Nelson Freire

Diapason d'Or of the Month

“Everything is at the service of the music… unfolding as it might in your imagination.”
Grammophone magazine on Nelson Freire’s Chopin.

“…Offers a gentle reminder that decorous piano playing and interpretive depth have an irresistible power all their own.” The New York Times

"Freire...takes this music of sweet dreams and agitated melancholy through the night to victory" The Times (4*)

"this is Chopin playing of high quality, from one of the finest pianists alive today." The Guardian (4*)

Tracklist »

Tracklisting

• Nocturnes nos. 1-20
  CD1
  • Nocturne no. 1 in B flat minor, op. 9 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 2 in E flat major, op. 9 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 3 in B major, op. 9 no. 3
  • Nocturne no. 4 in F major, op. 15 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 5 in F sharp major, op. 15 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 6 in G minor, op. 15 no. 3
  • Nocturne no. 7 in C sharp minor, op. 27 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 8 in D flat major, op. 27 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 9 in B major, op. 32 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 10 in A flat major, op. 32 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 11 in G minor, op. 37 no. 1
  CD2
  • Nocturne no. 12 in G major, op. 37 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 13 in C minor, op. 48 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 14 in F sharp minor, op. 48 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 15 in F minor, op. 55 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 16 in E flat major, op. 55 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 17 in B major, op. 62 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 18 in E major, op. 62 no. 2
  • Nocturne no. 19 in E minor, op. posth. 72 no. 1
  • Nocturne no. 20 in C sharp minor, KK IVa/16

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"Debussy has such sensitivity. It's superficial to see him as no more than a master of colour. There is so much heart and soul in this music. You only have to listen to 'Des pas sur la neige', which is music of such depth," declares Nelson Freire, passionately. Read more »

Close your eyes and open your ears.

The instinctive familiarity that grows up between composer and performer is impossible to analyse. As elsewhere in life, you come across thwarted affairs, unrequited love, mismatched couples and... little miracles of understanding that defy the laws of mutual attraction. The physical side is key to Nelson Freire's relationship with Debussy: the contact between fingers and ivory, the smell of the wood, the heady sounds, all play a part in what has become a lifelong partnership. While Freire's colleague Martha Argerich feels closer to Maurice Ravel ("It's he who loves me!" she says, with a twinkle in her eye), there are three people in his own relationship: "Debussy sparked the love affair between the piano and me..."

The French composer's sensuality has all it takes to satisfy (and trouble) the Brazilian pianist's sensitive soul. Debussy's cardinal virtue, for a shy, emotional personality such as Freire's, is that he evokes rather than spelling out, suggests rather than overtly stating, with an almost British sense of reserve — never complain, never explain. Some composers wear their hearts, or their learning, on their sleeves. While they spend time niggling over details, Debussy listens instead to the wind of the world as it blows from east to west, bringing him ancient echoes and new sounds, filling his heart to overflowing with emotion. No one could feel closer than does Nelson Freire to his fertile sense of restraint and quiet sophistication. He loves the understated dedication of Children's Corner: "To my dear little Chouchou, with her father's affectionate apologies for what follows". After the composer's death, Alfred Cortot played a few of the Préludes to his beloved daughter (who was to follow Debussy to the grave a year later), and asked her if that was how her father had played. "Yes," replied Chouchou, "but papa listened more..." Therein lies the secret: listening to the music and allowing it to express itself. Chopin did just that, listening to what the piano was confiding to him beneath his fingers' skilful caress.

Freire first encountered Debussy when he was studying with the eminent Lucia Branco in Rio de Janeiro. Branco, who had worked with Arthur de Greef in Brussels, advocated a naturalistic style and warned her pupils to resist the temptation of playing too slowly. Jacques Février, one 
of the judges at the Vianna da Motta competition which Freire won in 1964, gave him the same advice, and Freire and the Debussyist par excellence Alain Planès also recently discussed, and agreed on, the need to set a reasonably lively tempo.

Throughout his career, Freire has played the music of Debussy, and his works are among the pianist's favourite encores. Eight of the Book One Préludes, "Reflets dans l'eau" (Images I), "Poissons d'or" (Images II), Estampes, Children's Corner and La Plus que lente regularly appear on his programmes, and Freire brings to them a gentle warmth and magic all his own. No other performer today can do such justice to the beautiful sounds and wealth of harmonies of this music. The Brazilian has joined Gieseking (his own favourite player), Michelangeli and Arrau in the pantheon of immortals of Debussy's piano music.

"Debussy has such sensitivity. It's superficial to see him as no more than a master of colour. There is so much heart and soul in this music. You only have to listen to 'Des pas sur la neige', which is music of such depth," declares Nelson Freire, passionately. He was moved to tears when he discovered, in a letter to André Caplet, Debussy's account of his meeting with the great Brazilian pianist Guiomar Novaës, to whom Freire is utterly devoted. "A girl from Brazil, whose eyes are transported by music, and who has absolute power of concentration," wrote Debussy. "That one phrase says it all", according to Freire. In those few words, we can see and hear her, we just have to close our eyes and open our ears.

- Olivier Bellamy

Tracklisting

• Préludes — Livre I
  • 1. I Danseuses de Delphes 3.14
  • 2. II Voiles 3.13
  • 3. III Le Vent dans la plaine 2.00
  • 4. IV "Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir" 3.32
  • 5. V Les Collines d'Anacapri 2.44
  • 6. VI Des pas sur la neige 3.56
  • 7. VII Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest 3.10
  • 8. VIII La Fille aux cheveux de lin 2.23
  • 9. IX La Sérénade interrompue 2.21
  • 10. X La Cathédrale engloutie 7.04
  • 11. XI La Danse de Puck 2.29
  • 12. XII Minstrels 2.15
  • 13. D'un cahier d'esquisses 4.53
• Children's Corner
  • 14. I Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum 2.09
  • 15. II Jimbo's Lullaby 3.10
  • 16. III Serenade for the Doll 2.37
  • 17. IV The Snow is Dancing 2.29
  • 18. V The Little Shepherd 1.59
  • 19. VI Golliwogg's Cake-Walk 2.48
• Suite bergamasque
  • 20. III Clair de lune 4.54

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Nelson Freire, Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhaus orchestra come together for these very special recordings of both Brahms piano concertos. Read more »

Nelson Freire, Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhaus orchestra come together for these very special recordings of both Brahms piano concertos.

Brahms's infinitely great piano concertos are tailor-made for a pianist of Nelson Freire's gifts. These include a rare capacity to resolve extreme difficulties with an ease bordering on nonchalance but, more importantly, with an elegance and poetry inseparable from Brahms's Romantic genius.

'If there is a more suave, pianistic and subtly gifted artist before us today, I cannot imagine who it might be.' - Opus Magazine

'The world's best kept piano secret' follows his three much-lauded discs of Chopin and Schumann with both of Brahms's mighty Piano Concertos. These are Nelson Freire's first concerto recordings since signing an exclusive contract with Decca in 2001. Conducted by fellow Decca artist Riccardo Chailly, the new Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, in their legendary hall.

Tracklisting

• Disc 1
  • 1. Maestoso - Poco più moderato
        [Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15]
  • 2. Adagio
        [Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15]
  • 3. Rondo (Allegro non troppo)
        [Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15]
• Disc 2
  • 1. Allegro non troppo
        [Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.83]
  • 2. Allegro appassionato
        [Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.83]
  • 3. Andante - Più adagio
        [Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.83]
  • 4. Allegretto grazioso - Un poco più presto
        [Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.83]

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Freire follows his hugely successful Decca debut with this programme of four of Schumann's most popular and descriptive works. Read more »

Freire follows his hugely successful Decca debut with this programme of four of Schumann's most popular and descriptive works.

Tracklisting

• Carnaval Op.9:
  1 No. 1 Préambule 2.13; 2 No. 2 Pierrot 1.05; 3 No. 3 Arlequin 0.35; 4 No. 4 Valse noble 1.10; 5 No. 5 Eusebius 1.28; 6 No. 6 Florestan 0.46; 7 No. 7 Coquette 0.48; 8 No. 8 Réplique 0.25; 9 No. 9 Papillons 0.44; 10 No.10 A.S.C.H - S.C.H.A (Lettres dansantes) 0.41; 11 No.11 Chiarina 0.50; 12 No.12 Chopin 1.14; 13 No.13 Estrella 0.29; 14 No.14 Reconnaissance 1.16; 15 No.15 Pantalon et colombine 0.53; 16 No.16 Valse Allemande - Paganini - Valse Allemande 2.02; 17 No.17 Aveu 0.57; 18 No.18 Promenade 1.53; 19 No.19 Pause 0.17; 20 No.20 Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins 3.18;
• Papillons Op.2
  
 21 Introduzione 0.09; 22 No.1 0.35; 23 No.2 0.14; 24 No.3 0.44; 25 No.4 0.46; 26 No.5 1.02; 27 No.6 0.57; 28 No.7 0.42; 29 No.8 1.04; 30 No.9 0.43; 31 No.10 1.48; 32 No.11 2.24; 33 No.12 1.46;
• Kinderszenen Op.15
  34 1. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen 1.27; 35 2. Kuriose Geschichte 1.02; 36 3. Hasche-Mann 0.28; 37 4. Bittendes Kind 0.50; 38 5. Glückes genug 1.02; 39 6. Wichtige Begebenheit 0.48; 40 7. Träumerei 2.30; 41 8. Am Kamin 0.52; 42 9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd 0.35; 43 10. Fast zu ernst 1.44; 44 11. Fürchtenmachen 1.27; 45 12. Kind im Einschlummern 1.46; 46 13. Der Dichter spricht 2.11;
• 47 Arabeske Op.18 6.27

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