Samson Francois - Complete Recordings

Samson Franois was a true poet of the piano. A brilliant, inspired pianist especially identified with the music of Chopin, Debussy and Ravel, he played with both the proverbial clarity of the French school and a visceral immediacy and spontaneity. Charismatic, sometimes provocative, and numbering jazz among his passions, he achieved celebrity status notably in France and Japan. The works of Chopin are prominent in this collection melodic contours were always a priority for Franois but the complete list of composers is richly diverse. Three major new bonuses are the long-awaited world premiere release of Franois' penultimate live recital, recorded at the Nohant Festival in France in June 1970, just four months before his death at the age of 46; a recital recorded in Tokyo in 1969, and a DVD documentary, written by his son, Maximilien Franois. This new edition places all recordings in the context of their original couplings and the CD wallets carry the original artwork.