BaL 18.10.25 - Ravel: Piano concerto in G major

[Pulcinella]

1500
Yshani Perinpanayagam picks her favourite recording of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major.

Following its successful premiere at the Salle Pleyel in Paris in 1932, by the pianist Marguerite Long, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major quickly toured across multiple European and American destinations, and became an instant hit. After attended the work's debut, the critic Émile Vuillermoz praised Ravel for his profound invention’ and ‘freshness of inspiration’, and yet the composer appears to have taken the concerti of Mozart and Saint-Saens as a structural model, even declaring that the concluding movement was conceived 'in accordance with the most immutable traditions'. Ravel's shimmering orchestration, deployment of instrumental effects, and jazz-inflected harmonies, nevertheless, belie the innovative spirit with which he imbued the work.

Presto listing of currently available versions here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/57333--ravel-piano-concerto-in-g-major/browse

The BBC MM offering (Volume 16, Number 13) is a performance by Jean-Philippe Collard and the BBC NOW, conducted by Françoir-Xavier Roth, given in Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, on 13 October 2005.

Recommended recording:
Krystian Zimerman (piano)
Cleveland Orchestra
Pierre Boulez (conductor)
Deutsche Grammophon 449 213-2

(Also available in a box set of Debussy and Ravel.)

[Pulcinella]

Which of the many newcomers this anniversary year will make the shortlist, and which old favourites won't?

[Pulcinella]

Whereas with Mother Goose it's the last movement that's the clincher, here it's the middle movement, with this comment from the main Wiki article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_...G_major_(Ravel)
paramount for me (my bold):

The musicologist Michel Fleury calls the opening an "extended monologue in the style of a stately Sarabande", and remarks that it derives "its curiously hypnotic character" from the rhythmic discrepancy between the 3/4 signature of the melody in the right hand and the 3/8 signature of the accompaniment. (The score, however, shows the lower staff not in 3/8 but, like the upper staff, in 3/4 time, with eighth notes beamed in pairs and not in threes.)

So, who best follows Ravel's intentions?

[smittims]

For me the two 'classics' are Michelangeli and Monique Haas.

It's interesting to note that Leonard Bernstein recorded the work twice , but very few other piano concertos. I've been told that technically speaking it's not a difficult work to play (like the Grieg and several Mozarts) whatever the difficulties of interpretation. .

[oliver sudden]

I've been told that technically speaking it's not a difficult work to play

If I understand correctly, Ravel tried to make it easy enough that he could play it himself… alas apparently without success.

[mikealdren]

IIRC Martha Argerich won last time, I still prefer Michelangeli as he achieves such a marvellous atmosphere in the slow movement even though the 1957 sound is nowadays only adequate.

[Barbirollians]

I have tried many a new version over the years - lots of them very good ( in particular Zimerman and Wang ) but Argerich and Michelangeli remain way out in front to my ears - and Argerich just shades it for me in her original recording with Abbado that slightly less steely fingered warmth of her recording being the edge.

What is striking is that very rare thing nowadays both those classic recordings remain available on a single mid priced CD from DG and Warner respectively.

[Pulcinella]

YouTube with score versions here.

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli/Philharmonia Orchestra/Ettore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RERNtKa5M4

Krystian Zimerman/Cleveland Orchestra/Pierre Boulez
(misattributed to the LSO in the accompanying text)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSLgsg6NJKM

[gurnemanz]

Which of the many newcomers this anniversary year will make the shortlist, and which old favourites won't?

I'll be surprised if François-Xavier Poizat with Philharmonia Orchestra under Simone Menezes does not come into consideration. I got his excellent new complete Ravel piano collection on Aparté earlier this year.

Strangely, this was my first Ravel PC recording acquired for over 50 years since the classic Bernstein LP coupled with Shostakovich Second on CBS. I was happy with that for several decades. I see it now comes with Gershwin.

[Pulcinella]

I'd expect
Cédric Tiberghien, Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9318525--ravel-concertos-pour-piano-melodies

to feature too, unless Roth is now deemed a persona non grata.

[Petrushka]

I only have Argerich/Abbado and Entremont/Philadelphia/Ormandy unless there are others lurking in boxed sets. The only reason I have the Ormandy is because it's included in the Sony Boulez box coupled with the Boulez recording of the Left Hand Concerto.

[Pulcinella]

I only have Argerich/Abbado and Entremont/Philadelphia/Ormandy unless there are others lurking in boxed sets. The only reason I have the Ormandy is because it's included in the Sony Boulez box coupled with the Boulez recording of the Left Hand Concerto.

There are two Argerich/Abbado recordings:

Martha Argerich, Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado (DG, 1967)
Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DG, 1984)

I think that it's the earlier one that's considered the yardstick.

[Petrushka]

There are two Argerich/Abbado recordings:

Martha Argerich, Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado (DG, 1967)
Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DG, 1984)

I think that it's the earlier one that's considered the yardstick.

I've got them both as they are in the huge Abbado box which sits on my listening room floor, weighs a ton and has discs which are impossibly difficult to extract with any comfort!

[Barbirollians]

There are hatfuls of live Argerich recordings too - lots have much to give but none have surpassed the Berlin Phil Abbado from the 1960s IMO.

I had it originally in the DG Galleria issue with solo piano Ravel .

[Pulcinella]

I've got them both as they are in the huge Abbado box which sits on my listening room floor, weighs a ton and has discs which are impossibly difficult to extract with any comfort!

And I've just realised that I've got another Argerich recording of the work, in the Warner Complete Ravel box (not so unwieldy):
Martha Argerich, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Alexander Vedernikov

That box also contains the early (1932) recording 'supervised' by the composer:
Marguerite Long, Orchestra, Pedro de Freitas-Branco