recommended recordings / performances of Ravel

[(poco) Sforzando]

L'enfant et les sortileges - Maazel on Deutsche Grammophon

That is one of the most perfect recordings of anything I know.

Bernstein made a specialty of the G major concerto, performing the solo part while conducting; I think it worth seeking out.

There's a beautiful Juilliard SQ version of the quartet from 1959, coupled of course with the Debussy.

And Ravel's own recording of the unjustly maligned Bolero has to be heard; it reveals a flexibility of phrasing against the snare-drum grid that will make you hear this music in a new way. But there are also any number of flash mob versions of Bolero worth catching on YouTube, such as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsF53JpBMlk

Don't know how I feel about hearing Ravel on four saxophones, however . . . .

[Mirror Image]

That is one of the most perfect recordings of anything I know.

It certainly is and I've heard plenty of performances of L'enfant et les sortileges to be able to reach such a conclusion. Maazel just holds everything together so tightly, but he's able to drive the music a bit more, which those little rushes of pure ecstasy really get under the skin.

[Xenophanes]

I have the fine CFP LP too. I always liked Ernest Ansermet's recordings of Debussy and Ravel.
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I've always liked Ansermet's recordings of the orchestral works by Debussy and Ravel, despite the dated sound. For better sound, there is always Dutoit and the MSO.

I like the recordings of their string quartets by the Quartetto Italiano and the old Fine Arts Quartet, which is probably very difficult to find.

[bwv 1080]