What’s the best complete set of Ravel’s piano music?

[Parsifal]

And if you dont mind older recordings



Samson François captures Ravel angst, strangeness and darkness like no other.  He was an uncompromising artist.

That is a great set.  I also enjoy this one a lot.

[asin]B000063TSM[/asin]

[amw]

I'm currently listening to the (new to me) 2014 recording by Florian Uhlig, and I'm enjoying it enormously.

I might have a new favourite.

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

I enjoy that one a lot, especially the Daphnis & Chloe transcription, though I'm now listening to Rouvier's Tombeau de Couperin and think I might actually prefer it despite being not as good technically...

There are way too many good Ravel sets I think tbh

[San Antone]

I think this set has been mentioned but deserves mentioning again: Pascal Rogé is usually my go-to pianist in French music.

[Peter Power Pop]

I think this set has been mentioned but deserves mentioning again: Pascal Rogé is usually my go-to pianist in French music.

Rogé's my favourite Debussy interpreter.

[Peter Power Pop]

There are way too many good Ravel sets I think tbh

Yep.

So many to choose from!

[Peter Power Pop]

I think this set has been mentioned but deserves mentioning again: Pascal Rogé is usually my go-to pianist in French music.

You mentioning Pascal Rogé reminds me of that other dependable French pianist, Louis Lortie. I really like his Ravel too.

[San Antone]

Rogé's my favourite Debussy interpreter.

I can't decide if I prefer Rogé or Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

[Todd]

There are way too many good Ravel sets I think tbh

Have you heard Hinrich Alpers?

[San Antone]

You mentioning Pascal Rogé reminds me of that other dependable French pianist, Louis Lortie. I really like

I thought Lortie was from Montreal Canada?

[George]

I thought Lortie was from Montreal Canada?

he's French-Canadian.

[Parsifal]

he's French-Canadian.

In other words, he's not French.

[Peter Power Pop]

In other words, he's not French.

I had no idea he was (French-)Canadian. I just thought he was yet another in the long line of French pianists pestering Ravel.

Can I still see him as French because he has the name "Louis"?

[Peter Power Pop]

I can't decide if I prefer Rogé or Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

I haven't heard Bavouzet in Debussy, only his Ravel.

Must investigate.

[Parsifal]

I had no idea he was (French-)Canadian. I just thought he was yet another in the long line of French pianists pestering Ravel.

Can I still see him as French because he has the name "Louis"?

Of course you may. Maybe next time I listen to Wilhelm Kempff I will think of him as Mexican.

[Peter Power Pop]

Of course you may. Maybe next time I listen to Wilhelm Kempff I will think of him as Mexican.

Excellent. (And thanks for making me laugh out loud.)

[Spineur]

....
Can I still see him as French because he has the name "Louis"?

If you consider Quebec as a french province wrongly usurpated by the british empire...   But then you may also be caught up in some heavy crossfire as a sizable minority (?) in Quebec would still like to gain its independence from Canada.

[amw]

Have you heard Hinrich Alpers?

Never heard the name before, no.

[Todd]

Never heard the name before, no.

He's one of the way too many good sets.  His set is obscure, and the product differentiator is that he does not include all the little works but instead includes a half dozen short works dedicated to or inspired by Ravel.  I'd plump for his Schumann disc, but I'm all Faschingsschwank aus Wien'd out for the time being.

[Peter Power Pop]

Have you heard Hinrich Alpers?

Never heard the name before, no.

A couple of reviewers on Amazon.com have raved about him.

There's a level-headed review on the Culture Catch website.

[amw]

He's one of the way too many good sets.  His set is obscure, and the product differentiator is that he does not include all the little works but instead includes a half dozen short works dedicated to or inspired by Ravel.  I'd plump for his Schumann disc, but I'm all Faschingsschwank aus Wien'd out for the time being.

I actually like Faschingsschwank so I'll look him up next time I have a chance to listen to music! (also gotta finish my Smetana Quartet Beethovens lol) Honens is a good arty microlabel in general, there was a decent if slow Hammerklavier I heard recently on it by an Asian-American pianist whose name I don't remember now