Poetic Pianism of Thibaudet

LAGUNA BEACH —  The concert, given by Jean-Yves Thibaudet at Laguna Beach High School’s Artists’ Theater, was offered as a collaboration between the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County, so his opening piece--”Pavane pour une infante defunte,” by Ravel--held particular poignancy. But the pianist, who lives in both his native France and in New York, heightened the effect Thursday night by looking at the work through a remarkable prism of quiet colors.

This ability to filter scores through an unusual awareness of shades and moods imbued Thibaudet’s recital with an aura of classy sensuality, even in pieces like Liszt’s showy but schlocky Ballade No. 2, in B minor, in which the idea of romantic storytelling took preeminence over its demonic thunderings and heroic octaves.

Except perhaps for the Ballade, the program seemed chosen with his unique sensitivity and delicate control in mind. Thibaudet sandwiched transcriptions of Bill Evans’ “Waltz for Debby” and “Turn Out the Stars” among five works by Ravel--the pavane, “Jeaux d’eau” and three selections from “Miroirs”--luxuriating in the harmonic flights of each and indulging in harp-like pointillism.

He presented a set of Nocturnes, by Chopin, as shared intimacies, studies in light and tone, focused and meditative, and brought a discriminating awareness of voicing and purpose to fluid performances of the first and third etudes, from the Opus 25 set, and of the “Revolutionary” Etude. He explored the concept of cantabile in the singing portions of Liszt’s Concert Paraphrase from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

Thibaudet had peppered his agenda with enough technical razzle-dazzle to bring any audience to its feet--cascades of impressionistic passage work, three of Chopin’s most popular etudes, fistfuls of Liszt’s chordal fireworks. He jumped through all the hoops with ease, and the audience did rise to its feet; one hopes the response was not prompted by the acrobatics, but by the poetic goals they so consistently served.

“L’Isle joyeuse” and “Clair de lune,” by Debussy were the encores, each played with rich, urgent sensuousness.