Favorite Ravel Recordings

[MN Dave]

Hope we haven't done this one...

[karlhenning]

Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony

[Luke]

There's a favourite Ravel chamber recordings thread or something similar somewhere. I'll dig it up - the chamber music is so superb!

For L'enfant et les sortileges - maybe Ravel's masterpiece, if he can only have one, and a work which sums him up beautifully - Ansermet; for L'heure espagnole(which also sums him up in a different way) Ansermet too...

I could go on and on but I have to work!

[MN Dave]

Thanks, Luke. I like that cover.

[Brian]

Daphnis (complete) and La valse - Pierre Boulez, Berlin PO
[This was one of M Forever's best recommendations, a desert island performance in opulent sound]
Piano Concerto in G - Martha Argerich, Berlin PO, Claudio Abbado
[Pretty much amazing.]
Rapsodie espagnole - Detroit SO, Paul Paray
[Like Karl says!]

[Luke]

No, sorry, I editied it out because that's not what I thought it was - it's a single disc of highlights, and really, as Ravel is all highlight, you might as well get the whole lot!

Samson Francois in the concertos is not perfect but he's something you must hear; the concertos themselves are absolutely unmissable pieces. The G major has that utterly sublime slow movement that melts the stoniest heart, but the left hand concerto is, all round, maybe the most sweepingly powerful score, a demonic and sarcastic score starting in the deepest depths of the orchestra, moving through moments of heartbreaking tenderness, towards hallucinatory jazzy central portion, and an astonishing breakdown/cadenza/coda to conclude.

[karlhenning]

Samson Francois in the concertos is not perfect but he's something you must hear; the concertos themselves are absolutely unmissable pieces. The G major has that utterly sublime slow movement that melts the stoniest heart, but the left hand concerto is, all round, maybe the most sweepingly powerful score, a demonic and sarcastic score starting in the deepest depths of the orchestra, moving through moments of heartbreaking tenderness, towards hallucinatory jazzy central portion, and an astonishing breakdown/cadenza/coda to conclude.

(* pounds the table *)

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge

[Luke]

My plea - don't forget the piano music, the songs, the chamber works. They are as fine as the orchestral music and as effective in every way. The Naxos twofer of all the songs (bar the Mallarme settings which are so superb) is surprisingly good. And a judicious combination of two or three discs (such as that I gave in the Ravel chamber thread) can get you great readings of all the chamber music quite easily - the BAT/Quartetto Italiano/Grumiaux disc of the Trio, the Quartet and the late violin sonata, and Chantal Juillet's disc of all the violin sonatas (including the violin/cello one), and the other violin works cover everything except the seductive mini harp concerto, the Introduction and Allegro (Nash Ensemble great for that...), and will leave you smiling...





there's another Nash Ensemble disc with some of the same works plus the two sets of songs with chamber accompaniment (the Madagascan ones and the Mallarme ones). These are terribly neglected, given that they are some of Ravel's finest, most interesting, most beautifuol and most touching pieces, and that disc is a nice way to get hold of them...

[MN Dave]

Mmm. This is turning into quite the treasure trove.

[karlhenning]

My plea - don't forget the piano music, the songs, the chamber works. They are as fine as the orchestral music and as effective in every way. The Naxos twofer of all the songs (bar the Mallarme settings which are so superb) is surprisingly good. And a judicious combination of two or three discs (such as that I gave in the Ravel chamber thread) can get you great readings of all the chamber music quite easily - the BAT/Quartetto Italiano/Grumiaux disc of the Trio, the Quartet and the late violin sonata, and Chantal Juillet's disc of all the violin sonatas (including the violin/cello one), and the other violin works cover everything except the seductive mini harp concerto, the Introduction and Allegro (Nash Ensemble great for that...), and will leave you smiling...





there's another Nash Ensemble disc with some of the same works plus the two sets of songs with chamber accompaniment (the Madagascan ones and the Mallarme ones). These are terribly neglected, given that they are some of Ravel's finest, most interesting, most beautifuol and most touching pieces, and that disc is a nice way to get hold of them...

The Chansons madécasses do indeed rock.

[Luke]

Janet Baker's Scheherezade is my own version of choice, FWIW...

[karlhenning]

Gotta mention this one which Luke put me onto, and which is happily loaded onto my Sansa Fuze:

[Clever Hans]

This Gaspard

[Scarpia]

This is a good one.

[bhodges]

Another vote for the Argerich above.  And the Boulez/Berlin recordings are fantastic: both the one with Daphnis and La Valse, and the other with Boléro, the complete Ma Mère L'Oye, Rapsodie espagnole, Alborada del Gracioso, and Une Barque sur l'océan.

And actually, all three of these Daphnis recordings below are wonderful, including Chailly and Dutoit.

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Bruce, have you had a chance to hear the BSO recording with Jimmy?

[Scarpia]

Another vote for the Argerich above.  And the Boulez/Berlin recordings are fantastic: both the one with Daphnis and La Valse, and the other with Boléro, the complete Ma Mère L'Oye, Rapsodie espagnole, Alborada del Gracioso, and Une Barque sur l'océan.

And actually, all three of these Daphnis recordings below are wonderful, including Chailly and Dutoit.

--Bruce

Dutoit?  I'm sure you mean't Ansermet.


0:)

[bhodges]

Bruce, have you had a chance to hear the BSO recording with Jimmy?

Not yet!  (Not for any particular reason, either.)

Dutoit?  I'm sure you mean't Ansermet.

0:)

  Actually haven't heard that one, either.  (Do you not like Dutoit, or just prefer Ansermet?)

Brief reality check: What a luxury, having at least a half-dozen excellent recordings from which to choose, for this piece alone. 

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Heck, even the Previn/LSO is reasonably good with Daphnis.