Un Jour Si Blanc

In 2006, the French pianist François Couturier released Nostalghia: Song for Tarkovsky, a recording inspired by the films of the great Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. On 2010’s Un Jour si blanc, a poem by Tarkovsky’s father (“White Day”) serves as the starting point. On the earlier album, Couturier led a quartet that included cello, soprano saxophone, and accordion, while the latter is a solo piano effort. All of the compositions are originals, but Couturier draws from Bach’s “Ich ruf’ zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ,” for “L’intemporel,” and from Toru Takemitsu’s “La Neige” for “Voyage d’Hiver.” In addition, the pianist references “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” the standard by Jules Style and Sammy Cahn, on “Lune de miel.” The album opens with “L’aube,” a mysterious piece that explores rich harmonies of a darker hue. At the beginning of “Un calme matin orangé,” Couturier plays very quietly, pulling the listener into a lyrical sound world that is in perpetual motion. It’s a delight to hear Couturier’s explorations take a jazzy turn on “Lune de miel” and to hear his edgier side on the fiery “Le soleil rouge.”