Customer Reviews

Ravel: Sonatas & Trio

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Of all the recordings (and there are now many) of the Capucon brothers, this remains my favorite.
The wonderful intensity, beauty of sound, sometimes edgy interaction between the players (particularly in the Violin and Cello Sonata) and natural musicality of these performances makes
for a wonderful 70+ minutes of listening.

Braley's contribution in the very difficult piano parts is every bit their match, as is the
wide-ranging Virgin recorded sound.

There are many outstanding versions of these works available. For combination of repertoire,
performance and recorded sound, this cd stands very high on the recommended list!

If you do not know Ravel's chamber music, this cd and a recording of the String Quartet are
the way to begin exploring. Enjoy!

A very beautiful recording. Magical moments of lyrical sensitivity are handsomely complimented by passages of thrilling virtuosity and robust outbursts of passionately emotive playing. Ravel's genius is marvelously and adequately represented by this superb trio.

Maurice Ravel remains a composer whose works are part of the programming of every orchestra in the world and his chamber works are also popular among soloists and ensembles. The Piano Trio is surely one of his very finest compositions and on this recording something magical happens: the trio becomes ethereal and enters a realm of pure beauty that rarely occurs in the manner that it does here. The reason lies in the strengths of the three performers - Renaud Capuçon, violin, Gautier Capuçon, cello, and Frank Braley, piano. And the Trio is only openers - the remaining works on the inordinately beautiful CD are equally as impressive.

Renaud Capuçon and Frank Braley offer the Sonata for Violin and Piano with all the tongue in cheek humor and jazz influence that Ravel embraced. Then the brothers Renaud Capuçon and Gautier Capuçon are alone for the Sonata for Violin and Cello and a better interplay of the instruments of the work could not be imagined. The recital closes with the gorgeous 'Sonata Posthume for Violin and Piano' written in 1897 but not published until 1975, is lush and impressionistic and gives the violin a soaring, high-flying line. The piece is an appropriate conclusion for a wonderful recording. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 11