Takahiro Yoshikawa is a piano player from Nishinomiya, Japan who released last year (2017) on the Ypsilon International label a very standard Debussy program: the Bergamasque, Estampes, both books of Images. But the playing is unique for the repertoire. And very enjoyable to my ear, not only for its novelty, which is remarkable, but too many players, to the point of stereotype, seem to have a built-in aversion to pairing Debussy with clarity. Not so Mr Yoshikawa. The playing has all the loveliness it needs without automatic over-pedaling. I cannot think of anyone other than, perhaps on occasion, Gieseking, possibly Michelangeli, with anything like a similar approach. And lest anyone think perhaps his foot is broken, he can certainly depress the sustain: cf. Estampes, though, to repeat, appropriately and without heaviness. Rather than trying to impress with the evenness of harmonic arpeggiation, the ending of Pagodes is slowed and articulated, bringing a whole new sense of attention to the coda. Additionally, while I enjoy a whirlwind tempo in Debussy as much as the next guy, it’s not always necessary. The Passapied here, for example, is played with delicacy and restraint which, paradoxically, gives it power and strength. I won’t go into an analysis of each work, but overall simply to say it is worth many listens and a wide audience. I’ll provide the former and hope for a more perfect world that makes possible the latter.