Press criticism

(over Le Tombeau de Debussy)De Belgische pianist Jan Michiels is niet de eerste die Debussy’s pianomuziek ten uitvoer brengt op een piano uit Debussy’s tijd, maar wel tot nu toe de beste.

(über Xenakis-Konzert in Strasbourg 09/2010)… Michiels fulminanter Auftrit unterstützte Xenakis’ energiegeladene Partitur in jedem Moment.

(about Le Tombeau de Debussy)… Michiels manages, as Gieseking did, to capture a wonderful inner quality that makes it sound as if the pianist is communicating directly with the listener.‘

(…) Besides his interesting Brahms’s, Janácek’s or 20th century music recordings, Jan Michiels can also take pride in a stunning recital record of Dvorák’s piano pieces which I consider the best interpretation of Dvorák’s piano works ever.

Molto alto il livello delle esecuzioni con solisti e gruppi strumentali spesso non ascoltati in Italia (basti pensare al formidabile pianista Jan Michiels).

(sur Le Tombeau de Debussy)une interprétation qui s’élève au rang de manifeste amoureux

(about a performance of Dvorak’s Piano Concerto) ‘He realises a performance with a rhytmical and brillant playing. The slow movement is extremely well balanced, simple, gracious and natural – with a splendid light toucher. The final movement is vigorous and…

(about the Liszt-cd) ‘Jan Michiels doesn’t see the concurrence with his colleagues as a goal, but he takes the challenge to get into discussion with the music and with her quite complicated historical evolution : these are choices that deserve…

(about Schönberg/Berg/Webern recording) ‘A very cultivated sonority and an always clear polyphony : with these qualities Jan Michiels gives this music much more ‘Wiener Espressivo’ than other pianists.’

‘(…) Jan Michiels in a selection of Debussy’s Preludes : with extremely many colours, with poetry and drive – guided by a clear mastery of the text and with a perfect technical ease.’

‘Playing the Kammersymphonie opus 9 of Schoenberg on the piano is quite a challenge. (…) Jan Michiels gave an extremely rich version of this Steuermann-transcription, with an extraordinary musical power.’

A long time ago, Rudolf Finkusny (…) gave us a magnificent version of the works [of Janácek]. Belgium dare to repeat it … and brilliantly!