Customer Reviews

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concertos

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alicia de Larrocha's place in the pianistic history of the twentieth century is by now assured. Still, within the great many areas of the repertory she does well there are those that stand out.

The Spanish pianist's style seems especially suited to the polished perfection of Maurice Ravel's piano music, as this recording of the two concertos and two well-known solo works amply demonstrates. There are pianists who capture the jazzy swagger of the outer movements of the G major Concerto with more unbuttoned glee, and those who revel in the Gothic melodrama of the left-hand work with greater abandonment, but overall de Larrocha's traversal of both works is unmatched in poise and elegance. She projects the long opening solo of the Adagio assai of the G major Concerto with a nobility and poignance that brings a tear to the eye. Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony seem totally attuned to the soloist's sensibility and play with panache.

The aforementioned qualities are even more evident in the smaller-scaled solo piano works, which in de Larrocha's hands are sheer sonic delight. All in all, the label of "essential recording" is for once an accurate one for this wonderful CD.

Ravel's piano concertos have always been hard pieces to perform. There have not been too many performances that have really just floored me. There are two exceptions: the team of Roge/Dutoit and Zimerman/Boulez, but special mention also goes to Argerich/Abbado who captures some magic with "Piano Concerto In G major."

There is a lot wrong with this recording. The first problem is Alicia de Larrocha's piano playing. She may have been a great pianist in the past, but her performance here is severally lacking fire and passion. The other reviewer points out that she is elegant. I certainly agree with this, but elegance doesn't mean that much in the performance of a concerto. I view Ravel's piano concertos as more of an extension of his love for jazz than anything elegant. Jazz is rough around the edges and I feel these concertos to be the same way. They demand flawless execution and a certain kind of feeling. I'm afraid de Larrocha fails in execution of these pieces. Like for example, I can hear many mistakes in execution in the third movement of "Piano Concerto in G major."

The second problem lies within Slatkin. He simply does not understand these pieces or has the grasp of them the way Dutoit, Boulez, and even Abbado does. He fails to see the big picture, which is, that Ravel should never be handled in a carefree way. His overall feel for these pieces is also disappointing. Ravel is a meticulous composer who is a master of orchestration. Slatkin makes him sound as if he was just a composer with nothing important to say.

I would save your money and go for the Dutoit, Boulez, and Abbado.