Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Gaspard de la Nuit [19:54]
Piano Concerto in G [21:55]
Valses Nobles et Sentimentales [17:00]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Children’s Corner [14:06]
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano)
Philharmonia Orchestra/Ettore Gracis
rec. live: February 12, 1952, location unknown (Valses), London 1958
(concerto), May 22, 1960, location unknown (Gaspard), June 3, 1960,
Prague (Debussy)
PRAGA PRD/DSD 350 091 
[72:54]
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli at his best can be
unmistakable: the opening bars of “Ondine,” in this 1960
recording of Gaspard de la Nuit, are a great example. Such speed
but such accuracy! More or less any pianist who plays this movement
in less than six minutes today will fudge or smear or simplify the insanely
tricky accompaniment in these first bars. They’re a pianist’s
hell; one can hear virtuosos like Freddy Kempf (BIS) utterly humiliated
by them. And yet Michelangeli speeds through them with a precision and
casualness that, taken together, explain his legend.
It’s a great Gaspard all the way. Le Gibet’s
tolling bells are suitably gloomy and terrifying, and Scarbo,
with a teasing pause here, an extra emphasis there, and laser precision
throughout, is outstanding too. This is great playing. It’s his
fastest Gaspard that I’ve heard or heard about and it’s
live.
Not everything on the CD can rise to that level, but it can come close.
Debussy’s Children’s Corner is just a little messy
in comparison, and “Golliwog’s Cakewalk” very matter-of-fact,
but the Ravel concerto is a harmonious union with a conductor, Ettore
Gracis, who shares Michelangeli’s attention for detail. It’s
an exquisite performance of the concerto, but you probably know that
already: it has long been a staple on its original record label, EMI
Classics.
Recording quality varies. Obviously EMI was doing pretty well with the
concerto, given that this was 1958, but the Debussy in 1960 is rather
muffled - partly because of sound reduction software, I suspect. The
Ravel Valses are a bit distant and echo-y, but Gaspard’s
soft fog of tape hiss and glowingly bright piano sound rather suit its
moonlit landscape.
I’m keeping this for the Gaspard. It’s worth it for
that, but the rare Ravel Valses and Debussy may add to the appeal,
even if you already have this legendary reading of the concerto. You
should only hesitate if you have issues with the noise-reduction technology
in fashion with re-mastering engineers these days.
Brian Reinhart
