# Ravel Piano Works?



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

While I have several recordings of most of Ravel's music... including a number of his piano concertos (Samson François & Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli being absolutely essential) I must admit to having no recordings of Ravel's complete solo piano works beyond those by Walter Gieseking. I am now looking for a more contemporary recording. I quite admire Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's recordings of Debussy's piano fare... and I quite like what I am hearing as I currently listen on Spotify to Alexandre Tharaud.

Anyone have any recordings beyond these they especially admire/recommend?


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I enjoy Jean-Yves Thibaudet's recordings of Ravel's Miroirs and Gaspard. His style of playing is precise and elegant. I feel that his restrained approach works well for Ravel's music.

If you're interested in hearing a more romantic interpretation of Ravel, then you might prefer Martha Argerich. She brings a great deal of passion and fire to her performances of Ravel, especially in the G Major piano concerto.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Vlado Perlemuter and Gwendolyn Mok are the ones I usually listen to.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> I enjoy Jean-Yves Thibaudet's recordings of Ravel's Miroirs and Gaspard. His style of playing is precise and elegant. I feel that his restrained approach works well for Ravel's music.
> 
> If you're interested in hearing a more romantic interpretation of Ravel, then you might prefer Martha Argerich. She brings a great deal of passion and fire to her performances of Ravel, especially in the G Major piano concerto.


Ahhh! The G Major Concerto. One of my all time favorite slow movements!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The concertos played by Krystian Zimerman/ Boulez.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Pugg said:


> The concertos played by Krystian Zimerman/ Boulez.


I agree with these being essential recordings of the concertos, as well as the ones mentioned in the OP. For the solo piano music my favorite complete set is the one by Pascal Roge.

I really like Pierre-Laurent Aimard's Ravel but he has not recorded all of the solo piano pieces to my knowledge. His _Miroirs _ is on the Decca Ravel Complete Edition.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Louis Lortie set on Chandos. Great sound and solid playing. I also have the Ravel Edition on Decca which features Jean-Yves Thibaudet. I like his Satie playing too. There's a 6 CD set that sell for around 15 dollars.


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## Medtnaculus (May 13, 2015)

starthrower said:


> I have the Louis Lortie set on Chandos. Great sound and solid playing. I also have the Ravel Edition on Decca which features Jean-Yves Thibaudet. I like his Satie playing too. There's a 6 CD set that sell for around 15 dollars.


I recently transferred from Rogé to Lortie, partly because I prefer his playing and also because it's more complete. His Miroirs is sublime, though the way he plays the prelude from Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin really bothers me. Feels far too robotic in some places. The rest is fantastic, however.

For Gaspard I always pop over to Grosvenor's CD despite it not containing his complete works.

I really wish Bavouzet's recording of his complete works was on Spotify. I've only ever heard good things about it but sadly it isn't on there so I have to settle for Lortie.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The Gaspard by Pogorelich is the most trilling for me.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Medtnaculus said:


> I recently transferred from Rogé to Lortie, partly because I prefer his playing and also because it's more complete. His Miroirs is sublime, though the way he plays the prelude from Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin really bothers me. Feels far too robotic in some places. The rest is fantastic, however.


I don't know about robotic? He uses a more pronounced staccato phrasing in places, but he tempers it with a liberal use of dynamics. Everybody plays differently. And after listening to umpteen versions on YouTube, I can say that Lortie has one of the better piano sounds, and his timing is impeccable. Other pianists were recorded poorly, or fluctuate in tempo too much.

Edit: Listening to Bavouzet now. He sounds great! His superb technique and touch makes it sound effortless.


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

Mok plays on an Erard, an old type of concert piano that Liszt and Ravel preferred for its clarity and characterfulness. Probably worth checking out, though the inadequate recording and playback tech in our use make the differences perhaps less than remarkable.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

starthrower said:


> I don't know about robotic? He uses a more pronounced staccato phrasing in places, but he tempers it with a liberal use of dynamics. Everybody plays differently. And after listening to umpteen versions on YouTube, I can say that Lortie has one of the better piano sounds, and his timing is impeccable. Other pianists were recorded poorly, or fluctuate in tempo too much.
> 
> Edit: Listening to Bavouzet now. He sounds great! His superb technique and touch makes it sound effortless.


I like Lortie's Ravel just fine, the Bavouzet you posted is the first I've heard of his Ravel and I like it. I'm listening to Alexandre Tharaud's Ravel now, and it also seems pretty darn good. The Thibaudet Ravel on the Decca set is the one that sounds odd to me rhythmically, I haven't been able to get into it. Argerich sounds pretty good playing some things like Jeux D'eau, but she doesn't seem to nail the rhythmic subtleties in general to my ears.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Chronochromie said:


> Vlado Perlemuter and Gwendolyn Mok are the ones I usually listen to.


I haven't listened to much of Mok's Ravel, chordalrock's comment is interesting but on youtube I couldn't hear much difference in terms of the actual piano sound and not really a big deal but noticed she was using the sheet music while playing _Miroirs_.

I will have to try to find a better recording.

As far as Perlemuter - older sounding recordings, but excellent playing.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Marcelle Meyer. Paul Crossley.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

tdc said:


> I haven't listened to much of Mok's Ravel, chordalrock's comment is interesting but on youtube I couldn't hear much difference in terms of the actual piano sound and not really a big deal but noticed she was using the sheet music while playing _Miroirs_.
> 
> I will have to try to find a better recording.
> 
> As far as Perlemuter - older sounding recordings, but excellent playing.


He also made a more recent one in 1979.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

As you are on Spotify, try this one:


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## chalkpie (Oct 5, 2011)

Bettina said:


> I enjoy *Jean-Yves Thibaudet's recordings* of Ravel's Miroirs and Gaspard. His style of playing is precise and elegant. I feel that his restrained approach works well for Ravel's music.
> 
> If you're interested in hearing a more romantic interpretation of Ravel, then you might prefer Martha Argerich. She brings a great deal of passion and fire to her performances of Ravel, especially in the G Major piano concerto.


His "Pavane" in the beginning is the worst I have ever heard, though. He plays it SO staccato (apparently it is written that way), it becomes akin to a mellow circus polka or something 

I think the rest of the set is quite good (if memory serves), though.

The set I think I have fallen in love with and would be my reference set these days is Angela Hewitt (Hyperion). Glorious sonics, a magnificent "Pavane", "Le Tombeau", and a scorched-Earth-melt-your-face-off rip of "Scarbo" from Gaspard de la Nuit.


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## chalkpie (Oct 5, 2011)

Pugg said:


> The concertos played by Krystian Zimerman/ Boulez.


I love this recording!


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## chalkpie (Oct 5, 2011)

Pugg said:


> The Gaspard by Pogorelich is the most trilling for me.


My go-to as well. It was the first I ever bought, and still my favorite. Hewitt's is a close second.


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## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

Check this out, you will like them:






She has not done a complete set of Ravel, but this one very outstanding!


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## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

This one is good too:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

chalkpie said:


> My go-to as well. It was the first I ever bought, and still my favorite. Hewitt's is a close second.


You should try the : Bertrand Chamayou one , very fine piano playing.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

The set of complete piano music by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is simply stunning. You won't do better for Ravel's or Debussy's music.


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## Armanvd (Jan 17, 2017)

chalkpie said:


> His "Pavane" in the beginning is the worst I have ever heard, though. He plays it SO staccato (apparently it is written that way), it becomes akin to a mellow circus polka or something


Whose Solo Piano Version Of "Pavane pour une infante dÈfunte" Do You Recommend ?


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## chromatic owl (Jan 4, 2017)

I recommend Richter's.
Also recommendable:




Richter's 1965 live recording!! Best "Miroirs" ever.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Really enjoying this Bertrando Ravel!


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## chalkpie (Oct 5, 2011)

She does such an amazing job with this masterpiece.


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

This is a truly awesome set, because not only does it offers solo piano works performed by one of my favorite Ravel interpreters, Vlado Perlemuter, but it offers comparative versions of the works by other great pianists, like Gilels and Richter. So you get to hear Gulda's Gaspard de la Nuit or Clara Haskil's Sonatine next to Perlemuter's.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Beste Toccata I've heard, it's simply amazing:






Oooohww yeah, I love this piece so much. Brain freeze at the end, goosebumps all over. 
Mindblowingly well played. HOW??!!


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