Blind Comparison: Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit

[Todd]

   


I received Osborne's Ravel and immediately A/Bd his performance with Hebert Schuch's.  Osborne's recording, freed from the confines of compression and headphones and played at (slightly below) realistic playback levels really is all that, and then some.  He definitely uses the pedal generously to create effects, and the sound is perhaps slightly more reverberant than ideal, but everything I wrote while blind listening holds true.  This is a blockbuster reading start to finish, and Le Gibet is, if anything, even better.  Schuch's recording is more blatantly virtuosic, and perhaps a bit willful.  He wants you to hear how technically adept he is - and he is.  That's not a bad thing; indeed, it's a freakin' sweet thing, but it does end up making Scarbo the focus of the recording.  In that movement, Schuch more closely matches, and perhaps even bests Osborne, but overall, I will say that Osborne's is probably my favorite modern recording of this work, probably beating out even Bavouzet.  Perhaps another A/B is in order.

I'll do another A/B with Schuch with Miroirs.  Will Osborne be able to match Schuch's crazy good playing in Une barque sur l'océan?  I, for one, want to find out.

[DavidRoss]

I listened to Osborne's Gaspard all the way through this morning via Brian's files. It held up, meeting my expectations (even though I still think he pushes the drama at times). And I agree that his Le gibet is marvelous. Since you and I agree on this, I look forward to hearing your take on the rest of his Ravel. 

I like performers who use their virtuosity to serve the music and not the other way around. To me, if they're really great, their technical proficiency never calls attention to itself. And if they're really really great, their musicality makes technical imperfection trivial. 

[Brian]

Will Osborne be able to match Schuch's crazy good playing in Une barque sur l'océan?  I, for one, want to find out.

What's your definition of a "modern" recording? During the course of this game I listened to a lot of Unes barques and think my favorite is probably Abbey Simon's... of course, I also think that it would make a great quick game in a few months.

To me, if they're really great, their technical proficiency never calls attention to itself.

Seems to me there's often truth to this.

Thanks for playing, everyone! Hope this has just fueled your affection for the greatness of Gaspard.

[Todd]

What's your definition of a "modern" recording?

Increasingly, I mean this century.