Raymond Trouard: A Life for the Piano - Perfect for Classical Music Lovers & Piano Enthusiasts

The Amazon database is an incredible resource, so occasionally I will type in a performer's name and see what comes up, in case I've missed something in my normal surfing. Every once in a while I come across an accidental and amazing discovery, like a few months ago when I decided to search one of my new favorite conductors, Pierre Dervaux. To my surprise, this 11CD set of the music of pianist Raymond Trouard popped up (even though when you search "Trouard" all you get is one vinyl hit), as Dervaux is the conductor on both the Grieg and Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos in this collection. Since this box set was only two bucks a disc plus shipping at the time of my purchase, I figured what was there to lose? Ordering it was probably the smartest musical decision I've made this year because this set is magnificent! Trouard recorded extensively for the Odeon label (now owned by Sony), but also EMI in the 1950s and early 60s, and much of that material is reissued here on CD for the first time. There is tons of music to sift through, nearly ten hours worth, so it's taken me a few weeks to listen and digest, and let me tell you there is some real magic here.First, the aforementioned Dervaux-led G&T Concertos, performed with the Concerts Colonne in 1961, are simply wonderful. The stereo sound is glorious, not always the case for French EMI recordings of this era, and Trouard's performance sparkles. I'm beginning to learn that I like so-called "French" performances of the romantic repertoire, mostly because they are not as brooding as some of the Germanic accounts I've been listening to for years (but in fairness, both "styles" have their pluses and minuses). This is also evident in Trouard's sensational Schubert Valses, which are so fun and playful, and unlike any other Schubert solo piano I have heard (perhaps it is because they are waltzes). In fact, most everything he touches turns to gold -- Chopin (the majority of the collection), Beethoven and Liszt (also prominently represented), and even the few pieces he performs by Bach, Brahms, Saint-Saens and Schumann. The only time the set is anything less than stellar, is on the earlier mono recordings -- the Liszt Concertos under Eugene Bigot are particularly flat, and also not tracked for the individual movements (annoying!).Overall, Raymond Trouard's "life in piano" is priceless, and at its current cost, it is also practically without price.