Sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque have released a new triple album marking more than five decades of recording together. Their journey began in 1969 at the Paris Conservatoire with a significant moment. Olivier Messiaen, a renowned composer and teacher, heard them play Visions de l’Amen. He proposed a recording with his wife, but the sisters opted to remain a duo. Messiaen agreed, leading to their first recording under his supervision.
This new album, aptly titled 55, contains 55 tracks celebrating their years of collaboration. It includes gems from their extensive catalog, spanning repertoire classics like Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances and Gabriel Fauré’s Dolly Suite to arrangements of works by Gershwin, Bernstein, and Debussy. The set isn’t merely retrospective; it features nearly half new recordings, aiming to highlight often overlooked women composers.
The album showcases works by Grażyna Bacewicz, an emerging notable composer, and Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, an Ethiopian nun. It honors Lili Boulanger, known for her brief yet impactful career, and includes Margaret Bonds’ arrangement of “Troubled Water” marking African American contributions to classical music.
About half of the album showcases the sisters in two-piano duets with full energy, as seen in performances of Manuel de Falla’s Spanish Dance No. 1 and James P. Johnson’s “Carolina Shout.” Their two-piano rendition of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring delivers an intense and powerful listening experience.
The Labèques also explore four-handed repertoire, where two people play on one piano. This creates an intimate setting for music such as their renowned interpretations of Ravel’s Mother Goose and Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants. They reveal French composers like Marie Jaëll, who was the first French pianist to perform all of Beethoven’s sonatas. In her waltz, Op. 8, No. 8, they blend dark tones with French elegance.
The 3-disc collection offers treasures where the sisters briefly diverge. Katia collaborates with Chick Corea on the Bill Evans’ piece “We Will Meet Again,” and performs works by William Duckworth and Dora Pejačević. Marielle takes on pieces by Erik Satie, Howard Skempton, and Bryce Dessner from The National.
The Labèques are renowned for their precision and ability to complete each other’s musical ideas, combined with warmth and daring expression. Their unique style, developed over more than fifty years, distinguishes them as transformative performers in piano duos. This 55-track album reflects their remarkable musical journey.
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