Concerts

Recordings

Recordings

Chopin Complete Nocturnes CD

“His are deeply probing, exploratory, at times unsettling performances, yet they undoubtedly carry an underlying authority and conviction that is persuasive even – perhaps especially – when they challenge preconceived notions… Chopin’s two Op.48 Nocturnes in particular are outstanding. D’Ascoli’s rubato – often intense, sometimes counterintuitive – lies at the heart of his music making, and makes his Chopin alive and self-renewing.” Performance ****   Sound ****

Tim Parry, BBC Music Magazine – September 2006

***Editor’s Choice*** "A revelatory, probing disc from Bernard d’Ascoli. Anyone who thought of the Chopin sonatas as comfortable, even somnolent music must think again. D’Ascoli unflinchingly plumbs the underbelly of these works, finding a deliberately uncomfortable sense of bleakness. Many have recorded these pieces, but d’Ascoli proves that there is still more to be said. And, at the same time, announces himself as a top-flight pianist." "Let me say at once that even in a heavily competitive market place this ranks among the most remarkable of Chopin Nocturne recordings… Bernard d'Ascoli goes his own heartwarming way unburdened by tradition. From him, the Nocturnes are not a world of sweet dreams but possess a troubled and assertive life… An impetuous thrust given to the D flat Nocturne’s long-breathed Italianate lines, and the sudden plunge into darkness at the end of Op 32 No 1, are two among many examples of performances of a living, breathing presence, the reverse of studio-bound … Hopefully, d’Ascoli’s most stimulating Chopin series will continue."

Bryce Morrison, The Gramophone – May 2006

“Bernard d'Ascoli has a sound that is clear, liquescent and very appropriate to Chopin… He is a pianist who sounds at one with the instrument, and conveys the feeling that this really is his music. He plays it in a natural, instinctive way that sheds particular light on a self-generating, freely associative piece like the E flat, Op. 55 No. 2, which he describes as a ‘never-ending melody, here reaching its apogee’. This is a release whose totality upholds the distinction of its individual parts, and for anyone who loves the Nocturnes it is well worth adding to the versions, either classic or more recent, in your own collection.”

Stephen Pruslin, International Record Review – February 2006

“How good it is to hear an artist of such exceptional sensitivity and tonal refinement in music that suits his style so well… Take, for instance, the central con fuoco passage of the F major, Op.15 No.1 (track 4, 1’20 in). Here, Pires’s bass line is so fast, furious and over-pedalled as to sound muddied. D’Ascoli holds back a fraction and delineates Chopin’s textures with more emphasis, bringing out both harmony and line to perfection. He also observes more fully Chopin’s andantino marking in the G major, Op.37 No.2, his slightly reflective approach giving an almost filigree lightness to the main semiquaver figuration…D’Ascoli employs more sparingly, but ultimately more satisfyingly, than Pires. Take Op.15 No.2, where Pires leans rather indulgently into all the main phrase repetitions, whereas D’Ascoli keeps things fairly strict until the central doppio movimento section, where he expands and contracts the phrases as the flow of the music dictates to him – very personal to each artist but entirely convincing to my ears. All the huge variety of moods within these miniature masterpieces strike me as fully realized by D’Ascoli. He rarely courts controversy, certainly not to Pires’s degree, but is fully alive to the improvisational aspects of the works… with those excellent notes, wonderfully refined pianism and a very decent recording that captures D’Ascoli’s full expressive range – as well as his beautifully voiced grand – this is a very considerable achievement”

Tony Haywood, Musicweb International

Chopin Complete Scherzi and Impromptus CD

“Putting on a new CD of Chopin Scherzi and Impromptus (Athene 23024), I wonder how it will measure up to others on the market. Very well, actually, with the notes seeming to glow. But its biography omits the fact that the pianist Bernard d’Ascoli has seen nothing since the age of three. I once looked over his shoulder as he played: whereas most pianists’ hands seem to do their owners’ bidding, his moved with a curious watchfulness, as though they saw as well as felt. He told me that he had no memory of sight – “The idea to me is entirely abstract” – and that he grew up with no sense of being handicapped. He didn’t go to blind school, and did precociously well in the normal system, becoming famous as a recitalist on his native Marseille at 20. The word “handicap” is not in his vocabulary; “frustration” is what he speaks of, and, as a teacher, he is adept at dealing with the frustations of the sighted pupils who flock to his home. Blindness, he says, “has led me to develop my inner ear, and therefore theirs as well."

Michael Church, The Independent – May 2005

“Since winning the Barcelona Competition in 1978, the blind French pianist Bernard d’Ascoli has had an active career, performing throughout Europe, the US, Canadan, Japan and Australia, and with such leading conductors as Järvi, Litton, Sanderling and Svetlanov. His recordings have been regrettably few, however, though they have included impressive accounts of the Liszt Sonata, Schumann’s Carnaval and Chopin’s Nocturnes will follow. He obviously has a strong affinity for Chopin’s music and much of the playing on this disc – especially of the Scherzos – reminded me of Rubinstein’s and Ax’s. He shares their directeness of approach, firm rhythm tonal refinement and judicious use of rubato.Textures are clear, melodies are shaped with a singer’s sense of line, and inner vices are handled with subtlely. The expressive qualities of the music speak more spontaneously than in Pollini’s very polished but, to me, overly cool accounts. D’Ascoli's well-rounded technique meets every demand of the Scherzos, from the spiky brilliance of No. 1 to the bravura octaves of No. 3 and the light filigree of No. 4. Although he provides plenty of drive and drama when needed (especially in No. 2 and 3), I find that he makes a lasting impression in the more lyrical moments. The breadth and colour he brings to those passages in No. 3 and 4 is exceptional; and it’s done with dignity and inner strength, with no hint of sentimentality or fussiness. He also has a fine of sense structure, pacing the transition passages notably well, especially those that lead into the codas. The Impromptus round out this impressive disc withan ideal combination of flexibility and elegance, the variety of sound and mood in No. 2 being especially notable. I eagerly await this pianist’s account of the Nocturnes."

Charles Timbrell, International Record Review – May 2005

“Not so long ago Bernard d’Ascoli lived in London and I relished hearing him, particularly enjoying his highly personal interpretations of Chopin’s major works. He now lives in France and I am delighted to say is recording on the Athene label. The four Scherzi, so immediately enjoyable in their own right, offer a wholly different experience when heard as a continuous set. Chopin’s choice for titles for his works, often criticised as arbitrary, show how practical his imagination could be in communicating to both players and listeners when the families are brought together by a sensitive and technically assured musician. On this well presented CD the eight tracks can be picked at random and thoroughly enjoyed individually as full blooded Chopin gems, packed with excitement and gorgeous lyricism. On the other hand, play the four Scherzi or the four Impromptus consecutively and d’Ascoli brings you as close to Chopin’s intentions as could be possible. Not that either set becomes a four movement single structure; rather do these accounts prove that each belongs to the other three and so, when heard together, bring a unique extra ingredient to the whole. Nevertheless, do play them as individuals as well as sets. Soak in Bernard d’Ascoli’s delight in flinging his deft fingers into dramatic bouts of virtuosity, yet never losing the overall shape and purpose of the musical architecture. By the way, I am reliably informed that we will soon have a double CD of the complete Nocturnes from the d’Ascoli stable. These I must hear!"

Denby Richards, Musical Opinion

Schumann - Quintet op.44, Arabesque in C op.18, Blumenstück in D flat op.19, with the Schidlof String Quartet, Linn Records CKD 132, 2001

"It is good to have a new recording from the pianist Bernard d'Ascoli, an inspirational artist whose playing on disc is regularly marked by a winning spontaneity."

Gramophone - November 2001