For David Jalbert, Music Knows No Bounds
BUENA PARK, Calif. — Effusive critical acclaim, a Juno Award nomination, a best-selling CD and diverse, rewarding artistic collaborations have defined the young and increasingly brilliant career of Canadian pianist David Jalbert. He's been called a "deeply musical pianist," by the The Plain Dealer (Ohio), and an "important talent" by The Montreal Gazette. The Toronto Star raved, "Jalbert dazzles with skill, style and taste, with all the exuberance and finesse a listener could want." With his incisive musicality, clean technique and penchant for defying labels, his star continues to rise.
The 28-year-old Yamaha artist is enjoying a thriving career as a guest soloist for such orchestras as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the National Symphony of Ireland.
With a full roster of solo engagements, a North American tour lined up with his dynamic trio, Triple Forte, and his next CD – accompanying the debut of French Hornist Louis-Phillipe Marsolais – due out in September, Jalbert's packed touring and recording schedule shows no signs of letting up.
Lauded by critics and listeners alike, Jalbert's latest recording showcases the nocturnes of French composer Gabriel Fauré. Citing the pieces as both "beautiful and underrated," Jalbert set out to make this repertoire as well known internationally as it is in Quebec and in France. "It's an interesting cycle," he notes. "Fauré's whole life cycle fits onto a CD. It surprises people that there is so much action."
According to Jalbert, the cycle has been recorded before, "but never in a completely convincing manner. Since Fauré was against rubato (rhythmic flexibility within a phrase or measure), it tends to inhibit interpreters. They can come across as cold, but they're expressive. You just have to be subtle about it."
The critics seem to agree that when it comes to interpretation, Jalbert knows what he's talking about. "[He] makes Fauré's nocturnes gems of the form that are to be well admired and cherished," declared Allmusic.com. Not to be outdone, The Toronto Star's John Terauds gushed, "There don't seem to be enough adjectives to describe the beauty of the experience."
Fauré: The Complete Nocturnes serves as a strong follow up to Folklore, a CD he recorded with long-time collaborator and cellist Denise Djokic. According to Jalbert, the Fauré and Folklore CDs were recorded on "fantastic" Yamaha grand pianos. "I think that Yamaha pianos have a smoothness and ease about them that truly makes pianists comfortable," he remarks. "They give you a sense of direct control over the sound, and can create a magical atmosphere for you almost instantly."
This sense of musical enchantment helped Folklore enter the Billboard Classical Charts at number 15 – the first of his recordings to achieve such a ranking – while earning the pair their first Juno Award nomination. "It's a nice recognition," states Jalbert. "We're getting lucky."
All of Folklore's eclectic selections trace their roots to some form of folk music, spanning diverse cultures, languages and eras. For Jalbert, the loose confederation of works – originally performed in recital – provided an ideal backdrop for a compilation. "They [music executives] wanted a theme, so we decided, why not a folk music program? We loved the concept of a unifying theme, but with lots of variety."
"In the good old days you could just pick the music that you like to record," he continues. "Now things need to be categorized." For Jalbert, it seems, categories are made to be defied, with art at its most liberated and most fully appreciated when unencumbered by labels.
The pianist prides himself on being a "rock scholar," a passion which, surprisingly, has informed his classical work. "One thing about my playing that people always comment on is the clarity, and that comes from listening to rock and roll – the drums, bass and guitar. You learn to dissect things with your ear," states Jalbert, who counts The Beatles, Velvet Underground, the Strokes, Radiohead, and the White Stripes, among his favorites. "A lot of these musicians can give classical composers a run for their money; a lot of rock music is extremely sophisticated. You can't just overlook it."
Citing that today's classical music was in many cases yesterday's pop, Jalbert seems perfectly content "living on the edge" of musical genres. "My interest lies in the frontier between low and high art. It's not a clear boundary; people should pay more attention to it. It's an inexhaustible topic. There is a disdain that something popular can't be good – and that's not true. I always try to investigate."
 According to Jalbert, his Fauré: Complete Nocturnes and Folklore CDs were recorded on "fantastic" Yamaha grand pianos. "I think that Yamaha pianos have a smoothness and ease about them that truly makes pianists comfortable." |
With a full roster of solo engagements, a North American tour lined up with his dynamic trio, Triple Forte, and his next CD – accompanying the debut of French Hornist Louis-Phillipe Marsolais – due out in September, Jalbert's packed touring and recording schedule shows no signs of letting up.
Lauded by critics and listeners alike, Jalbert's latest recording showcases the nocturnes of French composer Gabriel Fauré. Citing the pieces as both "beautiful and underrated," Jalbert set out to make this repertoire as well known internationally as it is in Quebec and in France. "It's an interesting cycle," he notes. "Fauré's whole life cycle fits onto a CD. It surprises people that there is so much action."
According to Jalbert, the cycle has been recorded before, "but never in a completely convincing manner. Since Fauré was against rubato (rhythmic flexibility within a phrase or measure), it tends to inhibit interpreters. They can come across as cold, but they're expressive. You just have to be subtle about it."
The critics seem to agree that when it comes to interpretation, Jalbert knows what he's talking about. "[He] makes Fauré's nocturnes gems of the form that are to be well admired and cherished," declared Allmusic.com. Not to be outdone, The Toronto Star's John Terauds gushed, "There don't seem to be enough adjectives to describe the beauty of the experience."
Fauré: The Complete Nocturnes serves as a strong follow up to Folklore, a CD he recorded with long-time collaborator and cellist Denise Djokic. According to Jalbert, the Fauré and Folklore CDs were recorded on "fantastic" Yamaha grand pianos. "I think that Yamaha pianos have a smoothness and ease about them that truly makes pianists comfortable," he remarks. "They give you a sense of direct control over the sound, and can create a magical atmosphere for you almost instantly."
This sense of musical enchantment helped Folklore enter the Billboard Classical Charts at number 15 – the first of his recordings to achieve such a ranking – while earning the pair their first Juno Award nomination. "It's a nice recognition," states Jalbert. "We're getting lucky."
 Yamaha Artist David Jalbert |
"In the good old days you could just pick the music that you like to record," he continues. "Now things need to be categorized." For Jalbert, it seems, categories are made to be defied, with art at its most liberated and most fully appreciated when unencumbered by labels.
The pianist prides himself on being a "rock scholar," a passion which, surprisingly, has informed his classical work. "One thing about my playing that people always comment on is the clarity, and that comes from listening to rock and roll – the drums, bass and guitar. You learn to dissect things with your ear," states Jalbert, who counts The Beatles, Velvet Underground, the Strokes, Radiohead, and the White Stripes, among his favorites. "A lot of these musicians can give classical composers a run for their money; a lot of rock music is extremely sophisticated. You can't just overlook it."
Citing that today's classical music was in many cases yesterday's pop, Jalbert seems perfectly content "living on the edge" of musical genres. "My interest lies in the frontier between low and high art. It's not a clear boundary; people should pay more attention to it. It's an inexhaustible topic. There is a disdain that something popular can't be good – and that's not true. I always try to investigate."
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