2006-02-23 / Toronto Star / John Terauds

Piano Music by Emmanuel Chabrier (Hyperion)

Canadian-born Angela Hewitt continues to enchant as she plunders less-known repertoire from the late 19th century. Her playing shimmers, sparkles, sings and sways as she takes us through 18 short piano works by Frenchman Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894). Included among these are his Dix pièces pittoresques, which he wrote in 1881, right after quitting his civil service job so he could compose full-time. His main focus was on opera, but he also left a legacy of charming songs and piano pieces that deserve to be heard more often, especially when animated by the verve and brilliance of Hewitt’s playing. The SuperAudio sound is crisp and full.