Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte; Tombeau de Couperin

On this CD:

1. Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon & piano
Composed by Andre Caplet

2. Le tombeau de Couperin, for orchestra
Composed by Maurice Ravel

3. Pavane pour une infante défunte, for piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Maurice Ravel

4. Ma mère l'oye, ballet for orchestra
Composed by Maurice Ravel

Tracks:

Bolero
Alborada del gracioso
Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): Prelude
Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 1 Tableau: Andse du rouet et Scene
Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 2 Tableau: Pavane de la Belle du bois dormant
Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 3 Tableau: Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bete
Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 4 Tableau: Petit Poucet
Ma Mere I'Oye (Complete Ballet): 5 Tableau: Laideronette, Imperatrice des pagodes
Une Barque sur l'ocean
Rapsodie espagnole: Prelude a la nuit - Malaguena - Habanera - Feria

Tracks:

La Valse
Pavane pour une infante defunte
Le tombeau de Couperin: Prelude
Le tombeau de Couperin: Forlane
Le tombeau de Couperin: Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin: Rigaudon
Valses nobles et sentimentales: Modere - Assez lent
Valses nobles et sentimentales: Modere - Assez anime
Valses nobles et sentimentales: Presque lent - Azzez vif
Valses nobles et sentimentales: Moins vif - Epilogue
Menuet antique
Fanfare pour 'L'Eventail de Jeanne
Daphnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2): Lever du jour
Daphnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2): Pantomime
Dapnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2): Danse generale

Customer Reviews:

Simply wonderful!.......2007-01-09

If you are a music buff like myself ( and I do like all kinds of music ), than what's not to like about The Boléro, by Ravel? And I don't buy into that hog-wash of a story that Ravel wrote this piece in the beginning of dementia...gimmie a break and give that man credit where credit is due.....The Boléro is a master piece! Ok...my review: It was a pleasure to shop for this Cd on Amazon ( after a disappointing search in a main music store )I found what I was looking for, ordered it and anxiously waited it's delivery, which was only about 5 days. The Cd was delivered in tip-top shape and I have enjoyed repeated plays of The Boléro! ( if it were an LP, the grooves would have been worn down by now! ) Today...it's back to classic rock for me. I would surely order from Amazon again!

quiet time reorganization of the mind.......2007-01-05

Have listened to this over the years from a teen who couldn't understand why anyone would write something so slow and repetitive, to a young married who now understood a vehicle for passion in a world filled with disraction, to a person who hears the joy and passion and struggles of a composer and appreciates the pain as a growth process for humans. Tenderly,hot,good stuff.More please.

Sumptuous.......2007-01-04

To heck with arguments about Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, etc. Ravel's Bolero was the first ever piece of rock music, so there. This version by Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony totally nails it, always been my favorite version. The trick is to not let things get over the top as the intensity heightens. Flawless readings of the Rapsodie Espagnole and La Valse to boot makes this an essential disc. This is all the evidence you need that Charles Dutoit is the greatest living Ravel interpreter.

You never have enough Ravel - just never........2006-01-15

This two disk set is one of those that you should add to your collection because it is wonderful music, sounds great, and is extremely affordable. Everyone knows and loves "Boléro". Commissioned by Ida Rubinstein as a ballet and premiered in 1928 was not a musical success. At another performance, led by Toscanini, Ravel complained that the tempo was too fast. Toscanini replied that it was the only way to save the work. But it soon became a mass success to Ravel's surprise and consternation. He felt they loved it for all the wrong reasons. The violinist Hélène Jourdan-Morhange relates this interesting story of one incident involving the work:

"Ravel was extremely surprised at the mass success of "Boléro" `They're going to turn it into another "Madelon", he said, rather crossly; and deep down he felt that the obsessive, musico-sexual element in the piece was probably behind its enormous popularity. But one old lady was proof against the contagion. Ravel's brother Edouard saw her, at the first performance, wedged tightly in her seat shouting above the applause `Rubbish! Rubbish!' Maurice, when informed by his brother, replied mysteriously: `That Old Lady got the message!'" from Ravel et nous 1945 page 166.

The other works on this disk are more substantive than the 15-minute crescendo and its constantly changing orchestral colors. The entire "Mother Goose" ballet - who doesn't love this? Although you usually here it performed as the suite. The "Rhapsodie Espagnol" is a favorite and delivers that wonderful Spanish flavor with a French sauce.

"Le tombeau de Couperin" and "Valses nobles et sentimentale" are orchestrations of major piano works (with some alterations in the tombeau) (there are other pieces on these disks that also began as piano works) that are probably more well known to the general public as orchestral works. However, they are very essential works in the pianist's repertoire, and I encourage you to get to know them in that form as well.

"La Valse" is really two things. There is a tribute to Johann Strauss. Ravel admitted that every composer wanted to write a very good waltz, but that it was very difficult. So, he wrote this symphonic waltz as a tribute. However, the second half is something else, is it not? There is decadence and a madness to it that seems like a nightmare to me. As if we are all trapped in this thing until everything falls apart with pain and loss into nothing. A fascinating piece.

There are other small and popular pieces on this disk that are all done well.

Recommended!

The Best of Ravel By Master Conductor And Orchestra.......2005-11-10

French-Canadian conductor Charles Dutoit and the Motneral Symphony Orchestra deliver what is the most musically satisfying collection of Ravel Bolero's French music. At a fine price, this is a fine jewel, with moments that sparkle and burn with a beautiful fire. The first track is of course the famous Bolero, with its hypnotic, singular theme that is expanded into a climatic crescendo which is overtly sexual, primal and sensuous. It was originally a ballet about a Spanish dancer (dancing the bolero of course) in a bawdy cafe. She is spurred on to dance even more erotically by the lusty men until we can assume the men can take no more. The Rhapsody Espagnole is an evocative portrait of Spain, with lyrical passages and tonal beauty. The Valse is another classic of French music of the early 20th century. Ravel's mother had died prior to the premiere. It is a slow, romantic waltz that escalates into a frenzied dance of death. In musical terms, there is nothing too different from La Valse and Bolero. They are both basically one motif that is repeated but changes in volume and pacing. The Pavane For A Dead Princess is my favorite work of his. It is possibly the most gorgeous funeral music one will ever hear. Far from being a melancholy piece, it is a stately, Renaissance-like work that pays homage to exoticism of the East and Romanticism of the West. The Dead Princess we assume is either Moorish or Spanish and the music is lilting and spiritual without ever reaching the heights of frustration or despair that Bolero or Valse take on. The Tomb of Couperin is also a funereal piece but its beauty lies in its imitation of Baroque music. Couperin was a Baroque composer of keyboard works. The music is aptly called neo-baroque or neoclassical since it was composed in the 20th century. This same style is embedded in Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales and Minuet Antique- all works that reflect the music of the Baroque and classical eras, an homage to Handel and Gluck. Daphne Et Cloe is perhaps his most ambitious work, as it expands on the Baroque classic and makes it more operatic and orchestrally grander. All fans of Ravel will want to own this recording. Dutoit knows this music down to a T and the orchestra captures nuance and subtlety in a variety of both light and dark textures. The music is brimming with life and the sound is crisp and beautifully remastered.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding performance
tour de force
Ravel Piano Works- Pascal Roge
Beautiful Works, Excellent Performance

Ravel: Piano Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Debussy: Piano Works
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ASIN: B00000422W
Release Date: 1994-11-15

Tracks:

Gaspard de la nuit: I Ondine
Gaspard de la nuit: II Le Gibet
Gaspard de la nuit: III Scarbo
Valses nobles et sentimentales: I Modere, tres franc
Valses nobles et sentimentales: II Assez lent, avec une expression intense
Valses nobles et sentimentales: III Modere
Valses nobles et sentimentales: IV Assez anime
Valses nobles et sentimentales: V Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime
Valses nobles et sentimentales: VI Vif
Valses nobles et sentimentales: VII Moins vif
Valses nobles et sentimentales: VIII Epilogue, lent
Jeux d'eau
Miroirs: I Noctuelles
Miroirs: II Oiseaux tristes
Miroirs: III Une barque sur l'ocean
Miroirs: IV Alborada del gracioso
Miroirs: V La Vallee des cloches

Tracks:

Sonatine: I Modere
Sonatine: II Mouvement de menuet
Sonatine: III Anime
Le tombeau de Couperin: I Prelude
Le tombeau de Couperin: II Fugue
Le tombeau de Couperin: III Forlane
Le tombeau de Couperin: IV Rigaudon
Le tombeau de Couperin: V Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin: VI Toccata
Prelude
Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn
A la maniere de Borodine
Menuet antique
Pavane pour une infante defunte
A la maniere de Chabrier
Ma Mere L'Oye: Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant
Ma Mere L'Oye: Petit Poucet
Ma Mere L'Oye: Laideronnette, imperatrice des pagodes
Ma Mere L'Oye: Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bete
Ma Mere L'Oye: Le Jardin feerique

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding performance.......2005-11-29

I have to concur with Del Dotto's opinion in the yr 2000, this is as close to definitive as possible.
But why stop at just 1 excellent recording, also consider Jean Efflam Bavouzet on the MDG label. As well another definitive recording (yes its possible to have more than just one definitive) is Alexandre Tharaud's recent recording on Harmondo Mundi.

Pascal Rouge, a true master in Ravel, a very rare talent in the recording industry.

tour de force.......2005-04-20

Pascal Roges recordings of Ravels great piano works serves as a honest mark of the music that never was, but perhaps might have been. Gently capturing the sheltered aura of pre-novelite Chopin, whilst endowing the music with the acousto-eco-hyperbolies of Keats, this recording is not to be missed. one can almost sense the tragic embrace that beheld Toffy and Dolly in that one moment, that one eternal moment. Ah. I shall never forget it. Ravels piano works are, in all senses, composures of 20th century modernity, suffused with the country-stylised effects of, say, Emmylou Harris, and the impecably marked greenhouse-jubilance connecting all the pieces in one final exotic anti-frenzy makes certain implications on ones ability to hate. I dont hate this cd, for example. the best pieces are Jeux d'eau, what a hit! and Le Tombeau de Couperin. Buy this cd and you will/wont be very very happy.

Ravel Piano Works- Pascal Roge.......2002-08-30

Having searched for ages for a definitive recording of the Impressionistic Masterpiece "Gaspard de la Nuit", I found it in this CD. Roge plays the technical inferno of Ondine and Scarbo with flawless taste and passion. This recording would rival that of Martha Argerich's famous recording of Gaspard that has long been thought to be the best. The Tombeau and Sonatine are also very nicely done. Sometimes however, with the smaller lesser known pieces such as the Minuet, you get the sense that he is sightreading, not truely feeling the music. Nevertheless this is a must have.

Beautiful Works, Excellent Performance.......2002-08-27

Together with the 2CD set of Debussy's piano works, these two albums are master recordings of the finest impressionist piano music. Pascal Roge has an astonishing control of the sound of the piano, and can bring out a beautiful palette of various tone colours and moods, orchestrating the piano and creating a dreamworld of sensations. Listen to the wonderful suite Gaspard de la Nuit, the marvellous sonatine (especially the second movement), and of course the mirroirs... This album is a must!

Average customer rating:

Ravel: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002A27
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Bolero
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Alborada Del Gracioso
Rapsodie espagnole: Feria
Le tombeau de Couperin: Rigaudon
La Valse
Piece In The Form Of A Habanera
Mother Goose Suite: The Fairy Garden
Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2: Daybreak
Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2: Pantomime
Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2: General Dance

Average customer rating:

rather dry and unevocative playing
Van Cliburn at his best.
Cliburn's Debussy and Ravel
Romantic Impressions

Van Cliburn - My Favorite Debussy

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Van Cliburn: My Favorite Rachmaninoff
My Favorite Chopin
My Favorite Brahms
Van Cliburn: My Favorite Liszt
The World's Favorite Piano Music

ASIN: B00002JXEM
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Douze Etudes, Book I, No. 5: Etude In Octaves
Douze Preludes, Book II, No. 7: The Terrace For Moonlight Audiences
Suite Bergamasque, No. 3: Clair de lune
La plus que lente
Estampes, No. 3: Gardens In The Rain
Reverie
Images, Set I, No. 1: Reflections In The Water
Douze Preludes, Book II, No. 12: Fireworks
Douze Preludes, Book I, No. 8: The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Estampes, No. 2: Evening In Grenada
The Isle Of Joy
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 6: Toccata

Customer Reviews:

rather dry and unevocative playing.......2006-10-04

I feel that Debussy's music requires a very sensitive and free (lots of "rubato") approach that I do not find in Van Cliburn's performances. Unfortunately, I rarely hear a Debussy performance that really sounds "Impressionistic," so perhaps I am expecting too much. But, I can listen to this entire CD and feel that I have not yet heard a single note of Debussy. It is not mysterious, sensitive, and evocative enough for my taste.

Van Cliburn at his best........2006-03-17

As a lover of Debussy's music, I've had a hard time finding recordings that I liked, or that I thought did justice to his work. This album, for me, stands above the rest. Mr. Cliburn gives the best performance of "Clair de Lune" I've ever heard (which is the piece most people will recognize). Others that stood out for me were "Reverie" and "Reflections In the Water." This is a first-class album. It sounds wonderful, with breathtaking performances by a true virtuosic genius.

Cliburn's Debussy and Ravel.......2001-08-20

This beautiful and transporting CD is a "rainy day" favorite of mine. Van Cliburn has created a gorgeous, shimmering watercolor for his listeners' ears. In May of 1998, I heard Maestro Cliburn play many of these works in recital. The two hour recital was sold out and I don't recall hearing a single cough, a rustle of paper or squeak of a chair - we were all completely riveted, completely absorbed in the mood and the music. Maestro Cliburn's gossamer arpeggios in "Reflets dan l'eau" are so liquid, so seamless, one envisions water rippling on a stream; and his sensitive and melancholy "Girl with the Flaxen Hair" is the most beautiful and heart-felt interpretation of this piece that I have heard. Mr. Cliburn makes these pieces look absolutely effortless, yet they are among the most difficult in piano repertoire. I look upon each of these tracks as a mini-masterpiece. No one plays the Impressionists with the sensitivity, the poetry of Van Cliburn. Although the overall mood is one of melancholy, Cliburn never lets the music become too sweet. In fact, just as Maestro Cliburn's beautiful music lulls one into a sleepy reverie, his powerful and spine-chilling keyboard run in Debussy's "Fireworks" catapults one right of it - a playful "Gotcha!" from one of the truly Great Pianists.

Romantic Impressions.......2000-08-01

When one thinks of Van Cliburn one usually thinks of the power of Rachmaninoff or Tchaikovsky. Fortunately, this beautifully remasterd collection of impressionistic pieces from Debussy and Ravel done in the 1970's gives us a look at a different side of his virtuosity. The power is there but tempered in a beautiful way. The dynamics are more sensitive than I have heard before and so I'm hearing new views of this music. I purchased this out of curiosity, and the music is not my favorite, but it is wonderfully executed and not cloying as these pieces are sometimes played. I would highly recommend this recording.

Average customer rating:

CD- "Dinner Classics: THe French Album"
PAR EXCELLANCE!
It will grow on you
French Essentials
CBS Masterworks French Album

Dinner Classics: The French Album

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026XN
Release Date: 1990-05-17

Tracks:

Arabesque No. 1
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Le tombeau de Couperin: V - Menuet
Pelleas et Melisande: II - Fileuse
Pavane pour une infante defunte
The Birds: La Colomba
Sylvia Suite: II - Intermezzo: Valse lente
Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle
Faust Ballet Music: V - Moderato con moto
Damnation Of Faust: Ballet Of The Sylphs
Pelleas et Melisande: III - Sicilienne
Petite Suite: En Bateau
Suite Bergamasque: Clair de Lune
Pavane, Op. 50
Gymnopedie No. 1
Gymnopedie No. 3
Reverie

Customer Reviews:

CD- "Dinner Classics: THe French Album".......2006-07-03

I have bought 3 of these items, the first was an audio tape from Avon. The 2 CDs I bought from Amazon were bought because I knew how beautiful the music was. One was a gift and the other is for my classroom. They were in perfect condition,the music is incredibly beautiful and I highly recommend it to everyone!

PAR EXCELLANCE!.......2006-03-14

This is one of the best classical cd's for dinner music, relaxing,reading or even just putzing around the house. Elegant, pure classical and beautiful. Fills your home with a higher ambience if you are so mentally inclined. Everyone who hears it wants a copy. This the third one I have owned as I have worn out and given away one. I first purchased this in the early nineties and it still is timeless in it's symphonic artistry.

It will grow on you.......2005-12-11

I didn't know what I was getting when I first purchased this work. Now, I can't imagine being without it. Debussey's Claire De Lune is the best I've heard. This is the same piece that was used on the movie "The Right Stuff". I believe you will enjoy this compilation.

French Essentials.......2001-12-07

Maybe the best compositions of the impressionist epoca.
It includes the best performances of Debussy pieces I've ever listened.

CBS Masterworks French Album.......2001-12-07

This is a great starter CD to buy if you're just beginning to build your classical music collection. It only covers French composers, and the melodies are superb. When I bought this CD I was looking for the Debussy Arabesques, but arranged for an orchestra instead of just for piano. It turnes out THIS was the CD I was searching for without even knowing the title to it! Reason being, a few tracks from this CD is used as background music for a 15 minute presentation of the daily Holy Rosary on EWTN, the Catholic channel. It's the Rosary prayed by what seems to be a 12 year old girl in the middle of a big grass field who starts out praying alone then is joined by several people. The rich melodies complement this presentation very well. No one else has mentioned the fact that in the liner booklet there are several French recipes presented by Martha Stewart! I haven't tried any yet, but they seem easy enough to attempt and enjoy while playing this marvelous CD. I highly suggest purchasing it as a sample of some of the finest French classical pieces ever composed.

Debussy & Ravel: Piano Works - Samson Francois (6 CD's)

Average customer rating:

great pianist!!!!
Yesterday Francois would be celebrating his eighty-two anniversary

Debussy & Ravel: Piano Works - Samson Francois (6 CD's)
Samson Francois , Claude Debussy , and Maurice Ravel
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0002RUAEM
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

1. Danseuses De Delphes
2. Voiles
3. Le Vent Dans La Plaine
4. Les Sons Et Les Parfums Tournent Dans L'Air Du Soir
5. Les Collines D'Anacapri
6. Des Pas Sur La Neige
7. Ce Qu'a Vu Le Vent D'Ouest
8. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
9. La Serenade Interrompue
10. La Cathedrale Engloutie
11. Danse De Puck
12. Minstrels
1. Brouillards
2. Feuilles Mortes
3. La Puerta Del Vino
4. Les Fees Sont D'Exquises Danseuses
5. Bruyeres
6. General Lavine (Eccentric)
7. La Terrasse Des Audiences Au Clair De Lune
8. Ondine
9. Hommage A S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C.
10. Canope
12. Feux D'Artifice

Tracks:

1. Reflets Dans L'eau
2. Hommage A Rameau
3. Mouvement
1. Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
2. Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
3. Poissons D'or
Reverie
1. Andantino
2. Allegretto Scherzando
La Plus Que Lente, Valse
1. Pour Les Degres Chromatiques
2. Pour Les Agrements
4. Pour Les Sonorites Opposees
5. Pour Les Arpeges Composes
6. Pour Les Accords
Masques
L'Isle Joyeuse
Berceuse Heroique

Tracks:

1. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
3. Serenade For The Doll
4. The Snow Is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwogg's Cake-Walk
1. Pagodes
2. La Soiree Dans Grenade
3. Jardins Sous La Pluie
1. Prelude
2. Menuet
3. Clair De Lune
4. Passepied
1. Prelude
2. Sarabande
3. Toccata

Tracks:

1. Allegramente
2. Adagio Assai
3. Presto
Lento/Allegro
1. Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant - Pierre Barbizet
2. Petit Poucet - Pierre Barbizet
3. Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes - Pierre Barbizet
4. Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete - Pierre Barbizet
5. Le Jardin Feerique - Pierre Barbizet

Tracks:

Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
1. Modere, Tres Franc
2. Assez Lent
3. Modere
4. Assez Anime
5. Presque Lent
6. Vif
7. Moins Vif
8. Epilogue: Lent
Prelude
Jeux D'Eau
Menuet Sur Le Nom D'Haydn
1. Noctuelles
2. Oiseaux Tristes
3. Une barque Sur L'Ocean
4. Alborada Del Gracioso
5. La Vallee Des Cloches
Emmanuel Chabrier (Paraphrase Sur Un Air De Gounod)
Borodine

Tracks:

1. Ondine
2. Le Gibet
3. Scarbo
1. Modere
2. Mouvement De Menuet
3. Anime
1. Prelude
2. Fugue
3. Forlane
4. Riguadon
5. Menuet
6. Toccata
Menuet Antique

Customer Reviews:

great pianist!!!!.......2007-02-16

samson was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century his debussy was sublime and his color palete to impresionism is unsurpassed. could someone tell me if these recordings of his debussy are the stereo ones

Yesterday Francois would be celebrating his eighty-two anniversary .......2006-05-19

Samson Francois figure has evidenced slow but increasing enhancement through the years. His notable pianism, aristocratic approach and refined phrasing are some of his virtues.

If you still do not know about this legendary artist, no itý s the time for you to convince by yourself about the supreme level occupied by him.

When he left us in 1970 at his 46, he had so much to give. The musical world remained legitimately orphan and much more vile since his premature death.

But, fortunately his legacy will live among us, every time you listen any record you acquire of this peerless musician.

His Ravel is loaded not only of notable, sensual and asserive expressiveness. If you know about some other performance able to equal his Gaspard de la nuit, please, be my guest.

His Debussy is sober, eloquent with Impresionist flair and sublime musicality.

A true artistic and a fundamental treasure in your collection.

Louis Lortie Plays Ravel's Complete Works for Solo Piano

Average customer rating:

An overlooked set

Louis Lortie Plays Ravel's Complete Works for Solo Piano

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Ravel: Music for Four Hands

ASIN: B0000VM3Y0
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
I Prelude
II Fugue
III Forlane
IV Rigaudon
V Menuet
VI Toccata
Serenade Grotesque
Jeux D'eau
I Adelaide. Modere - Tres Franc
II Assez Lent - Avec Une Expression Intense
III Modere
IV Assez Anime
V Presque Lent - Dans Un Sentiment Intime
VI Vif
VII Moins Vif
VIII Epilogue. Lent
La Valse

Tracks:

I Ondine. Lent
II Le Gibet. Tres Lent
III Scarbo. Modere
Majestueusement
Mouvement De Menuet
Allegro Giusto
Paraphrase Sur Un Air De Gounod - Allegretto
Assez Lent Et Tres Expressif
I Noctuelles. Tres Leger
II Oiseaux Tristes. Tres Lent
III Une Barque Sur L'ocean. D'un Rythme Souple
IV Alborada Del Gracioso. Assez Vif
V La Vallee Des Cloches. Tres Lent
I Modere
II Mouvement De Menuet
III Anime

Customer Reviews:

An overlooked set.......2006-05-04

Lortie's technique is assured and (I say this as a compliment) his approach seems to take Ravel's advice to heart: it suffices to perform the music rather than [over]interpret it. Ranks up there with Simon, Thibaudet, and Casadesus among other sets. Very good recorded sound.

Average customer rating:

Low Price....Low quality
Destined to become a classic
No better deal out there
A must-have cd for piano fans
REGARDLESS OF PRICE, IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS

Ravel: Complete Music for Solo Piano

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Abbey Simon Plays Chopin's Etudes and Waltzes (Complete)
Simon Abbey: Chopin
Rachmaninoff: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra
Fauré: Piano Music complete [Box Set]
Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B000001K24
Release Date: 1992-11-04

Tracks:

Le Tombeau De Couperin
A La Maniere De Borodine
Menuet Antique
A La Maniere De Chabrier
Menuet Sur Le Nom De Haydn
Sonatine
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
Jeux D'eau
Prelude
La Valse

Tracks:

Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales
Gaspard de la nuit: Ondine
Gaspard de la nuit: Le Gibet
Gaspard de la nuit: Scarbo
Miroirs: Noctuelles
Miroirs: Oiseaux tristes
Miroirs: Une barque sur L'ocean
Miroirs: Alborado del gracioso
Miroirs: Le Vallee des cloches

Customer Reviews:

Low Price....Low quality.......2002-05-03

This is not the way Ravel is supposed to be played. It sounds heavy-handed, and too Romantic for my taste. The texture variances and image-making techniques are not there. Also the sound quality is poor. If you just want to know what Ravel's piano music sounds like, then buy it for reference. But if you want to experience the music, I reccomend Martha Argerich.

Destined to become a classic.......2002-01-12

I became familiar with this collection only after I had reviewed Louis Lortie's collection of Ravel's piano music. Although I gave Lortie a 5-star rating, and I believe that still holds true, I reach for Abbey Simon's collection more often. I also indicated that Lortie's recording had become my standard, and I am not sure I would continue to say that -- Simon has challenged Lortie in that position. I completely agree with the previous reviewers who note that this collection is a find at any price, and that the special characteristics of Abbey Simon's artistry finds its most perfect expression in Ravel's piano music

Abbey Simon has long been one of my favorite pianists. As some of the previous reviewers have indicated, he is a master of pianistic color, voicing and tone. His performances almost always have a unique signature that makes them distinguishable from everyone else. His piano, a Baldwin, also seems to have a unique sound -- with a big warm resonant bass and scintillating treble. The Vox analog recordings do a surprisingly good job of capturing his special tone and color. They were always among my favorite recordings even in the days of the LP.

I knew Abbey Simon's recording of Gaspard de la Nuit from about 20 years ago from a Vox LP that also included Valses Nobles et Sentimentales. Despite having heard other performances of Ondine, after listening to Simon I just had to obtain the sheet music to learn the piece myself. I think no higher compliment can be paid to a pianist than that he inspires others to approach the music. More than any other pianist, Abbey Simon has re-introduced a familiar piece to me in a way that makes me want to play it. I fully agree with another reviewer who said that his Chopin recordings are worth obtaining as well.

Abbey Simon is not as well-known as he should be. In years to come, many will look back on his recordings and wonder why he wasn't as prominent as many pianists who currently bask in the limelight. I believe these performances of Ravel, as well as many of his Chopin recordings, will be kept in the catalog for years to come and enjoy special status with listeners far into the future.

No better deal out there.......2001-11-28

More than competent playing. Two full CD's. Though the sound is a bit dry and recessed at times, Simon's tone sparkles enough and comes through when it should (Valses... Gaspard la Nuit, for example). For the price, this double CD cannot be beat. Simon's playing is even and consistent, very scholarly, almost pedantic but never boring, and a great study for those who are interested in learning about Ravel's music, much of which, referring to his symphonic work, pre-existed on the piano.

A must-have cd for piano fans.......2001-10-19

This cd presents Abbey Simon's astonishingly elegant and urbane pianism at its best. He is a perfect match for this repertoire.

No pianist of the past 50 years surpassed Simon's mastery of voicing and color at the keyboard. No matter what other favorite versions you may have, don't fail to purchase this one at its giveaway price.

REGARDLESS OF PRICE, IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS.......2001-06-20

Here's yet another three disc vinyl Vox Box I cut my teeth on, finally transferred to CD in 1991. Growing up, and collecting records like they were going out of style (little did we know!), I must have had no less than four or five complete sets of Ravel's piano music; yet, the one that has remained in my collection is the Simon.

For me, Simon is the consummate Ravel pianist, and I've heard my share of Ravel (obviously). He's got "bite." He's got fluency, like liquid butter. He's got panache and a genuine "feel" for the Ravel idiom (a characteristic many pianists strive for, but never attain, that seems as natural as breathing to Simon); he's got "mystery." He's got charm, and an impish quality, too.

All this adds up to two major points: The Music. And the performer. Ravel and Simon merge seamlessly.

I've never heard a "Valses nobles et sentimentales" played with such verve, such sweep, such depth. Nor a "Tombeau de Couperin" with a mixture of heady expressionism, stealth and an intriguing waywardness.

As well, Simon's "Gaspard" and "Miroirs" are fabulous poetic etchings. And the Sonatine? Superb!

His "Pavane" is exquisitely touching; and "La Valse," thrilling.

The sound belies the age of these recordings: it is well-rounded, full, yet detailed, warm and present. It rivals many of today's high-priced, digital CDs, not only in sound, but performance.

Frankly, regardless of price, this VoxBox two-fer, is a critical Ravel resource, and Abbey Simon an invaluable guide.

[Running time--- CD 1: 65:18 CD 2: 70:11]

Average customer rating:

The only set you need
Outstanding performances at any price
More Evocative than some of Mahler's Symphonies
One stop shopping! Unparalleled Debussy, and excellent Ravel
In Debussy Martinon is unbeatble!

Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Claude Debussy , Jean Martinon , and Orchestre de Paris
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Strauss: Orchestral Works
Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
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Stravinsky: Ballets; Stage Works; Orchestral Works

ASIN: B00006HM8X
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

I: De L'aube A Midi Sur La Mer - Jean Martinon
II: Jeux De Vagues - Jean Martinon
III: Dialogue Du Vent Et De La Mer - Jean Martinon
I: Nuages - Jean Martinon
II: Fetes - Jean Martinon
III: Sirenes - Choeurs De L'Ortf
Prelude A L'apres-midi D'un Faune - Alain Marion
Marche Ecossaise - Jean Martinon
Berceuse Heroique - Jean Martinon
I: Fanfare - Jean Martinon
II: Le Sommeil De Lear - Jean Martinon

Tracks:

Jeux (Poeme Danse) - Jean Martinon
1. Gigues/2. Iberia - Jean Martinon
I: Par Les Rues Et Par Les Chemins - Jean Martinon
II: Les Parfums De La Nuit - Jean Martinon
III: Le Matin D'un Jour De Fete - Jean Martinon
3. Rondes De Printemps - Jean Martinon
Premiere Partie - Jean Martinon
Deuxieme Partie - Fabienne Boury

Tracks:

1. Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum - Jules Goetgheluck
2. Jimbo's Lullaby - Jules Goetgheluck
3. Serenade For The Doll - Jules Goetgheluck
4. The Snow Is Dancing - Jules Goetgheluck
5. The Little Shepherd - Jules Goetgheluck
6. Golliwoggs Cakewalk - Jules Goetgheluck
I: En Bateau - Jean Martinon
II: Cortege - Jean Martinon
III: Menuet - Jean Martinon
IV: Ballet - Jean Martinon
I: Danse Sacree - Marie-Claire Jamet
II: Danse Profane - Marie-Claire Jamet
I: Le Magasin De Jouets - Jean Martinon
II: Le Champ De Bataille - Jean Martinon
III: La Bergerie A Vendre - Jean Martinon
IV: Apres Fortune Faite - Jean Martinon

Tracks:

I: Andante - Allegro - Aldo Ciccolini
II: Lento E Molto Espressivo - Aldo Ciccolini
III: Allegro Molto - Aldo Ciccolini
La Plus Que Lente - John Leach
Premiere Rapsodie Pour Orchestre Avec Clarinette Principale - Guy Dangain
Rapsodie Pour Orchestre Et Saxophone Solo - Jean-Marie Loneix
Khamma - Fabienne Boury
Danse: Tarantelle Styrienne - Jean Martinon

Tracks:

Bolero - Marcel Galiegue
Une Barque Sur L'Ocean (Miroirs: No.3) - Orchestre De Paris
Prelude - Orchestre De Paris
Premier Tableau: Danse Du Rouet Et Scene - Orchestre De Paris
Deuxieme Tableau: Pavane De La Belle Au Bois Dormant - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Troisieme Tableau: Les Entretiens De La Belle Et De La Bete - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Quatrieme Tableau: Petit Poucet - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Cinquieme Tableau: Laideronnette, Imperatrice Des Pagodes - Orchestre De Paris
Interlude - Orchestre De Paris
Sixieme Tableau: Le Jardin Feerique - Orchestre De Paris
Alborada Del Gracioso (Miroirs: No.4) - Andre Sennedat
I: Prelude A La Nuit - Orchestre De Paris
II: Malaguena - Orchestre De Paris
III: Habanera - Orchestre De Paris
IV: Feria - Orchestre De Paris

Tracks:

Sheherazade: Ouverture De Feerie - Orchestre De Paris
La Valse (Poeme Choregraphique) - Orchestre De Paris
I: Prelude - Orchestre De Paris
II: Forlane - Orchestre De Paris
III: Menuet - Orchestre De Paris
IV: Rigaudon - Orchestre De Paris
Menuet Antique - Orchestre De Paris
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - Michel Garcin-Marrou
1. Modere - Orchestre De Paris
2. Assez Lent - Orchestre De Paris
3. Modere - Orchestre De Paris
4. Assez Anime - Orchestre De Paris
5. Presque Lent - Orchestre De Paris
6. Assez Vif - Orchestre De Paris
7. Moins Vif - Orchestre De Paris
8. Epilogue: Lent - Orchestre De Paris

Tracks:

Introduction - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Religieuse - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Scene - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Generale - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Scene - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Grotesque De Dorcon - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Legere Et Gracieuse De Daphnis - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Scene - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Nocturne - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Lente Et Mysterieuse Des Nymphes - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Interlude - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Introduction - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danses Guerrieres Et Diverses - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Suppliante De Chloe - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Introduction - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Lever Du Jour - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Pantomime - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera
Danse Generale - Bacchanale - Choeurs Du Theatre National De L'Opera

Tracks:

Lento - Aldo Ciccolini
Piu Lento - Aldo Ciccolini
Allegro - Aldo Ciccolini
I: Allegramente - Jean-Claude Malgoire
II: Adagio Assai - Jean-Claude Malgoire
III: Presto - Jean-Claude Malgoire
Lento, Quasi Cadenza - Moderato - Itzhak Perlman

Amazon.com

At long last, Jean Martinon's classic EMI Debussy and Ravel cycles from the 1970s have been gathered in a space-saving, budget-priced box set. If you love this repertoire, you'll gasp with joy at the conductor's crystal-clear orchestral balances, which truly reproduce what you see in the printed music. If you respond to a lean, sinewy approach to this repertoire in the manner of Toscanini and Boulez, but pine for the timbral characteristics that used to distinguish French orchestras (silver-coated strings, tart woodwinds, and slightly watery brass) in gorgeous, vibrant sonics, Martinon's your man. Aldo Ciccolini's crisp, diamond-edged finger work stands out in Ravel's two piano concertos and in Debussy's rarely heard Fantasie. The young Itzhak Perlman's dazzling, effortless traversal of Ravel's Tzigane will humble many an aspiring fiddler. And you won't find a more sparkling, translucent Ravel Mother Goose Suite on record. Martinon was a marvel, and a sadly underrated podium giant. Grab this set while you can. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

The only set you need.......2006-01-13

After owning dozens of Debussy, Ravel recordings, all I can say is ,
if you have this set, no need to look further.
My Ingelbrecht sets are good, but Martinon is better.
Forget the Munch and Monteaux, Bernsteins, Levine, Karajan (UUCCKKKK) etc etc.

Outstanding performances at any price.......2005-04-28

This boxed set provides a comprehensive collection of the orchestral works of both Debussy and Ravel. Jean Martinon conducts the Orchestre National de l'ORTF in the Debussy and the Orchestre de Paris in the Ravel pieces. The sound is stunning, and the performances are extraordinarily engaging. I have other sets of music by these composers (Simon and the Philharmonia Orchestra for the Debussy) Michal Tilson Thomas and the LSO as well as Boulez and the Berlin Philharmonic for some of the Ravel pieces (Boulez and the NY Phil for Daphnis and Chloe) but these other sets do not contain all the music in the 8 CDs by Martinon and his orchestras. I agree with the other reviewers who find the Debussy especially compelling. I am listening to La Mer now, and the recording captures the performance perfectly, clearly separating the horns, strings and woodwinds and providing a great balance. This is a very dramatic reading of La Mer! However, I find the Ravel performances equally inspired. The Daphnis and Chloe performance is tremendously exciting, and the ballet Ma Mere l'Oye is exquisite. When I decided to buy this set, I was looking for performances that would give me new insight into familiar works and also introduce me to some musical treats like Debussy's La Boite a Joujoux. I was not disappointed. This set is not just a bargain, it's a real treasure!

More Evocative than some of Mahler's Symphonies.......2005-01-25

I can't exactly visualise the oils of the French impressionists when hearing these pieces. But I do know what the other reviewer is talking about and the point is well made. They are so inspiring and evocative that they touch your heart strings perhaps deeper than most of Mahler's symphonies despite Mahler's gigantic orchetrations! The recorded sound is excellent: and the conductor is obviously gifted and the orchestra is just beautiful despite the fact that I am no big fan of either Ciccolini or Perlman. Believe it or not, in Hong Kong HK Records and HMV are selling the boxset at about 60% of the listed price in US: a real bargain. Grap it while it is still available, particularly those who live in HK.

One stop shopping! Unparalleled Debussy, and excellent Ravel.......2004-11-21

I've treasured both of these cycles since the 1970s when both appeared in single LP installements, each one eagerly awaited with deserved anticipation. To get them both in outstanding remasterings in a bargain priced box set is almost unthinkable. I'd pay twice the price, even more, if I had to for these recordings.

Other recordings of individual works may excel these, like Karajan's La Mer, or Monteux's Daphnis, Haitink's Nocturnes, and so on. But when listened to in such consistent interpretations as these from Jean Martinon, the works as a whole take on a different dimension. Each work is like a chapter in a novel, and they all weave together to make a very satisfying experience that is quite different than one gets with just the individual compositions.

That is especially true of the Debussy.

Two different Orchestras are represented. The Debussy are performed by the French National Orchestra, the Ravel by the more well known Orchestre De Paris, an orchestra that made recordings in those days with such notables as Kerbert von Karajan and Seiji Ozawa. The Debussy, though is actually better executed. The ensemble is tighter, the string tone more sumptuous.

The Debussy has no competition for completeness. No other conductor has traversed the entire orchestral output with the thoroughness that Martinon has. Boulez is probably the closest available. I think very highly of the Boulez recordings, especially the newer ones for DG. But the interpretations lack the unity and consistency that Martinon maintains throughout the cycle.

There is more competition with the Ravel, though. When issued, the cycle was met equally by an excellent set from the Minnesota Orchestra under Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, which came in a box at a lower price. Again, Martinon won my heart for his consistency. The Skrowaczewski was better executed by the Minnesota Orchestra than Martinon's Orchetre De Paris. The EMI sound was better, but back then the quality of the Angel LPs was terrible, so the Skrowaczewski go tthe nod for technical superiority unless you were fortunate enough to get your hands on more expensive import copies of the Martinon. There was a cycle from Ozawa on DG also, but artistically it could not match up with the other two. When CDs were introduced, along came Charles Dutoit and the Montreal SO on London/Decca. And they came with a huge splash and acclaim. I puked! and I have always puked when I hear Dutoit conduct anything, with maybe one or two exceptions. Dutoit makes Ravel sound too smooth and glossy. I do give the Decca engineers great credit for the sound (though the Daphnis gets my vote as the worst CD ever produced, being that it was 55 minutes long with no tracks or indexes!).

Now that EMI have so excellently remastered the Martinon recordings though,the choice for a complete set of the orchestral works is very clear. The experience of Martinon's unified consistent interpretations is not quite the same with Ravel as it is with Debussy, partly owing to a less well formed vision from that composer than Debussy. Debussy was more rigid in his world view and musical thought throughout his life, whereas Ravel wavered in many different directions.

When you consider the price, there no reason to think twice about this set. The accompanying booklet is not extremely comprehensive, but adequate enough.

In Debussy Martinon is unbeatble!.......2004-07-31

Jean Martinon is the last director really inmersed in the impresionist mood . His performances are deeply inspired and above all idiomatic . Marie Claire Jamet in the Sacred Dances is absolutely comitted with the elusive forms and pagan enchantment.
Martinon belonged to that hard to find status conductor who really know to engage with the composer mood . So when he played his music the results were overwhelming . He had a enormous gift to suggest . I still remind The Prokoviev seventh symphony with the Chicago Symphony and I can not get another first movement so well performed , for instance .
Back to Debussy he combines the charm and nuance with that incorporean and elusive approach that Debussy and Ravel demands . I state a parallel (if I may) between Martinon - Debussy and Beecham - Delius in what idiomatism concerns .
When Martinon performs Debussy the paintings of Matisse , Monet and Manet seem to awake and come to our mind .
The prientemps and the children 's corner are absolutely of first rate . The clarinet rhapsody is the best in the market .
In the images I prefer the Ansermet version , but the whole set is fundamental if you enjoy the orchestral music of Debussy.
Notice I have not mentioned Ravel works . I have another name in Ravel : Andre Cluytens . But this is out of context.