Going back to Ravel ...

[Chris Newman]

I think my favourite work is "L'Enfant et les Sortileges" - the best recording imo still being Ansermet's with the Suisse Romande from the 50s. I think Ansermet understood the spirit of Ravel - his ability to live in the mind of a child also represented by his version of "Ma Mere L'Oie" - better than anyone since.

[PJPJ]

A deep and long love-affair here! Where to start... Ravel is so lucky on record!

Valse Nobles et Sentimentales - Cluytens' stereo one......

With the Piano Concertos there are great Toshibas of the G major set down by, who else, Michelangeli with Gracis/Philharmonia (stunningly c/w Rach 4) in unbelievable sound for 1957; a personal favourite for both is Samson Francois, with Cluytens and the Conservatoire.

For temptation.....

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Maurice-Ravel-1875-1937-Klavierkonzert-G-dur/hnum/4917685

and the rest of the Cluytens to come on SACD as well.

Just as I got round to ordering the Rosenthal box, it was deleted and impossible to find.

[Belgrove]

For me, the highlight of next year’s Glyndebourne festival is the Ravel double bill, L’heure espagnole and L’Enfant et les Sortileges – this promises to be a magical evening combining fun, urbane sophistication with musical and visual beauty.

I revere Ravel – the often heard criticism that his work is too tasteful and controlled seems both spurious and carping. He enhanced every musical form he worked in, providing pieces that have become canonical, influential and popular – that is some achievement.

I’d add Boulez’s Sheherazade (with a radiant Sophie Von Otter) as a worthy recent version and I have a soft spot for Dutiot’s L’enfant.

[Roehre]

I think my favourite work is "L'Enfant et les Sortileges" - the best recording imo still being Ansermet's with the Suisse Romande from the 50s. I think Ansermet understood the spirit of Ravel - his ability to live in the mind of a child also represented by his version of "Ma Mere L'Oie" - better than anyone since.

IMO on par with Maazel's DGG production.
But IMO both recordings are put into the shadow by Bernard Haitink's, one of the recordings of his (together with a.o. Berg's 3 pieces opus 6) gathering dust somewhere, though Philips made a recording of it and a radio recording exists too.
I don't understand why it hasn't been included in the Concertgebouw Radio Recordings boxes. Contractual problems can be solved somehow, can't they?

the child and its spooks is my absolute favourite Ravel - though Mother Goose, the piano concertos and Shehérazade rank high as well... as does La Valse, btw

-------------------------
L'Enfant et les Sortilèges was given at the Concertgebouw in september 1975. The recording I am referring to is the radio recording made live on September 18th of that year. As usual with the concerts on Thursday nights / Sunday matinees of Haitink's concerts, the following week recordings were made by the Philips team. For some reason these tapes are in the archives of Universal (as legal owner of the copyrights following buying Phonogram [=Philips/Decca] / Polydor[=DGG] some ten years ago) and have never been released.
The radio recording was available on a CD accompanying the (Dutch) Liber Amicorum for Bernard Haitink's 70th birthday in 1999 edited by Paul Korenhof and printed by Anthos in Amsterdam, ISBN 90 414 0341 8.

The cast of the Ravel:

Anne-Marie Blanzat (child)
Adi le Gué
Mady Mesplé
Sophie van Sante
Jocelyn Taillon
Michel Sénéchal
Bernard Kruysen
Tom Haenen

Dutch chamberchoir
Boys choir St.Bavocathedraal Haarlem

Concertgebouworkest

Bernard Haitink

[Biffo]

I can understand why people get snooty about Bolero but I make no apologies for loving it. It is best heard live as it is a visual spectacle as well as an aural one; by that I mean a concert performance rather than as a ballet. Ravel himself called it 'effects without music' but that is a bit harsh.

La valse was the first piece of Ravel I ever heard (on LP) and I have loved it ever since.

It is difficult to choose a favourite piece, possibly the Rapsodie espagnole.

[Barbirollians]

Alborada del gracioso, G Major Concerto,Daphnis and Chloe, Rhapsodie Espagnole, La Valse , String Quartet ... all wonderful .

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Combining at least three threads, I'm currently spinning Ravel's Piano Trio (SACD version by the Florestan Trio, although Trio Dali are also superb), accompanied by an espresso (Illy).

I always have time for Ravel, be it the over-familiar orchestral works, especially if conducted by Pierre Monteux, Ernest Ansermet or Charles Dutoit, the chamber and piano music or his two operas. There's a child-like innocence and wonder about many of his works which I find most wonderful.

[DublinJimbo]

I certainly wouldn't lump La Valse with Bolero in a derogatory sense. My favourite La Valse recording is by Charles Munch with the Boston SO (dates from 1955, I think). I heard this on radio many years ago without knowing what version it was and was mesmerised by every minute of it. The decadence, the frenzy, the feeling of excess barely and then unsuccessfully held in check — this performance digs deeper than any other that I know.

Top of the Ravel heap for me is the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a truly remarkable achievement, not just in terms of its astonishing writing for the left hand but as one of the finest piano concertos of them all. I grew up with the Samson François/André Cluytens 1960 recording and still haven't found anything since that measures up to this.

I also adore the Piano Trio (thanks for the Trio Dali recommendation, Caliban: I've just got their fine new Schubert recording and am listening to the B flat as I write this).

[gurnemanz]

I have loved the trio since I got to know it as a student over 40 years ago via a cheapo Saga LP with the Boise Trio (Hugh Bean violin). The Oistrakh Trio are marvellous on their Brilliant Classics Box with some discreet portamento but somewhat tinny sound. I also like the Nash Ensemble version.

[Alison]

But IMO both recordings are put into the shadow by Bernard Haitink's

Sounds a lovely recording, Roehre. No surprise as the Concertgebouw in the Haitink years
was surely the non pareil of Ravel orchestras. A marvellous lightness of touch and a unique
combination of orchestral colour and nuance.

The Boulez recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic are among my favourites too without quite equalling
the aforementioned qualities in Amsterdam.

[amateur51]

I have loved the trio since I got to know it as a student over 40 years ago via a cheapo Saga LP with the Boise Trio (Hugh Bean violin). The Oistrakh Trio are marvellous on their Brilliant Classics Box with some discreet portamento but somewhat tinny sound. I also like the Nash Ensemble version.

I'm giving the Oistrakh Trio box to a friend who has just 'discovered' Oistrakh gurnemanz and I've got myself a copy too - such riches

[Nick Armstrong]

Combining at least three threads, I'm currently spinning Ravel's Piano Trio (SACD version by the Florestan Trio, although Trio Dali are also superb), accompanied by an espresso (Illy).

As you will have seen on one of the other threads, our mornings were distinctly similar, IGI!!!

Top of the Ravel heap for me is the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a truly remarkable achievement, not just in terms of its astonishing writing for the left hand but as one of the finest piano concertos of them all. I grew up with the Samson François/André Cluytens 1960 recording and still haven't found anything since that measures up to this.

I also adore the Piano Trio (thanks for the Trio Dali recommendation, Caliban: I've just got their fine new Schubert recording and am listening to the B flat as I write this).

You're welcome. It came top of the pile when the French CD critics did their 'blind tasting' CD review programme a couple of years ago, and won the palm as far as my ears were concerned too.

The L-Hander is one of the absolute tops, isn't it! Do try the 2 versions I mention in my post above. They really nail the dark, grunty, savage side of the piece....!

[Ferretfancy]

Impossible, isn't it? Too many to list really, but here are a few special favourites :-

Daphnis et Chloe - LSO / Monteux with Munch a close second.

Ma Mere L'Oye -complete LSO / Monteux

Le Tombeau de Couperin Detroit SO / Paray

Une Barque sur L'Ocean Montreal SO / Dutoit ( All his Ravel is very good )

Alborada del Gracioso Paris Conservatoire / Cluytens ( Another fine complete set if you can find it )

Rapsodie Espagnole Chicagp SO / Reiner ( A wonderfully slow introduction, possibly not quite the right tempo. but what playing ! )

Piano Concerto in G Michelangeli Philharmonia / Galliera ( One of the finest concerto recordings ever made, especially the coupling, Rachmaninov's Fourth )

Piano Concerto in D Fleischer Baltimore SO / Commisiona ( One of three recordings by Fleisher, the Boston / Ozawa is a more modern recording )

Introduction & Allegro Osian Ellis / Melos Ensemble ( The Decca recording _

String Quartet The Parrenin Quartet ( An almost impossible choice from so many )

Sheherezade Elly Ameling San Francisco SO / De Waart ( The first CD that I bought back in 1984)

Finally, the magic of L'enfant et les Sortileges, and it has to be Ansermet !

Oh, and of course, the piano music. Bavouzet is superb, and Stephen Osborne.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

er yes! to everything ....

superb G Cto on Rob this am started the day as everyday should .....

[amateur51]

The L-Hander is one of the absolute tops, isn't it! Do try the 2 versions I mention in my post above. They really nail the dark, grunty, savage side of the piece....!

If it's dark, grunty and savage you like I'd offer this - slightly shaky start from Casadesus but thereafter it's grunting & sparkling all over and Mitropoulos gets some amazing playing from the Wieners

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xNJGbBKUo