Blind Comparison: Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit

[mc ukrneal]

Very literally true in one finalist's case. Gulda's Gaspard is on Naxos Music Library - I think I'll listen to the whole thing and report back. 

EDIT: Oh, by the way, I'm off to the movies tonight and tomorrow will gather all the files and wipe identifying info. It'll take another day to upload them, so look for Scarbo links Thursday.

You slacker! Enjoy the film!

[DavidRoss]

Bavouzet's Ravel discs arrived today and I just listened to Gaspard. One of the things that put me off to the comparison sample right off the bat was the poor sound. I called it "distant and muffled."

I'm happy to report that's not the case with the sound of the CD via the high end rig. It's distantly miked compared to most solo piano recordings, but the result is room-filling sound in a broad and deep soundstage, each note voiced with crystalline clarity in a dry acoustic environment suited to the tonal purity of Bavouzet's playing. With the good sound and in context following a sparkling Ondine, his Le gibet is entrancing, not "soporifically slow" -- a beautiful example of absolute music rather than a tone painting. Too bad it got knocked out of contention (yes, I helped KO it), because his Scarbo is splendid, too.

I'm very pleased with the recording, Brian. As expected based on the samples I had heard, Bavouzet's approach is distinctively different, virtuosic only in complete service to his understanding of the music -- light, deft, easy on the pedal, delighting in tonal clarity and subtle dynamic shading, Bavouzet shimmers and sparkles like sunlight reflecting off windblown water.

[Parsifal]

Bavouzet's Ravel discs arrived today and I just listened to Gaspard. One of the things that put me off to the comparison sample right off the bat was the poor sound. I called it "distant and muffled."

I'm happy to report that's not the case with the sound of the CD via the high end rig. It's distantly miked compared to most solo piano recordings, but the result is room-filling sound in a broad and deep soundstage, each note voiced with crystalline clarity in a dry acoustic environment suited to the tonal purity of Bavouzet's playing. With the good sound and in context following a sparkling Ondine, his Le gibet is entrancing, not "soporifically slow" -- a beautiful example of absolute music rather than a tone painting. Too bad it got knocked out of contention (yes, I helped KO it), because his Scarbo is splendid, too.

I'm very pleased with the recording, Brian. As expected based on the samples I had heard, Bavouzet's approach is distinctively different, virtuosic only in complete service to his understanding of the music -- light, deft, easy on the pedal, delighting in tonal clarity and subtle dynamic shading, Bavouzet shimmers and sparkles like sunlight reflecting off windblown water.

My copy of this disc arrived yesterday and I went for Tombeau de Couperin first, and Gaspard today.  I wasn't swept away by Bavouzet's Tombeau, but the performance of Gaspard is utterly captivating, and the audio is gorgeous.

[Madiel]

I don't recall having any problem with Bavouzet's sound whatsoever.  I certainly do find some recordings problematic and likely to get in the way of my enjoyment of the performance (there was one in the Haydn string quartet listening a while back... acoustics completely ruined it for me), but for me this one was fine.

[Brian]

For those who want to get a head start and know how to tweak the URLs I've sent out previously, Scarbos are ready from pianists #3, #14 and #19. Again, though, my internet connection is very poor, and based on current upload speeds it won't be until this time tomorrow that I'll be able to send out a formal PM with all the links.

EDIT: Added #14 to the list

[madaboutmahler]

Brian, sorry I couldn't find the time to participate in the previous round! So much revision I have to do.... exams will be over in just over a month! But I have study leave now which does include more time for music, so I'd love to take part still in the last round!

[Brian]

All's forgiven, Daniel! In fact,

The game once more is afoot! If you want to play (or listen in) but have not received links, please let me know.

All files have been uploaded. I'm suggesting we wrap this one up in two weekends' time.

[Brian]

N.B. I've been alerted that some of the links I sent out contain the wrong pianist numbers, but these are easy to fix. Hope nobody gets too confused. Sorry!

[Beale]

N.B. I've been alerted that some of the links I sent out contain the wrong pianist numbers, but these are easy to fix. Hope nobody gets too confused. Sorry!

Hello Brian. Great job. Could you please confirm that pianist14scarbo(1) = artist #17, and pianist14scarbo(2) = artist #19.

[BobsterLobster]

Argh, didn't notice pianist #19 was wrong, no wonder I said all the same things I said about #14. This could seriously throw out the results if people don't notice the wrong numbers

[Brian]

Hello Brian. Great job. Could you please confirm that pianist14scarbo(1) = artist #17, and pianist14scarbo(2) = artist #19.

Beale,
I suggest re-downloading 14, 17, and 19 using the links that orfeo sent you via PM. I'm PMing everyone orfeo didn't message, now.

Thanks much to orfeo for finding this error and sending corrected links to everyone in his PM-grouping. 

[BobsterLobster]

1: Left hand detail often lost. A little slow compared to many modern performances. Could be more virtuosic. Notes often too blurred. Tune often lost. Feels like it runs out of steam.
4/10

3: Great dynamics at beginning, love the repeated notes. Fantastic articulation. Rhythms not always 100% steady- a little rushed and uneven at times. Feel like pianist is a little too obsessed with technique at expense of communicating structure.
7/10

10: Great feel. Lots of notes lost in a blur of pedal. Much slower than modern virtuosic performance.
5/10

13: Very slow repeated notes at start, tempos generally quite slow. Shame piano is horribly out of tune. Really bashes many of the notes. Dynamics don't have much range. Not much sensitivity. Not a fan of this at all. All of his humming doesn't help him here. Urgh, what a horrible ending- bash bash bash.
2/10

14: Solid enough, but a bit lacking in charisma, colour and character.
6/10

17: Great silences at the beginning. Very musical. Not as virtuosic & fast as some performances, but by far the best so far. Great phrasing.
8/10

19: A little too 'controlled' for my taste. Repeated notes are effctive. Some bizarre juxtapositions of speeds. Not very virtuosic. Far too much pedal near the end.
5/10

[Madiel]

Oh goody. I'm not ready to give scores yet, but from my first listen, the 2 I like the best are the ones that Bobster gave his 2 lowest scores to, and one of the ones I like the least he's given his highest score to...

[Brian]

Oh goody. I'm not ready to give scores yet, but from my first listen, the 2 I like the best are the ones that Bobster gave his 2 lowest scores to, and one of the ones I like the least he's given his highest score to...

I'm a very big fan of #13 here. But I'll try not to comment on my likes and dislikes, except that we're gonna sorely miss Pogo and Schuch.

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm a very big fan of #13 here. But I'll try not to comment on my likes and dislikes, except that we're gonna sorely miss Pogo and Schuch.

Pogo is my favorite Gibet...for all the wrong reasons. I like it because it sounds least like what it's supposed to sound like (a macabre scene). I can pretend the music means something else   The disappearing bell doesn't bother me; in fact, I love that aspect of his performance even though I know it's "wrong." The constant, unrelenting tolling gets on my nerves in most performances.

So, if I'd actively played the game, I would have given Pogo a 10. Just out of curiosity, Brian, would that have made the result different? I mean, would a 10 have given him a place in the last round?

Sarge

[Brian]

Pogo is my favorite Gibet...for all the wrong reasons. I like it because it sounds least like what it's supposed to sound like (a macabre scene). I can pretend the music means something else   The disappearing bell doesn't bother me; in fact, I love that aspect of his performance even though I know it's "wrong." The constant, unrelenting tolling gets on my nerves in most performances.

So, if I'd actively played the game, I would have given Pogo a 10. Just out of curiosity, Brian, would that have made the result different? I mean, would a 10 have given him a place in the last round?

Sarge

Your conscience can rest easy: if you had given Pogo a 10 but voted for nobody else, he would have moved from ninth place to eighth with an average score of 6.22. Now, if you had given every other performer a 1... 

[Sergeant Rock]

Your conscience can rest easy: if you had given Pogo a 10 but voted for nobody else, he would have moved from ninth place to eighth with an average score of 6.22. Now, if you had given every other performer a 1... 

I could do that! I'll jump into my Wayback Machine. See you all in a different timeline 

Sarge

[mc ukrneal]

Pogo is my favorite Gibet...for all the wrong reasons. I like it because it sounds least like what it's supposed to sound like (a macabre scene). I can pretend the music means something else   The disappearing bell doesn't bother me; in fact, I love that aspect of his performance even though I know it's "wrong." The constant, unrelenting tolling gets on my nerves in most performances.

So, if I'd actively played the game, I would have given Pogo a 10. Just out of curiosity, Brian, would that have made the result different? I mean, would a 10 have given him a place in the last round?

Sarge

Just letting you know I disliked #2 and #3 (one was Pogo, the other is still in the competition). I mention this, because we've had this on some pieces in the past (where you liked what I did not), and you may want to keep an eye on #3. I haven't heard anything after #10 yet, but I'll let you know if I think there is a real clunker there!!

By the way, what I love about your description is that I at least know we are hearing the same things. SO the problem is not with my ears! 

[DavidRoss]

Thanks, Brian, for putting this together and for sending out the Scarbo links. I found an hour after lunch and thanks to a giant cappuccino managed to enjoy all seven tracks without my attention flagging. That all of the performances are pretty darned good didn't hurt any, either! 

Again I listened to each of them in turn, once, jotting notes along the way. One struck me as pretty near perfect, but some others were close behind. Odds are I'll buy at least one new recording after their identities are revealed.

Here are my cleaned up notes, in small font so as not inadvertently to color anyone else's experience, for or against ... as if any of us really gives a damn what I think, myself included! 

1.   Big and self-consciously dramatic, powerful – nothing subtle about it. Great playing, wonderful precision and tone control. At first I didn't think I was going to like it, but as I kept listening I bought into this vision of the work and liked it more and more, at least as a well-realized and distinctive alternate reading. 7

3.   Better recording quality, fuller tones, better illustrative sense of scurrying, rhythm & dynamics seem prompted from within rather than imposed from without, spontaneous, effortless, inhabiting the music, inherently dramatic rather than self-consciously over-dramatic. Adding a half-point for virtuous uniqueness makes 9!

10.   More distance between player and music, thoughtful and restrained but committed, great virtuosity in service to an active intelligence, judicious timing, starts stops and turns on a dime but without sacrificing tonal beauty, feels more solid—goblin-at-night-ish rather than sprightly as in the previous two. 9

13.   Good lord, another gorgeous one! Love the rhythmic sensitivity, the slight syncopation, the clarity, the full tones, the sustained low tones, the dreaminess, the building tensions, the finish like the last perfect bite of strawberry and cream saved for the last. 9

14.   More gorgeous tones but a little soft and even slushy in places rather than crisp, but—goodness!—what's really to fault? A little big at times, perhaps...but nicely dreamy at times, too, yet pushes too hard leading to the end ... call it an 8.

17.   Wow! I doubted there was much room for improvement, but this is damned near faultless: articulation, tone, timing, incredible virtuosity coupled with extraordinary musical judgment, bell-like clarity against effortless dreaminess....  It's amazing that this one could command my attention so completely while hearing this music for the sixth time in an hour. 10!

19.   A let down after the last one, right off the bat too upright, straightforward, and a bit muddy ... is the left hand persistently just a bit behind?  Overall quite good but nothing special, at least not in such extraordinary company. 7

[Madiel]

Dammit. The first time I didn't like one of them much. And this time I'm enjoying it quite a lot.

And it's not to do with playing order, because I played it first both times. It's clearly the mood I'm in.

I now have no clue.