Bachs Goldberg Variations Jacques Loussier Trio TELARC 2000 (DDD) Jacques Loussier piano Benoit Dunoyer de Segon

on ac !ass Andr" Aprino dru#s Jacques Loussier $as !orn in Angers% in nort&$estern 'rance% (cto!er 2)% *+,-. /e started p0aying piano at t&e age o1 ten and quic20y de#onstrated tre#endous a!i0ity. 3&en Loussier $as 4ust si5teen% &e entered t&e Conser6atoire 7ationa0e de 8usique in 9aris $&ere &e studied $it& 9ro1essor :6es 7at $&ose yout&1u0 co#positions $ere praised !y 'aure and Saint;Sa<ns% and $&ose prodigious gi1ts as a pianist $ere encouraged !y De!ussy. Continuing t&is distinguis&ed 0ineage% Loussier $as to !eco#e one o1 7at=s #ost acco#p0is&ed pupi0s% &eading t&e conser6atory=s piano c0ass o1 o6er 1i6e &undred students !e1ore 0ea6ing to co##ence a 1ree0ance career t&at inc0uded tra6e0s to Sout& A#erica and t&e 8idd0e East as $e00 as $or2 as acco#panist 1or Cat&erine Sau6age and C&ar0es A na6our. >n *+?+% Loussier &it upon t&e idea t&at $as to #a2e &is internationa0 reputation% co#!ining &is interest in 4a $it& &is 0o6e o1 J.S. Bac&. (n0y a pianist $it& suc& an e5ceptiona0 c0assica0 tec&nique and de1t i#pro6isatory s2i00 cou0d &a6e nurtured suc& a 6ision. /e 1ounded t&e 90ay Bac& Trio% $&ic& used Bac& s co#positions as t&e !asis 1or 4a i#pro6isation. T&e trio i##ediate0y caug&t t&e pu!0ic i#agination. >n t&eir 0i6e appearances% tours and concerts% p0us a succession o1 recordings !ui0t on t&e cornerstone o1 1our a0!u#s #ade 1or Decca !et$een *+)0 and *+),% Loussier s group ac&ie6ed a !rea2t&roug& to popu0ar co##ercia0 success en4oyed !y on0y a se0ect 1e$ 4a #usicians. >n 1i1teen years% t&e trio so0d o6er si5 #i00ion a0!u#s. During its &eyday% t&e trio !roadened t&e range o1 its e5peri#ents $it& Loussier dou!0e trac2ing so#e pieces on organ and piano and% 0ater% recording so#e o1 &is arrange#ents o1 Bac&s concerti $it& t&e Roya0 9&i0&ar#onic (rc&estra. /o$e6er% a1ter years on t&e road% 0i2e #any popu0ar co##ercia0 groups% t&e origina0 trio reac&ed t&e end o1 its natura0 0i1e in *+@A. >n *+A0% Loussier retired to &is &o#e in 9ro6ence to co#pose% researc& and record. /e &ad a0ready da!!0ed in 1i0# and !a00et co#position% and &ad esta!0is&ed &is o$n recording studio at 8ira6a0% not 1ar 1ro# 7ice% $&ere in addition to co#posing &is o$n pieces 1or acoustic and e0ectronic instru#ents% &e p0ayed &ost to #any recording stars o1 t&e roc2 $or0d inc0uding 9in2 '0oyd% E0ton Jo&n% Sting and :es. >n 1act% seg#ents o1 9in2 '0oyd s The Wall $ere recorded at Loussiers studio. Loussiers o$n #usic in t&e *+A0s e5p0ored t&e integration o1 ne$ tec&no0ogy $it& con6entiona0 instru#ents% 4ust as &is *+?0s e5peri#ents e5p0ored t&e ground !et$een 4a and c0assics. /e produced suites 1or piano% synt&esi ers% percussion and !ass% and so#e roc2;4a ; c0assica0 1usion $or2s inc0uding Pulsions, Pagan Moon and Fusions Sous La Mer. T&e tercentenary o1 Bac&s !irt& in *+A? coa5ed Loussier !ac2 to t&e trio 1or#at% and &e re;1or#ed t&e 90ay Bac& Trio $it& t$o ne$ partners. /e 1ee0s &is ne$ trio &as 1ar #ore sty0istic range t&an its predecessor% and $&ereas t&at $as a pioneer group% t&e 0atter;day trio co#!ines 4a % roc2 and conte#porary c0assica0 ideas $it& a #i5 o1 4a and Bac&. T&e trio 2eeps up a !usy touring sc&edu0e% tra6e0ing annua00y in Japan and t&e B.C. as $e00 as in Loussiers nati6e 'rance. >t a0so appears regu0ar0y in Der#any% Spain and >ta0y. Loussier 0ea6es p0enty o1 roo# in &is sc&edu0e to $rite &is o$n co#positions. >n *+A)% &e produced a #ass entit0ed Lumires% &is 1irst 1u00;sca0e $or2 1or sy#p&ony orc&estra% $&ic& continues &is e5p0oration o1 t&e synt&esis o1 #usica0 genres. >n its 9aris pre#iere% c0assica0 countertenor Ja#es Bo$#an and soprano De!ora& Rees 1ound t&e#se06es singing a0ongside

a roc2 dru##er. Loussier &as su!sequent0y $ritten a tru#pet and 6io0in concerto (!ot& in *+AA)% a suite 1or string% Tableaux Venetiens% and a !a00et% Trois Couleurs (*+A+)% to ce0e!rate t&e !i;centenary o1 t&e 'renc& Re6o0ution. /is 1irst Te0arc re0ease% Jacques Loussier Plays ach% de!uted in *++). /is ne5t recording% Vi!al"is Four Seasons% un0oc2ed a ne$ 6ein o1 creati6ity and se01;disco6ery% in $&ic& Loussier searc&ed 1or a deeper 0e6e0 o1 e5p0oration a0toget&er. /e 1o00o$ed up t&is e5cursion into t&e >ta0ian !aroque $it& Jacques Loussier Plays Satie% a 0oo2 at t&e 1ounding 1at&er o1 'renc& #ini#a0is#. /is e5ceptiona0 *+++ re0ease% #a!els olero% e5p0ored Loussiers 6ery persona0 connection to t&e $or2 o1 t&e 'renc& i#pressionists. T&e ach oo$%&'th (nni!ersary (lbum% a ne$ recording o1 Loussier s !est;se00ing $or2s 1ro# t&e )0s $as a0so re0eased in *+++. >n 2000% 1or t&e 1irst ti#e e6er% Loussier tac20ed t&e #onu#enta0 )ol"berg Variations% in &onor o1 t&e 2?0t& anni6ersary o1 t&e deat& o1 J.S. Bac&. Recent re0eases 1ro# Jacques Loussier inc0ude eetho!ens Sym*hony +o, - (200,) and The est o. Play ach (SACD on0y) in 'e!ruary 200-. /m*ressions o. Cho*ins +octurnes% Loussiers 1irst so0o piano recording and an inti#ate e5p0oration o1 t&e $or2s o1 'rederic C&opin% $as re0eased on Loussier s @0t& !irt&day in (cto!er 200-. /e returned to t&e trio setting a year 0ater $it& t&e (cto!er 2?% 200?% re0ease o1 Mo0art Piano Concertos 1'%12.