Although linked in the minds of many listeners, Debussy and Ravel did not actually create a new “school” of impressionism, but they did both exemplify the unique landscape of French orchestral music. Always somewhat outside the mainstream of the standard European repertoire, French music demands a very specific stylistic approach, authentically articulated by the French pianist Jean Yves Thibaudet, whose artistry is familiar to millions through the acclaimed soundtracks to the films Atonement and Pride and Prejudice. Vive la France!