Debussy: Préludes, Livre 1

"When playing Debussy, I let nature be my guide. Nature is sometimes static and eternal, like the mountains and the forest, and sometimes unpredictable and dynamic, like the wind and the sea.” — Tal Walker

After recording lesser-known preludes by Fauré and Messiaen for his first album, pianist Tal Walker chose to take on perhaps the most famous French preludes: Claude Debussy’s.

The composer’s preludes have accompanied Walker throughout his musical journey. La fille aux cheveux de lin was the first Debussy piece he ever played, followed by La danse de Puck and Minstrels during his studies.

Now, as part of his doctorate at the Royal College of Music, Walker is performing and recording the complete Preludes, Livre 1 while researching and writing about them. These miniatures range from light and accessible to any listener to sophisticated and intellectually rewarding for musical experts.