 36

3 in G♭ major, Op 51

4 in C♯ major, Op 66 "Fantaisie-impromptu"

Pierre de Bréville (1861-1949) Piano Sonata in D♭ major

recorded live in 1997

Granados Mazurka from Escenas románticas

recorded live in 1992

Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) Valse-Nocturne 1

recorded live in 2003

Szymanowski 9 Preludes, Op 1

1 Andante ma non troppo in B minor
01:14 ➢ 2 Andante con moto in D minor
02:44 ➢ 3 Andantino in D♭ major
03:26 ➢ 4 Andantino con moto in B♭ minor
04:19 ➢ 5 Allegro molto, impetuoso in D minor
05:22 ➢ 6 Lento, mesto in A minor
06:52 ➢ 7 Moderato in C minor
08:53 ➢ 8 Andante ma non troppo in E♭ minor
10:27 ➢ 9 Lento, mesto in B♭ minor

Szymanowski 4 Études, Op 4

1 in E♭ minor
03:04 ➢ 2 in G♭ major
04:31 ➢ 3 in B♭ minor
08:12 ➢ 4 in C major

Szymanowski Variations on a Polish Folk Theme in B minor, Op 10

Szymanowski 3 Masques, Op 34

1 Schéhérazade
08:33 ➢ Tantris le bouffon
13:37 ➢ Sérénade de Don Juan

Antoine Mariotte (1875-1944) Piano Sonata in F♯ minor

i Fantaisie
08:30 ➢ ii Nocturne
16:08 ➢ iii Divertissement

recorded live in 2000

Czesław Marek (1891–1985) Tryptique, Op 8

1 Praeludium (Veloce e con tenerezza)
03:18 ➢ 2 Fuga a 4 (Allegro Commodo)
06:43 ➢ 3 Fantasia (Largo)
10:33 ➢ 4 Fuga a 4 (Andante)
14:49 ➢ 5 Chorale (Moderato)
16:30 ➢ 6 Fuga a 4 (Andante)