Ravel's Rotunda

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

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Ratliff

Quote from: MadielTwo more sets I plan to sample at the moment before my brain gives out.

Then get them all.

Madiel

Quote from: Ratliff on January 16, 2020, 07:21:30 PM
Then get them all.

Clearly we have not met.

What I can quickly hear of Boulez' DG recordings is definitely more appealing to me than the earlier ones. Warmer, but with tonnes of sonic detail. Though like Ozawa, from what I know I don't think he did the early Sheherazade overture. And in fact a couple of recordings in the Debussy/Ravel box I'm looking at might in truth be from the earlier recordings in America? Interesting.

Last cab off the rank, not previously mentioned... Deneve. Not bad, but perhaps lacking a little energy? Things are a bit smoothed over sometimes.

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Madiel

Quote from: Mirror Image on January 16, 2020, 06:32:28 PM
Ozawa is very good in Ravel's orchestral music. You can't really go wrong with Boulez, Martinon, or Ozawa.

At this point I pretty much agree with you. Not sure if you had a Boulez era in mind, but his DG plus Martinon and Ozawa were all sets that made my ears prick up. I also liked Abbado.

I think I will explore Martinon and Abbado more, as their sets include everything I would ideally want. But Ozawa sure sounded impressive...
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Mirror Image

Quote from: Madiel on January 16, 2020, 07:49:25 PM
At this point I pretty much agree with you. Not sure if you had a Boulez era in mind, but his DG plus Martinon and Ozawa were all sets that made my ears prick up. I also liked Abbado.

I think I will explore Martinon and Abbado more, as their sets include everything I would ideally want. But Ozawa sure sounded impressive...

8) Sounds like a good plan to me.

vers la flamme

I've never heard Ozawa conduct Ravel, but now I am curious. He is a very detail oriented conductor. I think he would be great for this music.

Madiel

Quote from: vers la flamme on January 17, 2020, 02:43:27 AM
I've never heard Ozawa conduct Ravel, but now I am curious. He is a very detail oriented conductor. I think he would be great for this music.

I've now seen several reviews along the lines of "Ozawa is great but curiously unknown". One view seems to be that he didn't get as much attention because of timing, with Martinon being at much the same time and then Dutoit becoming the new hit not that many years later.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Jo498

Ozawa used to be among the standard recommendations for Ravel but this was about 30 years ago. I have one disc of his DG Ravel but I cannot say more than that I did not dislike it. My Ravel "to go" is the already mentioned and discussed Boulez/Sony and as it's mostly not music I feel deeply about I never bothered to get alternatives (except for the piano concertos: Kocsis and Francois/Cluytens).
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Brian

Quote from: Madiel on January 16, 2020, 02:36:39 AM
Yeah, except Ravel figured out not all of the Tombeau was capable of being orchestrated.  And as the Toccata is one of the most amazing (and hardest) things I ever learned to play, not finishing with it is always going to be letdown for me.
For what it's worth, at least one person agrees with you. I don't have much time for the orchestral Tombeau. It feels like a piano wearing a funny costume; the music transforms from a neo-baroque suite with dark undertones to a series of charming entr'actes.

What DOES kinda work is the Toccata played by...saxophones.

https://www.youtube.com/v/5UlVPMLWuUk

Brian

There's also this super-rare Tombeau orchestration by the great Zoltan Kocsis.

https://www.youtube.com/v/r3uLkUzQ_gs

vers la flamme

Quote from: Brian on January 17, 2020, 09:27:40 AM
There's also this super-rare Tombeau orchestration by the great Zoltan Kocsis.

https://www.youtube.com/v/r3uLkUzQ_gs

My girlfriend showed me this the other day. I really enjoyed it.

Roasted Swan

#310
Quote from: vers la flamme on January 17, 2020, 02:09:43 PM
My girlfriend showed me this the other day. I really enjoyed it.

The truth is Ravel seems to get the best from a lot of conductors!  Ozawa in Boston is excellent but so is Abbado/LSO as well as Boulez/New York - which I prefer to his DG remakes although they are good too!  Martinon is an exceptionally safe pair of hands with the advantage (some might say dis-) of a distinctly french-sounding orchestra.  The good thing about all the above older sets is large chunks of them can be picked up in the marketplace for literal pence/cents....

[asin]B00004XN6K[/asin]
(you get the great Piano trio in this set too....)

[asin]B000065TUZ[/asin]

and if Martinon tickles your fancy don't overlook this RCA/Chicago disc

[asin]B00004TCPS[/asin]

A PS:  another really excellent survey of the orchestral works and available if you hunt around is on Vox;

Skrowaczewski in Minnesota - a couple of Vox boxes - 2 discs per set.  Lovely analogue sound and very compelling performances - NOT the complete Daphnis - just the 2 suites

vers la flamme

Well, I ended up ordering the Martinon box on Erato (just as much for the Debussy, whose orchestral works I do not have in completion in my library, as for the Ravel). That should keep me busy for now. I also do want to spend more time with Ozawa and Boulez in Ravel. I have Abbado's disc with the Bolero and I'm not super impressed, but it is nice enough.

Madiel

I hadn't noticed there was a Martinon box that has Debussy as well. Worth knowing for the sake of availability/price.

Though I won't make a purchase until I've tried... I think 3 more sets. This is what I use streaming for these days, road testing the candidates.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

vers la flamme

Quote from: Madiel on January 22, 2020, 03:53:49 PM
I hadn't noticed there was a Martinon box that has Debussy as well. Worth knowing for the sake of availability/price.

Though I won't make a purchase until I've tried... I think 3 more sets. This is what I use streaming for these days, road testing the candidates.

Yes, 4 discs of Debussy, 4 discs of Ravel, and only for a couple dollars more than the Ravel only box, here in the states anyway; availability may vary in your corner of the world.

Mandryka



I've started to listen to this. It's amazingly good. Some of it's on youtube I think. I got the CD from symphonyshare.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darĂ¼ber muss man schweigen

Mirror Image

Wow...no posts since January? Hmmm...time to resurrect this thread with this fantastic video about Ravel's orchestration:

https://www.youtube.com/v/fQAE4uBxgR0

Of course, I love all facets of Ravel's music from solo piano works, to the operas to the melodies, but you truly have to marvel at his inventiveness in orchestration.

Madiel

My exploration of orchestral box sets has rather been on hold. Must get back to it. Otherwise I won't know which one to buy by the American midterms...
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Mirror Image

#317
Quote from: Madiel on November 07, 2020, 04:21:13 PM
My exploration of orchestral box sets has rather been on hold. Must get back to it. Otherwise I won't know which one to buy by the American midterms...

You can't go wrong with Boulez's earlier traversal of Ravel's orchestral music. Ozawa and Dutoit are also rather good in this repertoire. I don't listen to much of Ravel's orchestral works these days as I usually listen to his solo piano music, chamber works, melodies, operas and the two PCs, but I should explore this part of his oeuvre again. Watching the video I linked in my previous post certainly has given me the push I needed.

Madiel

Ozawa I agree is very good. When I stopped last time, I was partway through Dutoit. He often struck me as a little bit too slick.

I can't remember which Boulez is earlier - Sony or DG? I'm yet to try the DG.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Roasted Swan on January 22, 2020, 03:48:58 AM
The truth is Ravel seems to get the best from a lot of conductors!  Ozawa in Boston is excellent but so is Abbado/LSO as well as Boulez/New York - which I prefer to his DG remakes although they are good too!  Martinon is an exceptionally safe pair of hands with the advantage (some might say dis-) of a distinctly french-sounding orchestra.  The good thing about all the above older sets is large chunks of them can be picked up in the marketplace for literal pence/cents....

[asin]B00004XN6K[/asin]
(you get the great Piano trio in this set too....)

[asin]B000065TUZ[/asin]

and if Martinon tickles your fancy don't overlook this RCA/Chicago disc

[asin]B00004TCPS[/asin]

A PS:  another really excellent survey of the orchestral works and available if you hunt around is on Vox;

Skrowaczewski in Minnesota - a couple of Vox boxes - 2 discs per set.  Lovely analogue sound and very compelling performances - NOT the complete Daphnis - just the 2 suites

All these recordings are excellent. I like the recordings by Dutoit/Montreal as well. The set by Bringuier released a few years ago was average.