The art of French piano music: Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Chabrier

The exactitude of musical 'Impressionism' (Painting in sound ; Painting in musical structure (1) : Debussy's Preludes ; Painting in musical structure (2) : Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit ; Shapes and forms ; Reflets dans l'eau', Hokusai, Edgar Allan Poe and Leonardo of Pisa)

Musical roots and antecedents (Chopin's legacy ; 'Musique adorable ': à la découverte d'Emmanuel Chabrier ; Debussy and the Orient ; The exotic via Russia and Spain ; The clavecinistes ; Romanticism)

Fresh perspectives (Rhythmic games in Ravel ; Rhythmic games in Chabrier ; Repertoire discoveries)

At the keyboard (What do we interpret? ; Editions and what they can't quite tell us ; Rhythm, tempo, dance and humour ; A fresh look at Gabriel Fauré ; Orchestral thinking and the pedals ; Body language and the piano ; The composer as pianist)

Appendices ('Facilement, facilement' : finding technical ease ; Glosses on titles and musical allusions ; Composers' surviving instruments and recordings ; Brief summary of critical editions ; Locations of musical manuscripts discussed)