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Celebrating Debussy’s 160th birthday year (born Aug. 22, 1862).

Franco American, Paris-based pianist George Lepauw recorded Debussy’s iconic Preludes all the way back in 2007, but the resulting album was kept in a shoebox and is only now getting a proper release. Despite having made many successful albums in the years since, this is the first full recording George ever made.

George has always felt an affinity for Debussy, in particular his iconoclasm, a fearless search for his own language, curiosity for music from other cultures (javanese gamelan, for ex.), interest in modal tonalities reminiscent of ancient Greek music or Egyptian music, etc.), love for poetry (esp. Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Verlaine), art (esp. Japanese prints like Hiroshige), cinema, theatre, literature, travel, and nature (the sea especially).
Debussy was also a bon vivant, always enjoying a good party in Montmartre with his friends (as does George), and definitely a lover of life. A truly unique person in music history whose imagination, freedom, and sensitivities changed the course of music.

George has written an article for BBC Music Mag on Debussy’s best works: click here to read it