Ravel's Rotunda

[ritter]

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[Madiel]

you're welcome to like it.

I can only reiterate what I said days ago.

[Brian]

I have recently been feeling a Todd-like compulsive love for Le Tombeau de Couperin and have listened to a number of piano recordings, most recently Robert Casadesus. I decided, hey, why not try all the orchestrations we were talking about, to compare the arrangers' approaches?

Zoltan Kocsis, the first to "complete" the orchestral Tombeau, features the individual woodwind and trumpet players in the Fugue, omitting the rest of the orchestra. I'm also not sure I hear much if any clarinet, which contributes to the feeling that this is a baroque concerto grosso. There is something Brandenburg-ish about this treatment and the strictness of the fugal lines.

This makes it all the more surprising when the Toccata arrives and, after about 30 seconds, an enormous percussion section opens itself up! Yes, even church bells and a wind machine! This orchestration is therefore impractical for future performance since you'll have 4-5 musicians who have to sit around waiting for the finale.

Kocsis' overall performance is impressionistic and sensitive, a reminder of how well he does the Ravel concertos, too. But I do think the finale, as fun as it is and as riotous as the final climax may be, is very obviously Too Much.

Kenneth Hesketh's Fugue pairs flutes and muted violins at first, and then expands out to the rest of the small orchestra. With Oramo's help, and the aid of the soft Stockholm strings, it sounds much more impressionistic and Debussian than the stricter fugue from Kocsis. There's even a songlike warmth to some parts.

His Toccata keeps to the original orchestral forces, thank goodness, although Hesketh is bold (and, I think, right) to add some new phrases for the trumpets especially. He also adds some new shimmering textures around 1:30. At times (as at 2:00) the fullness of the orchestra reminds me of Daphnis et Chloe or Mother Goose, with harp touches and string slides that feel like deliberate allusions to the ballets. Only the very end disappoints - the orchestra sounds a little bit chaotic and the trumpets are blaring as the strings carry the real melody. This could be Oramo's fault but the overall performance is good and the sound quality stellar - much better than Kocsis, where too much of the orchestra is packed into the left channel - so I suspect the problem lies with Hesketh.

The newest version by David Molard Soriano (the orchestra's assistant conductor) has the oboe lead off the Fugue, then clarinet, bassoon, flute, and cor anglais, with accompaniment from the harp. The rest of the orchestra is incorporated gradually, and although there is less impressionistic warmth than in Hesketh's reading, the result is I think probably the closest to Ravel's soundworld and the neobaroque inspiration. It's a Goldilocks orchestration: not too baroque like Kocsis, not too modern like Hesketh, but just right.

The Toccata starts with muted trumpet, then proceeds much like Hesketh's version, with plenty of work for the strings, and some burbling bassoons, too. There is even a shimmering string texture at 1:30 that's copied straight from Hesketh's. However, overall Soriano (writing in 2021) has pared back some of Hesketh's work (done in 2013). Take the very beginning of the Toccata: both composers use muted trumpets, but Hesketh adds a texture of pizzicato strings around it to add a little extra excitement. Soriano doesn't add so many things that weren't in the original piano score.

The Paris recording is low level, so you'll need to turn up the volume unless you want it to sound like an oboe concerto. I set my volume at a level that usually makes me uncomfortable. The performance is on the slower side overall (25 full minutes) and could do with a little more rhythmic snap in every movement except the Toccata.

Conclusion
Soriano for fealty to the original soundworld.
Hesketh for the same orchestral forces but a little creativity.
Kocsis for pure excitement.

My own personal preferred ways to listen to Tombeau
1. The piano original
(pretty big gap)
2. Hesketh
3. Ellipsos Saxophone Quartet self-arranged (toccata but no fugue)
4. Soriano
(pretty big gap)
5. Kocsis
(pretty big gap)
6. Original four-movement orchestration. Sorry - I just don't find it satisfying without a proper finale. I've heard it live a couple times but usually skip it on CD programs or dig out a piano CD instead.

This might change with a somewhat faster performance of the Soriano version. There are some woodwind quintet arrangements I haven't heard.

[Madiel]

My "favourite" arrangement of the Toccata (and it's only the Toccata) is this one for percussion. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LA29OvqUrxM

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I like this recording.

[Peter Power Pop]

I like this recording.

This release from 2018 which has the complete piano and orchestral works is marvellous. I don't know what the mastering is like on your CD, but this set sounds great.