Customer Reviews

Ravel: Piano Concertos

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Deutsche Grammophon seemed to have forgotten about its single disc "Originals" line recently, concentrating instead on reissuing titles via the "Original Masters" boxed sets and "Musik...Sprache der Welt" series (see my reviews). But all that has changed with a recent batch of ten titles, most of which simply are must buys. One of those essential discs is this one -- pianist Monique Haas performing Ravel's Piano Concertos (and two other works for solo piano) with Paul Paray leading the Orchestre National de la RTF, Paris. These glorious 1965 stereo recordings of a French soloist, conductor and orchestra playing the works of one of France's greatest composers, was obviously done to compete with the celebrated EMI title of six years earlier by Samson Francois (on CD in the GROTC series). Both are wonderful discs, but I still can't give a nod to either ahead of Michelangeli's perfect performance, or even Argerich's account in the DG Originals line. The inclusion here of 1955 mono recordings of Ravel's Sonatine and Valses Nobles to round out the disc are most welcome. All around, a fine CD and a blessing that these magical performances have once more seen the light of day -- keep it up DG!

There is an anomaly in this CD that might not be quite as obvious through loudspeakers as it is when listening through headphones. During certain passages for solo piano, within the concertos, the sound will switch back and forth from stereo to mono. Much of the solo piano from the very beginning of the Adadio assai in the Concerto in G major is in mono, and switches to stereo shortly before the orchestra begins to play. Also, the prolonged solo cadenza near the end of the Concerto for Left Hand seems to switch back and forth between stereo and mono several times. This never happens during orchestral passages, where it would be most noticeable. I'm not sure if this recording was always thus, as I do not have a copy of the original LP. Perhaps this was an attempt by the mastering engineers to salvage a great old recording which was suffering from some deterioration in one channel? If so, it was certainly worth the effort, as it is a wonderfully vivid performance in truly French style and sonority, and it's musical worth transcends, for me, this sonic defect in the recording. I'm certainly keeping my copy of it.