Walter Gieseking Plays Debussy – the First Columbia Recordings

WALTER GIESEKING (1895–1956) has long been regarded as one of the supreme interpreters of Debussy, his recordings having achieved almost definitive status. But it’s generally his later recordings from the early 1950s which have been reissued time and time again. His first Columbia recordings, mostly made in the 1930s, are much less known, yet many critics have regarded them as even finer than the later remakes. Here then are these legendary discs in what we consider to be the finest transfers from the original 78s they have ever had.

This twofer is a wonderful and comprehensive collection of Gieseking’s early Debussy recordings… The sound is clear and lively and I would have no hesitation in snapping up these recordings of such vivid and colourful interpretations. — MusicWeb International, October 2022