Le temps perdu Imogen Cooper

• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937): Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61:
• 1Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: I. Modéré, très franc01:33
• 2Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: II. Assez lent, avec une expression intense02:28
• 3Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: III. Modéré01:32
• 4Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: IV. Assez animé01:14
• 5Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: V. Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime01:23
• 6Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: VI. Vif00:45
• 7Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: VII. Moins vif03:06
• 8Ravel: Valse nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: VIII. Épilogue04:24
• 9Ravel: Sonatine, M. 40: I. Modéré04:45
• 10Ravel: Sonatine, M. 40: II. Mouvement de Menuet03:56
• 11Ravel: Sonatine, M. 40: III. Animé04:41
• Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886):
• 12Liszt: Les Jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este, S. 163 No. 408:39
• Maurice Ravel:
• 13Ravel: Jeux d'eau, M. 3006:47
• Franz Liszt:
• 14Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13, S. 244/1311:05
• Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924): Thème et variations, Op. 73:
• 15Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Thème. Andante moderato01:46
• 16Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation I. Lo stesso tempo00:56
• 17Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation II. Più mosso00:56
• 18Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation III. Un poco più mosso00:44
• 19Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation IV. Lo stesso tempo01:25
• 20Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation V. Un poco più mosso00:56
• 21Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation VI. Molto più moderato01:15
• 22Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation VII. Allegretto moderato00:58
• 23Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation VIII. Andante molto moderato01:18
• 24Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation IX. Quasi Adagio01:27
• 25Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation X. Allegro vivo01:22
• 26Fauré: Thème et variations, Op. 73: Variation XI. Andante molto moderato02:09
• Franz Liszt:
• 27Liszt: Réminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor de Donizetti, S. 39706:34
• Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936):
• 28Respighi: Notturno, P 44 No. 305:15
• Total Runtime01:23:19

Info for Le temps perdu

Borrowing from the title of Proust’s great novel, the latest recital by Imogen Cooper features a collection of pieces that she learnt as a teenager in Paris, or in her twenties working with Alfred Brendel in Vienna, but none of which she has performed on the concert platform, or really played at all in the intervening years. Cooper studied in Paris from 1961 to 1967 with Jacques Février (who had known Ravel well), Yvonne Lefébure (who had known Alfred Cortot), and Germaine Mounier. She started to wonder about the messages from her teachers she would find on her scores, and about the nature of memory. She was also interested to see if the repertoire she has acquired since she learnt these pieces would change her view, or shed new light on them. This highly personal recital is an exemplar of Imogen Cooper’s outstanding pianism and musicianship.

Imogen Cooper, piano

Imogen Cooper
Pianistically alone, Cooper commands a dynamic and colouristic range beyond the reach of most pianists. She understands that musical, like verbal, speech acquires the eloquence and continuity through the close, asymmetrical juxtaposition of extreme but varied contrasts – as in any polysyllabic word. Nowhere is this truer than in Schumann, whose own juxtaposition of emotional-psychological extremes requires a maximum of characterisation with a minimum of evidence – the art that conceals art. Cooper’s gifts in this department are unmistakable even before she reaches the end of the first, brief piece in the Davidsbündlertänze. And as she begins, so she continues. Every piece in this recital is a study in portraiture worthy of Schumann's beloved ETA Hoffman. Variety and organic momentum (structure, in short, in a sea of diversity) go hand in hand.

Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Classical and Romantic repertoire, Imogen Cooper is internationally renowned for her virtuosity and lyricism. Recent and future concerto performances include the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle, Sydney Symphony with Simone Young and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Dausgaard. This season she will perform lieder recitals with Mark Padmore, including at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and a series of solo recitals at the Wigmore Hall in London, focussing on Haydn and Beethoven.


Imogen has a widespread international career and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Budapest Festival, NHK and London Symphony Orchestras. She has also undertaken tours with the Camerata Salzburg, Australian and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras. She has played at the BBC Proms and with all the major British orchestras, including particularly close relationships with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia, play/directing. Her recital appearances have included Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, Singapore, Paris, Vienna, Prague and the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg. 


As a supporter of new music, Imogen has premiered two works at the Cheltenham International Festival; Traced Overhead by Thomas Adès (1996) and Decorated Skin by Deirdre Gribbin (2003). In 1996, she also collaborated with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker in the premiere of the quintet, Voices for Angels, written by the ensemble’s viola player, Brett Dean.

Imogen is a committed chamber musician and performs regularly with Henning Kraggerud and Adrian Brendel. As a Lieder recitalist, she has had a long collaboration with Wolfgang Holzmair in both the concert hall and recording studio. Her discography also includes Mozart Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Avie), a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall (Wigmore Live) and a cycle of solo works by Schubert recorded live and released under the label ‘Schubert Live’. Her recent recordings for Chandos Records feature music by Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner and Robert and Clara Schumann.


Imogen received a CBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 2007 and was the recipient of an award from the Royal Philharmonic Society the following year. In 1997 she was awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music and in 1999 she was made a Doctor of Music at Exeter University. Imogen was the Humanitas Visiting Professor in Classical Music and Music Education at the University of Oxford for 2012-13. The Imogen Cooper Music Trust was founded in 2015, to support young pianists at the cusp of their careers, and give them time in an environment of peace and beauty.

Booklet for Le temps perdu