While there is no shortage of recordings of selected orchestral
works by Maurice Ravel, a far smaller number of conductors have taken it
upon themselves to record the full set of Ravel’s orchestral works.
This recently reissued three CD compilation of Armin Jordan’s Erato
recordings with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is not a complete survey
of Ravel’s orchestral compositions but includes most of the major
works and adds to the programme the two piano concertos,
Tzigane for
violin and orchestra and the song-cycle for soprano and orchestra,
Shéhérazade. Since this compilation has been released
before, Warner Classics must have decided that it was prime time to reissue
the set once again. Unfortunately, there are no liner notes or booklet in
this budget-style release, though track-listings and times are printed on
the Digipak-style case.
Anyone familiar with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) will
know that it is no stranger to this repertoire. Ernest Ansermet, who founded
the OSR in 1918, recorded most of these works with his orchestra for Decca
in the late 1950s to early 1960s. These recordings, in spite of their
vintage, remain some of the best-loved interpretations and most natural
sounding recordings of these works.
Disc one of this compilation starts off with the warhorse,
Bolero. Clocking in at 14:50, it runs more or less in the middle of
the road in terms of tempo and perhaps even on the swifter side. Among the
versions I own, Lorin Maazel and the New Philharmonia race to the finish
with a time of 13:12 while Jos Van Immerseel and Anima Eterna take their
time at 17:02. Jordan skilfully paces the OSR, incrementally building to the
climax, where the closing measures are powerfully punctuated by growling
brass, crashing cymbals and the deep, visceral impact of the bass drum. The
versions here of
Alborada del Gracioso and
La Valse
won’t supplant my current favourite recordings by Fritz Reiner
(RCA/Sony, 1957) or Jean Martinon (RCA/Sony, 1968) with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra or by Paul Paray with the Detroit Symphony (Mercury, 1962), but
they do sparkle with colour and vitality. The Reiner and Paray recordings,
made during what some consider to be the “golden age” of
classical recording, used minimal microphone placement and have an
especially natural balance that is not as frequently achieved with
today’s day multi-miked digital recording techniques. Armin Jordan
takes a more leisurely tempo in
La Valse (13:09), which doesn’t
quite have the natural momentum of Paray (11:41), whose orchestral attacks
are also more incisive and articulate.
Ma Mère L’Oye
fills out the disc, performed in its abbreviated suite form and with plenty
of orchestral colour.
Disc two showcases the artistry of three soloists, the first of whom
is the French pianist François-René Duchâble, who
gives first-rate performances of Ravel’s two piano concertos.
Just listen to how Duchâble plays the opening solo to the second
movement of the
Piano Concerto in G Major - it’s truly
understated beauty. It’s just a shame that immediately following
his just-about-perfect introduction, the oboist mars the movement by
making an out of tune entrance. In the
Presto movement, Duchâble
takes the tempo just a hair slower than Krystian Zimerman (
Deutsche
Grammophon, 1996) or Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (Chandos, 2011) but delivers
no less rhythmic interest or excitement. The
Tzigane offers violinist
Pierre Amoyal apt opportunity to display his talents, and he gives a
fervent account. Oddly coupled with these two works for solo instrument
and orchestra is
Shéhérazade, based on three poems
by Tristan Klingsor and not to be confused with Ravel’s early
orchestral work,
Shéhérazade: ouverture de féerie.
I admit that I have never been a huge fan of this
Shéhérazade,
but it is performed quite expressively by soprano Rachel Yakar.
Disc three groups three of Ravel’s more substantial orchestral
works,
Suites Nos. 1 and
2 from
Daphnis et
Chloé, the
Rapsodie Espagnole, and
Le Tombeau de
Couperin. All are given solid readings. In
Daphnis et
Chloé, I particularly enjoyed the excitement that the OSR and
chorus generate in the
Danse guerrière (
Suite No. 1)
and
Danse générale (Suite No. 2). The opening of the
Lever du Jour (Suite No. 2), the most beautiful musical depiction of
a sunrise, unfolds naturally but just falls short of the expansiveness heard
in recordings by Martinon and the CSO and Charles Dutoit with the Montreal
Symphony Orchestra (Decca, 1981). The
Rapsodie Espagnole has its
moments but isn’t quite as successful at drawing the listener into its
Spanish sound-world as does Reiner’s account with the CSO.
Le
Tombeau de Couperin starts off with an unhurried
Prélude,
followed by a nicely paced
Forlane. The
Menuet, which could be
a little quicker in tempo, is nevertheless charming in its simplicity. A
jovial
Rigaudon concludes the work and the disc.
Sound quality on all three CDs is clear, well balanced, and natural
sounding with a good dynamic range. Presentation is slightly laid-back,
allowing for the hall acoustics to be nicely captured. Bass extension is
deep with at times quite a visceral impact.
Given the number of outstanding recordings available of this
repertoire, this reissue faces stiff competition. It might serve well as a
decent introductory survey to the orchestral music of Maurice Ravel or
satisfy Ravel completists, but there are still better alternatives out there
if you are looking for a more perfect marriage of performance,
interpretation, and sound quality. For the complete orchestral works, the
EMI stereo recordings of André Cluytens and the Paris
Conservatoire Orchestra from 1962 are a must-hear, not only for
Cluytens’ magical interpretations but also for the characteristic
sound of the PCO of that era. Some mild tape hiss is always present on these
analogue recordings, but don’t let that get in the way of your
enjoyment. Also on
EMI are the 1970s recordings of Jean Martinon and the
Orchestre de Paris, which many consider to be a reference. As mentioned
earlier, Martinon also made a single Ravel recording with the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra for RCA/Sony in 1968 that is excellent and available on
CD. Add to these the superbly recorded set made for
Vox by Stanislaw Skrowczewski and the Minnesota Orchestra (engineered
by Aubort and Nickrenz) and Seiji Ozawa’s set with the Boston Symphony
Orchestra for
Deutsche Grammophon, both from the 1970s. There are two current
projects, one with Leonard Slatkin and the Orchestre National de Lyon for
Naxos and one with Stéphane Denève
and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra for Hänssler Classics. If
Denève has the same talent for Ravel as he did for Debussy and
Roussel, this series may be one to follow closely. For select works, check
out the legendary recordings of Fritz Reiner with the CSO on
RCA/Sony, Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on
Mercury, Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on
RCA/Sony, Pierre Monteux and the London Symphony
Orchestra on
Decca, Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra on
Decca, and Pierre Boulez with the Berlin Philharmonic on Deutsche
Grammophon.
Albert Lam
