Gramophone Magazine
December 2023
Recording of the Month
Steven Osborne (piano)
Debussy: Études pour piano
Debussy: Pour le piano
Debussy: La plus que lente
Debussy: Berceuse héroïque
Debussy: Etude retrouvée
Debussy may have stipulated ‘mains formidables’ as the requirement for pianists tackling his Études, but they need a lot more besides: it’s clear from these magisterial performances that Steven Osborne’s ‘formidable hands’ are always at the service of a profound musical intelligence.
"Time and again there were details that tickled the ear with their freshness, revealing as if for the first time the anarchic brilliance of Debussy’s vision." - Gramophone Magazine, December 2023