# Ravel Violin Sonata



## robertcostagliola10 (17 d ago)

What recording is the best Ravel Violin Sonata? I'm listening to Chang's, Bell's and Kagan's recordings. I read the Hyperion label (Ibragimova) recording is very good.


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Wilkomirska and Barbosa


----------



## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

There are several fine performances of this sonata on record, but my favorite is Ibragimova/Tiberghien on Hyperion. I also like Capuçon/Braley on Virgin Classics a lot.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Ibragimova/Tiberghien ,
For me lonely at the top


----------



## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I'm not surprised to see this question getting asked. To my mind, there is no 'best' recording of the Ravel Violin Sonata. It's one of those works that has received so many top tier recordings, by so many exceptional violinists & pianists over the decades that it's virtually impossible to decide upon what the top 5 recordings are, let alone pick a single favorite. At least, I'd be hard pressed to do so. Nevertheless, I'll try to come up with a top 10 list (of ***ranked performances), if I can.

Below you'll find a list that includes what I believe are the most 'out of the ordinary' picks from both the analogue and digital eras. & I'd suggest that you do as much sampling as you can. However, ultimately, I think your decision will come down to which recording offers the most desirable couplings for you, & how important sound quality is to you. For example, you might find the violin tone on the analogue recordings to be slightly grating. Personally, I've never found that violin strings sound as warm & inviting in chamber music on CDs as they did on LPs. In addition, I'll try to provide You Tube links wherever possible, & place one to three asterisks (***), in an attempt to rank the recordings:

I. Here are my 4 top analogue choices, but again, bear in mind that despite the excellence of the performances below, the older sound quality might be a negative for you,

-- ** (*): Arthur Grumiaux (violin), Istvan Hajdu (piano)--1962: This is a passionate, committed, imaginative account; however, with that said, the recording has a lot more competition today than it did back in the 1960s & 70s:





--***David Oistrakh (violin), Frida Bauer (piano)--live, 1966: this is one of the great performances on record, IMO, if you're okay with the 1960s sound quality (from Philips, I believe). However, I admit it's the recording that I first imprinted on:

On LP:




On CD:





--** (*) Augustin Dumay (violin), Jean-Philippe Collard (piano)--will EMI ever remaster Collard's 1970s records?... this one needs it. Very fine reading though:





--***Jean-Jacques Kantorow (violin), Jacques Rouvier (piano): This is one of my very top favorites:





II. Here are my many top picks from the digital era, & while I don't own all of these recordings, I have heard most of them on youtube, being a Ravel nut; apart from those that I do actually own of course,

--**Vineta Sareika (violin), Amandine Savary (piano)--both musicians were members of Trio Dali, who I like very much in the Ravel Piano Trio. My only mild reservation is that Sareika's pizzicatos in the 2nd movement can sound slightly aggressive & may not be to all tastes. Though I think it's more that she simply got a little close to the microphone at times. While the two couplings of the Piano Trio and the Violin & Cello Sonata are among the finest in the catalogue, IMO. So, overall, it's a terrific disc: Sonate pour violon & piano: I. (Allegretto)
--**Alina Ibragimova (violin) & Cédric Tiberghien (piano)--I own these recordings because I'm a big fan of the violinist, but I don't know them as well as I should yet: My first impression was positive, but unlike others, I don't think this recording stands alone at the top of the heap, or is a clear first or second choice: Maurice Ravel—Complete music for violin & piano—Alina Ibragimova (violin), Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
--**Renaud Capuçon (violin), Frank Braley (piano)--for me, the highlight of this disc is their remarkable Ravel Piano Trio, which is one of the best in the catalogue, IMO. But their Violin Sonata is superb, too: Maurice Ravel - Violin Sonata No.2
--**Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), Fazil Say (piano)--these are fascinating but slightly more individualistic & at times offbeat readings (as they have lot of fun with the 2nd & 3rd movements). Fans of these two musicians need not hesitate: Violin Sonata No. 2, M. 77: I. Allegretto
--***Oleg Kagan (violin), Sviatoslav Richter (piano): this is one of the most engaging performances I've heard of this work. It's a fascinating interpretation. The two play very imaginatively. It almost sounds like they're improvising or creating the music on the spot at times. Admittedly, it's not very French sounding, but they milk the score for everything it's worth. The one drawback is that the performance is recorded live in 1986 & the sound could have been a little better, but it's not bad, either. Also, like Sareita, Kagan can be quite expressive & forceful in the pizzicatos in the 'Blues' movement. But he makes it work: Ravel Violin Sonata(Sviatoslav Richter, Oleg Kagan 1986)
--**Frank Peter Zimmermann (violin), Alexander Lonquich (piano)--these two musicians play exceptionally well together, which won't come as a surprise to those that have heard them in Mozart. However, Zimmermann doesn't seem to be entirely in his element in the 'Blues' movement, as he can sound too classically orientated to my ears:
Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: I. Allegretto
Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: II. Blues. Moderato
Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: III. Perpetuum mobile. Allegro
--** (*): Janine Jansen (violin), Itamar Golan (piano)--two great musicians: Ravel: Violin Sonata in G Major, M. 77 - I. Allegretto
--***Leila Josefowicz (violin), John Novacek (piano): From BBC magazine: "Rarely have the ghostly, blues-tinged, half-whispered intimacy of Ravel's exquisite G major Sonata been so eerily voiced, the violin discreetly balanced so as to create the impression of it constantly emerging from and being absorbed back into the seductive texturing of John Novacek's multi-faceted...": This is a slightly more unusual interpretation, but it's brilliant, IMO:









Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: I. Allegretto


Provided to YouTube by Warner Classics InternationalViolin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: I. Allegretto · Leila JosefowiczBeethoven : Violin Sonata No.10 & ...




www.youtube.com












Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: II. Blues (Moderato)


Provided to YouTube by Warner Classics InternationalViolin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: II. Blues (Moderato) · Leila JosefowiczBeethoven : Violin Sonata N...




www.youtube.com












Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: III. Perpetuum mobile (Allegro)


Provided to YouTube by Warner Classics InternationalViolin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: III. Perpetuum mobile (Allegro) · Leila JosefowiczBeethoven : Viol...




www.youtube.com





--**Chantal Juillet (violin), Pascal Rogé (piano): Ravel: Violin Sonata in G Major, M 77 - 1. Allegretto
--***Régis Pasquier (violin) & Brigitte Engerer (piano)--exceptional readings; plus, they're well recorded: Maurice Ravel, Sonate pour violon et piano, Régis Pasquier/Brigitte Engerer
--***Régis Pasquier (violin), Jean-Claude Pennetier (piano)--even better recorded: Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano. Allegretto
--***Christian Svarfvar (violin), Roland Pöntinen (piano)--these are very fine performances in excellent hybrid SACD BIS sound: This recording would be my top pick for the best performance in audiophile sound: Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77: I. Allegretto
--***David Grimal (violin), Georges Pludermacher (piano)--this is one of my top favorites & it also comes in very good sound: Sonate N°2 pour Violon et Piano: I. Allegretto, Andante
--** (*): Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin), Bella Davidovich (piano)--This Orfeo recording is new to me. I have a feeling this is one of those performances that gets better with further listening, considering the stature of the two musicians involved. In other words, I wouldn't be surprised if I were to eventually consider this disc to be three asterisks.
--** (*) Viktoria Mullova (violin), Bruno Canino (piano): another top performance. For me, Canino is one of the stand out pianists on my list. Though Mullova can be a tad on the cool side at times, she's exceptional, too: Ravel: Violin Sonata in G Major, M 77 (Mullova/Canino)
--* (*): James Ehnes (violin), Wendy Chen (piano)--I don't find Chen to be quite as interesting as some of the other pianists on my list, but she's very good, & I'm getting nit picky: I. Allegretto
--***Christina Astrand (violin), Per Salo (piano): This gets my vote for the best 'sleeper' recording on my list. I imagine it helped Astrand that she spent a year in Paris studying privately with Gerard Poulet (see my comments below on Poulet): Violin Sonata in G Major: I. Allegretto
--**Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian (violin), Emmanuel Strosser (piano): this is another top 'sleeper' recording: Ravel : Sonate pour violon - I. Allegretto
--*_Rosanne Philippens (violin), Yuri van Nieuwkerk (pino)--with audiophile Channel Classics sound quality: This is an engaging interpretation, with the one drawback that I find Philippens's violin tone & projection to be slightly too small for this piece. However, if you're looking for subtlety & nuance this may be two asterisks_: Sonata for violin and piano No. 2: I. Allegretto
--***Shlomo Mintz (violin),Yefim Bronfman (piano)--Mintz & Bronfman get underrated in the French repertory, IMO. Both musicians are superb & play wonderfully well together. But then I already knew that from their remarkable Prokofiev (Prokofiev: Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in F minor, Op.80 - 1. Andante assai). However, I suppose some listeners might find them a bit too laid back, luxurious, & expansive in this music (I don't):









Ravel: Sonata in G Major for Violin & Piano, M.77 - 1. Allegretto


Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupRavel: Sonata in G Major for Violin & Piano, M.77 - 1. Allegretto · Shlomo Mintz · Yefim BronfmanFrench Violin So...




www.youtube.com





--**Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Leif Ove Andsnes (piano)--another fine performance.
--*Fabrizio von Arx (violin), Julien Quentin (piano)--well recorded by RCA. Arx is promising young violinist: Sonata for Violin and Piano: I. Allegretto
--?Gerard Poulet (violin), Christian Ivaldi (piano)--I've not heard this one: POULET,GERARD / IVALDI,CHRISTIAN - Sonates Pour Violon Et Piano - Amazon.com Music
--***Gerard Poulet (violin), Noel Lee (piano): Poulet's father, Gaston Poulet worked with Claude Debussy to premiere his Violin Sonata in 1917, & coached his son on how to play that piece; which I think has some carry over into playing the Ravel. While Nadia Boulanger once described Noel Lee as the most gifted musician she ever taught. Indeed the two musicians are fascinating together & their interpretation is unique & one of my favorites on record: Sonate pour piano & violon : Allegretto

--One that I'm curious about: Lina Tur Bonet (violin), Pierre Goy (piano): From the Presto website: "This is a 'concept-album' around Maurice Ravel and his special relation with Helene Jourdan Mourhange, a dear friend and violinist. The programme is set-up in order to take the listener by the hand into Ravel's musical world through a series of pieces which are gradually more deep and complex. The music is played on a 1935 Hautrive piano, while violin and cello are played on gut strings. The Tzigane is in the rarest version for Lutheal (Pleyel, 1910), a period prepared piano with a gipsy character": Tzigane, Rhapsodie de concert pour Violon et Piano Luthéal









Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré


Provided to YouTube by The Orchard EnterprisesBerceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré · Pierre Goy · Lina Tur Bonet · Maurice RavelÀ Moune℗ 2022 Challenge Class...




www.youtube.com





I've just counted them, & it turns out I've rated 13 recordings above with a full three asterisks. So, it's not quite a top 10 list as I had intended, but close ...


----------

