BaL 4.05.24 - Ravel: Piano concerto for the left hand

[vinteuil]

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... delighted by this Building a Library - I think Jeremy Sams is the most insightful of critics. I loved his askance take on Cédric Tiberghien for using a period Pleyel rather than the Érard that Ravel wd have expected...

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[Pulcinella]

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... delighted by this Building a Library - I think Jeremy Sams is the most insightful of critics. I loved his askance take on Cédric Tiberghien for using a period Pleyel rather than the Érard that Ravel wd have expected...

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Me too, as it probably explained why I hadn't warmed to that recording.

I would have liked some mention of the earlier Bouiez Cleveland recording (with Entremont) on Sony, though, a version I first got to know through this dirt-cheap sampler: Reach out for Boulez.

https://www.discogs.com/master/1009283-Pierre-Boulez-Reach-Out-For-Boulez

Rather taken with the Osborne, which (thanks to Hyperion's new policy) I'm streaming right now: a good coupling of the two Ravel concertos with Falla's Gardens of Spain.

[edashtav]

Last on BaL: 07/05/2005 (reviewer Martin Cotton)

Top recommendation:

Krystian Zimerman (piano), London Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez (conductor) (recorded 1996)
DG 449 213-2 (CD)

Also recommended:

Samson Francois (piano), Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, Andre Cluytens (conductor) (recorded 1959)
EMI 566905-2 (CD)

Well, well, Martin Cotton's recommendations have stood the test of time and fresh examination by Jeremy Sams this afternoon. Another exemplary BaL with Jeremy's discernment being complemented by his enthusiasm. I was shocked to find no CD of Ravel's left hand masterpiece on my heaving shelves although I possess a m.s.. However, I've remedied that omission, ordering a cheap secondhand copy of the Zimerman / Boulez from Europe via Amazon.

[Pulcinella]

Confirmation:

Jeremy's Building a Library choice:
Krystian Zimerman (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Boulez (conductor)
Deutsche Grammophon 4492132

[vinteuil]

.... happy with all his short-list (Zimerman/Boulez; Osborne/Morlot; François/Cluytens)

Also much enjoyed the very youthful Gavrilov/Rattle and the Yuja Wang/ Bringuier.
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[jch48]

Jeremy Sams made more than 1 reference to Yuja Wang having small hands.

Having watched her open Rachmaninov 2 on youtube I see that with time to prepare and a slight unavoidable downward pressure on the G she can take the opening LH minor 10th F to Ab.
In my book, this is not objectively small. Many of my piano friends can't take that 10th. She may have smaller hands than many/most professionals.
Hand size is not just the 1-5 measure, 2-5 is important. Palm width and finger length vary too.

[Nick Armstrong]

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... delighted by this Building a Library - I think Jeremy Sams is the most insightful of critics. I loved his askance take on Cédric Tiberghien for using a period Pleyel rather than the Érard that Ravel wd have expected...

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Yes indeed, enlightening… I part company with him on his final choice though - having eagerly acquired the Zimerman/Boulez on its release, I couldn’t get on with it and got rid of the disc. I recall finding the recording rather recessed, and the tempi and style of playing a bit (- not sure of the word…) slick, maybe - it just didn’t work for me. Not ‘dirty’ enough…

Marvellous to be reminded of Samson François’ way with the music; and Gavrilov’s… I’d never heard the Osborne before and shall investigate, but his final cadenza paled somewhat in the light of François’ performance. Worth hearing on its own terms though as Osborne is a pianist I keep coming back to in all sorts of music. The BBCSSO sounded great too - fabulous blues bassoon playing

[Maclintick]

[COLOR=#3300ff]Yes indeed, enlightening… I part company with him on his final choice though - having eagerly acquired the Zimerman/Boulez on its release, I couldn’t get on with it and got rid of the disc. I recall finding the recording rather recessed, and the tempi and style of playing a bit (- not sure of the word…) slick, maybe - it just didn’t work for me. Not ‘dirty’ enough…

Marvellous to be reminded of Samson François’ way with the music;

François still does it for me as well, and like you my reaction to the Zimerman/Boulez version was that it lacked passion while having "all the right notes in the right order", as it were. I hadn't considered Osborne as his Ravel solo piano survey for Hyperion struck me as a very mixed bag.

[french frank]

La Tribune sub-forum now being set up, starting with posts from here - thread title subject to later change to differentiate it from this one.

[Barbirollians]

I enjoyed much of this BAL but thought the reasoning for excluding Yuja Wang absurd and touching on sexist .

[smittims]

I'd be interested to see you expand on that. In my experience and opinion, Yuja Wang can play the piano very well, like many brilliant young pianists today, but her fame seems to me to depend more on her appearace on stage than on her interpretation of the music.

[kindofblue]

La Tribune sub-forum now being set up, starting with posts from here - thread title subject to later change to differentiate it from this one.

Merci!

[mikealdren]

I'd be interested to see you expand on that. In my experience and opinion, Yuja Wang can play the piano very well, like many brilliant young pianists today, but her fame seems to me to depend more on her appearace on stage than on her interpretation of the music.

"play the piano very well" does that really cover her astonishing technique???

[smittims]

I don't think I've ever been 'astonished' by a pianist's technique. I reckon that every year many young pianists emerge from college able to play brilliantly. The ability to interpret the music may require something different. We live in an age where visual images capture so much attention that they are naturally used to direct the public's attention to one person rather than another.

[HighlandDougie]

I'd be interested to see you expand on that. In my experience and opinion, Yuja Wang can play the piano very well, like many brilliant young pianists today, but her fame seems to me to depend more on her appearace on stage than on her interpretation of the music.

I used to think along similar lines but having heard/seen her in Rachmaninov (and Ravel) recently, I'm not sure that that now does her justice. If accessible via streaming, I suggest that you listen to this CD: https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/e...uja-wang-13363 Really rather good.