12 Études pour piano

These etudes (composed between 2010 and 2022) are the result of over ten years of

reflection and research on piano writing. The word etudes seems to imply notions of finger dexterity and virtuosity, so I kept the traditional title, in line with Chopin, Liszt or Debussy.

However, I was really desirous to explore other ways and craft powerful musical narratives with tone shifts and abrupt structural breaks, to write pieces that would not necessarily focus on one single concept (as is the case in etudes focusing on one specific technical issue). The resulting set of wide-ranging concert etudes is above all an inner journey, along a path delineated by their explicit titles. At the end of the journey, Littoral [In Paradisum] is both an evocation of Chopin (whose Etude #12, op. 25 is sometimes referred to as the

Ocean Etude) and an echo of one of my recordings (also titled Littoral).

Each etude is dedicated to a famous composer or pianist whose work highlighted and promoted the piano etude genre or the evolution of pianistic virtuosity. Some pieces may evoke iconic, innovative performers (Vladimir Horowitz, Art Tatum) while others make reference to famous books of etudes by Liszt, Brahms, Debussy or Ligeti. I also pay tribute to great solo piano collections: playing and vocalizing is reminiscent of George Crumb’s Makrokosmos; bell-like sonorities (which I like so much) are inspired by Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jésus. Even the lyrical darkness of Olivier Greif, a singular pianist and (prolific) composer, may be heard at times. These dedications express my love for the great etudes of the piano repertoire.