Ravel
Spanish music arranged for piano four hands (IBS)
A fine programme and adequate performances, short on atmosphere [PBW]
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé & Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps (Pentatone)
The Ravel is all welcome grace and elegance but the Stravinsky lacks the requisite bite and wildness and emerges as disappointingly bland [RMo]
Elena Font (piano) Images (Convivium Records)
Once we are past a slight clunkiness and lack of finesse in the first set of Images, there is a great here deal to admire [SGa]
Ravel: Transcriptions (Aparté)
A fine issue of great variety, thoughtfully and careful played by Poizat, the unswerving director of this sumptuous feast [SGa]
Ravel: Orchestral Works (OUR Recordings)
Competent, essentially rather prosaic, Ravel, without quite the requisite release or elation in the two central works [RMo]
Jack Hancher (guitar): Muse (Deux-Elles)
Delightful, delicate arrangements for guitar of some very well-known piano works [KT]
British Concertante (Heritage)
Concertante miniatures with character and poise [JF]
Elina Garanca – Habanera (Deutsche Grammophon)
There are a few records every year where everything is right. This is one of them [GF]
Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin and Concertante Works (Atma Classique)
Interesting for the extra Tombeau movements, but otherwise not competitive [DJB]
Ravel: The Complete Works for Solo Piano Vol 2 (Avie)
Buy this for Larderet, rather than the two new adaptations, or the ‘Complete’ tag [SGa]
Ravel: Complete Solo Piano Music (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) A set of stunning virtuosity, but with delicate colors at the same time [WK]
Albert Coates conducts 20th Century music (Pristine Audio)
Dynamic, dramatic, speedy but unexpectedly noble Albert Coates in action [JW]
French Orchestral Favourites (Chandos)
70 minutes of bon-bons beautifully played and well contrasted [RMo]
Stéphane Degout (baritone): Mélodies (Naïve)
(Déjà Review) A very appealing recital [GF]
Ginastera: String Quartet No. 1 & Piano Quintet op. 29 (cpo)
Ginastera’s impressive chamber music and well-played Ravel [SB]
Bonis & Ravel: Violin Sonatas (Evidence Classics)
A superb coupling comprising acclaimed works by Ravel and others hardly known by Bonis [MC]
Charles Munch (conductor) A Treasury of French Music (West Hill Radio Archives)
There’s something here even for those with an extensive collection of Munch’s recordings [JW]
Ravel: Orchestral Works & Operas (Naxos)
A comprehensive collection in generally good performances, but without most of the texts [SB]
Bortkiewicz, Ravel, Prokofiev: Piano Concerti (Pentatone)
A fine debut, three very different piano concertos for the left hand commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein [PRJ]
Art Nouveau: French Chamber Music Around 1900 (harmonia mundi)
An intelligent choice of music, given outstanding performances and sound [DJB]
Ravel: Chamber Works (Onyx)
Performances that the composer would have greatly admired but … [DJB]
Ravel: Piano Concertos (Naïve)
An unremarkable coupling of the Ravel concertos with some intriguing Wittgenstein fillers [PRJ]
Ibéria: Chabrier, Debussy & Ravel (Onyx)
The distinct perfumes and colours of Spain, orchestrated in France and brought to life in Liverpool [PH]
Ravel: Songs (Hyperion)
(Déjà Review) Supreme collaborative insights … wonderful music too [TB]
