Jean-Yves Thibaudet On 'Song Travels'

May 03, 2013 1:18 PM

Hear Jean-Yves Thibaudet On 'Song Travels'

57 min 51 sec

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Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

Kasskara/Decca

Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

Kasskara/Decca

French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is one of the leading performers on today's classical-music scene. He has more than 40 albums to his credit, including interpretations of the classical repertoire, as well as music by George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Bill Evans.

Thibaudet's depth and breadth are on display here, in works by Spanish composer Federico Mompou and American popular songwriter Alec Wilder. He and host Michael Feinstein bring their unique perspectives to Wilder's "I'll Be Around" and George Gershwin's "Embraceable You."

Set List

Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano), "Young Girls in the Garden" (F. Mompou)

Michael Feinstein (voice, piano), "Embraceable You" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin)

Thibaudet (piano), "Etudes on Gershwin's Songs" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin, G. Kahn, E. Wild)

Arthur Rubinstein (piano), Piano Concerto No 2, 2nd Movement (excerpt) (F. Chopin)*

Thibaudet (piano), "Prelude Pathetique" (S. Cherkassky)

Thibaudet (piano), "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (From Original Soundtrack) (A. Desplat)*

Feinstein (voice, piano), "I'll Be Around" (A. Wilder)

Thibaudet (piano), "I'll Be Around" (A. Wilder)

* Album recording

This program originally ran June 1, 2012.

Featured Artist

Explore Jean-Yves Thibaudet's full NPR Archive

Studio Sessions

Cheyenne Jackson On 'Song Travels'

"I've always had a very, I guess you could almost say manic love of music and styles," Cheyenne Jackson says. "Music is just everything to me."

Studio Sessions

Pink Martini's Thomas Lauderdale On 'Song Travels'

"I think that's maybe my best strength as a musician: the ability to accompany and to breathe with whoever's taking the lead," Thomas Lauderdale says.

Studio Sessions

Liza Minnelli On 'Song Travels'

Liza Minnelli says that songs "punctuate your emotions throughout your life."

Studio Sessions

Joshua Bell And Jeremy Denk On 'Song Travels'

"I've thought to myself often listening to some classical works: 'I think I want to make a couple million dollars and turn that into a pop song,'" Joshua Bell (right) says, laughing. "There's a lot of untapped potential there."

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Song Travels

Jean-Yves Thibaudet On 'Song Travels'