If you had a gun to your head...

[Sergeant Rock]

It would have to be either this





or this





and since I couldn't decide quickly enough, I'd probably be a dead man.


Sarge

[Monsieur Croche]

For one thing, he has a very beautiful tone, perfectly suited to Ravel's music. For another, I think his interpretations have a very persuasive gentleness and grace to them. He was one of Ravel's students, and studied most of these pieces with him. Anyway, I found a 3LP Vox Box (made in the early 60s before that label started its decline) in perfect condition for $1.99 at a local store. I recorded them onto CD and listen to them frequently. I think they are available on a Vox CD set pretty cheap:



Read the reviews: http://www.amazon.ca/Vlado-Perlemuter-Plays-Ravel-Maurice/dp/B000001KC3/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1211520209&sr=1-3

His performance of the concerto in G is very moving, but for the Concerto for the left hand I prefer Samson Francois.

Thank you, Valkyrie. I have heard some of the samples, and I think I agree with your description of his playing as having "persuasive gentleness and grace". Pretty admirable. Why, the entire set is a steal with that kind of price!

There WAS a good video on YouTube, but I can't find it now. It was probably removed to make room for a video of a trio of 19 year old girls making funny faces and jumping around. Lord knows there isn't much of that type of content on You Tube already.

The market has spoken!... Be it in capitalism or socialism, it seems classical music always gets a bum deal, huh?

[Monsieur Croche]

This would also make a strong candidate:



Track listing

1. Bolero, full orchestral version - Boston SO / Munch
2. Bolero, for synthesizer - Isao Tomita
3. Bolero, for piano duet - Mario Braggioti, Jacques Fray
4. Bolero - Nat Shilkhret Orchestra
5. Bolero - Benny Goodman Orchestra
6. Bolero - Boston Pops O / Fiedler
7. Bolero, for solo piano - Morton Gould
8. Bolero, for brass ensemble - The Canadian Brass
9. Bolero, for percussion and orchestra - Evelyn Glennie / National PO / Wordsworth
10. Bolero - Dallas SO / Eduardo Mata

I wouldn't want to listen to the entire disc at one go though.

[Norbeone]

For me, it would be either Gould's 1981 recording of The Goldberg Variations   OR  Gardiner's recording of the Mass in B Minor.