Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Apothéose infernale
Daphnis et Chloé (1912)
La Valse (1920)
Yi Lin Jiang (piano)
rec. 2024, Kronenzentrum Bietigheim, Germany
Anclef 20250307 [67]
Yi Lin Jiang has produced a number of albums on the ANCLEF label, both alongside his duo partner Jacopo Giovanni (review) and as a solo artist (review), including some releases on the Solaris label (review ~ review). If you know any of these recordings you know you are in for a quality experience, both in terms of superlative playing and interesting programming.
Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé was composed for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, and this piano solo version is the original that would have at the very least have been intended for use in rehearsals. Ravel’s method of composing often involved the writing of a complete piano version of a work before starting on orchestration, and these are indeed ‘versions’ rather than ‘transcriptions’, resulting in scores that are playable, if in the case of this work and La Valse, dauntingly dense in terms of the amount of notes a player will have to deal with. There have been several ‘concert suite’ recordings of Daphnis et Chloé, but as far as I know this is its only complete recording, and it is claimed as a world premiere so there’s a top USP for us before we even start listening. This recording is also a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birthday so, in case you weren’t aware, we can expect a fair bit more from this composer in 2025.
Without going into detail on each movement, this is indeed a remarkable achievement. If you know and love the orchestral original you are likely to wonder how Ravel’s sumptuous and detailed orchestration – including a wordless chorus – can ever be approached with piano alone. To be sure there is a lot of sustain pedal used here, but even with an ear alert to Ravel’s intended effects it boils down to accepting and appreciating this as a stand-alone pianistic tour de force than as a compromised version of something more likely to be played by 80 or so musicians. Even at its most impressionistic, there is a clarity in terms of ideas and musical content here that is as involving as the orchestral version. From the virtuoso velocity of the Danse guerrière to the limpid plushness of the Danse religieuse, I for one do not sit with the feeling that I’m missing out, and the excellent recording and juicy piano tone keep you involved right up to that jaw-droppingly mad, almost unplayable Bacchanale at the end.
Talking of almost unplayable, the mountain of notes that is La Valse is performed with superlative panache here, right from the rumbling opening to the blood-letting glissandi towards the end and the insane final bars. This is a work that has to be larger than life in any performance; recognisable as a waltz, but “with an almost divine force of nostalgic destruction” as Jiang puts it in his booklet notes. This has become a repertoire piece for many virtuoso pianists but this is a recording that can stand comparison with any alternative. In terms of timing it follows convention, being only a few seconds shorter than Oleg Marshev’s remarkable recording on Danacord DACOCD905 (review) and equal in terms of character, though also somehow more controlled and less splashy.
As a whole this is a release that ticks a whole heap of boxes for fans of Ravel and of the piano in general. Don’t be put off by the idea that this might be a weaker accompaniment to the vast orchestral original of Daphnis et Chloé, as it will more likely than not serve to enhance your appreciation of this glorious work’s musical complexities and visceral impact.
Dominy Clements
Availability: ANCLEF
