BaL 17.12.22 - Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Building a Library
Jeremy Sams chooses his favourite recording of Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor.

Ravel was living in the Basque Country not far from the town where he was born when completed his Piano Trio in 1914, just after the outbreak of World War I, far away from the front line. But there are no grim premonitions in this music and its lush harmonic sound world, full of Basque dance patterns and playful rhythmic sleights of hand, is characterised by the sort of lavish instrumental textures so typical of this master orchestrator. And based on Classical structures (Ravel joked, “I’ve written my trio. Now all I need are the themes.”), including a haunting passacaglia as its emotional centre of gravity, the Trio is a deeply satisfying musical journey which needs outstanding musicians to meet its exacting demands.

Available versions:-

Abegg Trio
Altenberg Trio Wien *
Amatis Trio
Arden Trio
Artenius Trio
Helen Ayres, Tatiana Kolesova, Timothy Nankervis *
Beaux Arts Trio
Beaux Arts Trio
Beaux Arts Trio *
Borodin Trio
Caecilian Trio *
Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley
Copenhagen Trio con Brio *
Daroch Trio *
Michael Dinnebier, Angela-Charlott Bieber, Arvo Lang
Augustin Dumay, Frédéric Lodéon, Jean-Philippe Collard
Ensemble Sésame *
Eroica Trio *
Fidelio Trio
Florian Donderer, Tanja Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt
Patrice Fontanarosa, Renaud Fontanarosa, Frédérique Fontanarosa *
Fujita Piano Trio
Jeanne Gautier, Vlado Perlemuter, Yvonne Lefébure, André Levy *
Gelius Trio *
Feininger Trio
Florestan Trio
Gryphon Trio
Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, Arthur Rubinstein
Ibuki Trio
Joachim Trio
Juno’s Band
Yong Uck Kim, Ralph Kirshbaum, André Previn *
Mie Kobayashi, Yoko Hasegawa, Pascal Rogé
Jaime Laredo, Ruth Laredo, Jeffrey Solow
Lions Gate Trio
Yehudi Menuhin, Gaspar Cassadó, Louis Kentner
Morgenstern Trio
Nash Ensemble
Neave Trio
David Oistrakh, Lev Oborin, Sviatoslav Knuschevitzky
Denis Pascal, Aurélien Pascal, Svetlin Roussev *
Itzhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Jane Peters, Florent Audibert, Ursula von Lerber *
Julie Rosenfeld, Gary Hoffman, André Previn *
Saguaro Piano Trio *
Seraphim Trio *
Hagai Shaham, Arnon Erez, Raphael Wallfisch
Sitkovetsky Trio (SACD)
Smetana Trio
Takács Quartet
Takács Quartet *
Yan Pascal Tortelier, Maria de la Pau, Paul Tortelier *
Trio Archipel
Trio Arpeggio *
Trio Atanassov *
Trio Cérès *
Trio Chausson *
Trio Dali
Trio Di Trieste *
Trio George Sand
Trio Helios
Trio Italiano *
Trio Karénine
Trio Machiavelli
Trio Mats *
Trio Mondrian
Trio Solisti
Trio Suleika
Trio Talweg *
Trio Wanderer *
Trio Zadig
Triple Forte
Triple Helix Piano Trio *
Van Baerle Trio
Vienna Piano Trio (SACD)

(* = download only)

[cloughie]

That appears to be an immense number of recordings of a work that 30 + years ago probably wasn’t heard that much. Apart from the ‘B’ work Ravel is always welcome in my ears.

[smittims]

That's interesting. I love 'Bolero'. The Ravel work I don't like is 'Tzigane' which used to turn up on Radio 3 far too often . Oh, and I've never been able to get into his operas, I'm afraid.

Yan Pascal Tortelier orchestrated the Trio after playing it many times with his father and sister. He said he spent approximately 1,000 hours on the task, which seems rather a lot for a work of that length. The result was beautiful, though .

[Alison]

I’m sure this work was covered quite recently by Harriet Smith.

Has Elgars Organ Sonata ever featured?

[MickyD]

I have the Florestan Trio on Hyperion, which also gives you the Debussy and the Fauré. I am well pleased with it.

[teamsaint]

I’m sure this work was covered quite recently by Harriet Smith.

Has Elgars Organ Sonata ever featured?

13 years ago, unbelievably Alison. Before your lot won the league !!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pcg4v

[richardfinegold]

I love this piece. I have a recording by three French Musicians whose names I am not recalling at the present (I am at work) that dates from the early 90s. I also have the Beaux Art version which is just fine

[Pulcinella]

The Naxos version here, Joachim Trio, on a CD provocatively called French Piano Trios, Volume 1.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7954610--french-piano-trios-vol-1

Volume 2 has yet to appear.

[teamsaint]

The Naxos version here, Joachim Trio, on a CD provocatively called French Piano Trios, Volume 1.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7954610--french-piano-trios-vol-1

Volume 2 has yet to appear.

It was only 1993 TBF

I thought I had more versions than that one, plus the Previn from the big Warner box.
But apparently not…..

[Alison]

13 years ago, unbelievably Alison. Before your lot won the league !!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pcg4v

Crumbs that is unbelievable Sainty. I remember it being at Christmas time too.

I retract the criticism!

[Nick Armstrong]

Big fan of Trio Dali’s recording here

[Pulcinella]

The Naxos version here, Joachim Trio, on a CD provocatively called French Piano Trios, Volume 1.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7954610--french-piano-trios-vol-1

Volume 2 has yet to appear.

Oh, and the winner from last time too:
Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley
in the Warner Complete Ravel box.

[Pulcinella]

This (originally Decca) version is now available as a Presto CD or download:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8339066--chausson-concert-for-piano-violin-string-quartet-ravel-piano-trio

Joshua Bell (violin), Steven Isserlis (cello), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)
Recorded: 1989-06
Recording Venue: Abbey Road Studios, London

[Bryn]

That's interesting. I love 'Bolero'. The Ravel work I don't like is 'Tzigane' which used to turn up on Radio 3 far too often . Oh, and I've never been able to get into his operas, I'm afraid.

Yan Pascal Tortelier orchestrated the Trio after playing it many times with his father and sister. He said he spent approximately 1,000 hours on the task, which seems rather a lot for a work of that length. The result was beautiful, though .

Have you tried Tzigane as played o the instruments it was written for? There have been a few recordings which used the intended luthéal, rather than a straightforward piano.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/27806--ravel-tzigane-for-violin-and-lutheal-piano-original-version/browse

[smittims]

Thanks for the suggestion, Bryn, I didn't now that.