Ravel's Rotunda

Started by Dancing Divertimentian, October 20, 2008, 08:46:41 PM

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kyjo

Just found out I'll be playing the Piano Trio (on cello) at a chamber music festival I'm attending this summer! I'm quite thrilled to have the opportunity to really get inside one of my very favorite chamber works, to say the least. :)
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Baron Scarpia

Quote from: kyjo on June 04, 2018, 07:49:06 AM
Just found out I'll be playing the Piano Trio (on cello) at a chamber music festival I'm attending this summer! I'm quite thrilled to have the opportunity to really get inside one of my very favorite chamber works, to say the least. :)

The Piano trio is truly one of Ravel's magical creations.

aleazk

Quote from: kyjo on June 04, 2018, 07:49:06 AM
Just found out I'll be playing the Piano Trio (on cello) at a chamber music festival I'm attending this summer! I'm quite thrilled to have the opportunity to really get inside one of my very favorite chamber works, to say the least. :)

Wow, you have my admiration if you can play such a virtuoso piece, and one of my favorites as well. Good luck!  :)

kyjo

Quote from: aleazk on June 05, 2018, 03:24:20 AM
Wow, you have my admiration if you can play such a virtuoso piece, and one of my favorites as well. Good luck!  :)

Thanks - I shall attempt! ;D It will be a challenge, no doubt! Now to begin practicing...
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Leo K.

Becoming a huge Ravel fan the last month. My entry was hearing the Daphne et Chloé from a live recording of Clemons Krauss. Absolutely out of this world music!

SymphonicAddict

Quote from: Leo K. on September 04, 2018, 11:30:37 AM
Becoming a huge Ravel fan the last month. My entry was hearing the Daphne et Chloé from a live recording of Clemons Krauss. Absolutely out of this world music!

Daphnis et Chloé is a benchmark in the 20th century music IMHO. Have you ever tried the Dutoit/O.S.M.? For many it's arguably the greatest recording of it.

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

Quote from: Leo K. on September 04, 2018, 11:30:37 AM
Becoming a huge Ravel fan the last month. My entry was hearing the Daphne et Chloé from a live recording of Clemons Krauss. Absolutely out of this world music!

Ironically, I find Daphne to be my least favorite work by Ravel. After I listen to it I typically have to listen to something else by Ravel to remind myself that I actually like Ravel. Lately it is the chamber music, particularly the Piano Trio and String Quartet, that resonates most with me. And, of course, the solo piano music. I also like the Bolero more than I can justify.

ritter

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on September 05, 2018, 06:52:33 AM
Ironically, I find Daphne to be my least favorite work by Ravel. After I listen to it I typically have to listen to something else by Ravel to remind myself that I actually like Ravel. Lately it is the chamber music, particularly the Piano Trio and String Quartet, that resonates most with me. And, of course, the solo piano music. I also like the Bolero more than I can justify.
Very similar feelings in my case. It's not that I dislike Daphnis, but rather that I greatly prefer many other of Ravel's work's...

Daverz

Count me as an unabashed Daphnis lover.  Some favored recordings:

[asin] B000001GPI[/asin] (don't let "Gramophone's choice" scare you away)

[asin] B000E6EGZA[/asin] (and not earlier digital issues of this)




Ghost of Baron Scarpia

Quote from: Daverz on September 05, 2018, 07:59:51 AM
Count me as an unabashed Daphnis lover.  Some favored recordings:

[asin] B000001GPI[/asin] (don't let "Gramophone's choice" scare you away)

[asin] B000E6EGZA[/asin] (and not earlier digital issues of this)

You find something wrong with the earlier digital master of Monteux's recording. I recall the audio as being just fine.

Daverz

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on September 05, 2018, 08:17:25 AM
You find something wrong with the earlier digital master of Monteux's recording. I recall the audio as being just fine.

Yes, but not as good as the Originals issue.  It made the difference for me.

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: Daverz on September 05, 2018, 07:59:51 AM
Count me as an unabashed Daphnis lover.

Definitely! Not sure what the others are on about.

Quote
[asin] B000E6EGZA[/asin] (and not earlier digital issues of this)

I have the first CD issue pictured below. It's a "straight" transfer, no modern remastering. The sound is stunning: rich and full, with plenty of warmth. Have you heard this issue, Dave, and do you have opinions on potential differences? I ask mainly because I have long-standing misgivings about what the "majors" consider "an improvement" in sound quality with these blanket remasterings. Often the strings come out sounding shrill, brittle, and unnatural to me, and what tradeoff in "clarity" (yep, in quotes) there might be doesn't make up for the deficiencies elsewhere. (Obviously it comes down to whether or not a recording is well engineered to begin with, but that's a topic for another time).





Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

Daverz

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on September 05, 2018, 04:22:34 PM
Definitely! Not sure what the others are on about.

I have the first CD issue pictured below. It's a "straight" transfer, no modern remastering. The sound is stunning: rich and full, with plenty of warmth. Have you heard this issue, Dave, and do you have opinions on potential differences? I ask mainly because I have long-standing misgivings about what the "majors" consider "an improvement" in sound quality with these blanket remasterings. Often the strings come out sounding shrill, brittle, and unnatural to me, and what tradeoff in "clarity" (yep, in quotes) there might be doesn't make up for the deficiencies elsewhere. (Obviously it comes down to whether or not a recording is well engineered to begin with, but that's a topic for another time).





I shouldn't have said "all previous transfers".  My comments apply to The Classic Sound issue.

Dave

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

#273
Quote from: Daverz on September 05, 2018, 08:21:25 PM
I shouldn't have said "all previous transfers".  My comments apply to The Classic Sound issue.

Dave

That's the one I have, the older "Historic" issue. Whether a newer master is an improvement or not varies from release to release, I find. I'm a big fan of Monteux, but the piece strikes me as too long. The second seems to contain all the stuff I like.

vers la flamme

#274
No Ravel talk in 2019?! Gotta give this thread a bump before New Year's...

Does anyone else think that the Passacaille third movement of Ravel's Piano Trio in A minor is one of the most beautiful movements in all 20th century chamber music? Listening now, I am blown away... the piano trio may even be better than the string quartet... this is the recording I have:



... it's great! Finally, I still have yet to hear Ravel's violin sonatas – who has made a good recording of them?! I'm eyeing this one:

[asin] B00005KK27[/asin]

Madiel

#275
There's a very nice Hyperion disc of the violin works (please note, when it comes to any chamber music of any composer my answer will often involve Hyperion, but with some justification). Ibragimova and Tiberghien.

I think the one you're already looking at is supposed to be good though I've not personally heard it.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Daverz

Quote from: vers la flamme on December 29, 2019, 07:41:42 AM
Does anyone else think that the Passacaille third movement of Ravel's Piano Trio in A minor is one of the most beautiful movements in all 20th century chamber music? Listening now, I am blown away... the piano trio may even be better than the string quartet... this is the recording I have:


Yes, the Ravel Trio one of the most perfect chamber works ever written.

Jo498

The Capucon etc. disc is extremely good; another good one with the same main works (trio, duo, violin sonata) but without the early violin sonata is the "soundtrack" to the Un coeur en hiver with French recordings from the 70s or 80s.
There are many other recordings of the violin sonata (virtually by every famous violinist, often coupled with Debussy and/or Fauré), but these couplings are my favorites because of the trio and duo (both of which I prefer to the sonata).

[asin]B000059QS1[/asin]
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

vers la flamme

Quote from: Jo498 on December 29, 2019, 12:23:26 PM
The Capucon etc. disc is extremely good; another good one with the same main works (trio, duo, violin sonata) but without the early violin sonata is the "soundtrack" to the Un coeur en hiver with French recordings from the 70s or 80s.
There are many other recordings of the violin sonata (virtually by every famous violinist, often coupled with Debussy and/or Fauré), but these couplings are my favorites because of the trio and duo (both of which I prefer to the sonata).

[asin]B000059QS1[/asin]

I've never heard of the film but this looks promising. Thanks.

@Madiel, I looked at that one too. It looks great. I'm a big fan of Hyperion too, they do have an excellent catalogue of chamber music recordings...

Jo498

Just to clarify, the disc is marketed as "soundtrack" but it is a perfectly normal issue (without any cuts or so, at least not the one I have) and all the recordings predate their use in the film soundtrack by 20 years (from Erato 1973)
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal