Search - Maurice Ravel, John Barbirolli, Hallé :: Ravel Plays Ravel (Original Piano Rolls)

Incorrectly regulated piano roll reproducing mechanism

Alexander Keitel | 12/04/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Not only is the toccata performed by Robert Casadesus and not by Ravel, as the recording states, but the Duo-Art rolls which were used to make this recording has been shown by historians to be _incorrectly calibrated_ (in the Ronald Woodley article in the cambrige compainion to ravel, p222) and therefore absurdly and grotesquely twisted.



There are recordings available with these rolls correctly calibrated and they are *wonderful* (the "masters of the piano roll" cd issued recently by dal segno)

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don't let the cheap price fool you: Ravel would be seriously angered to have this recording attributed to him."

Only Ravel Knew!

C. Hsieh | San Diego, CA USA | 05/08/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"There is some doubt about this "historical" recording. The title of the CD is "Ravel plays Ravel". Except what you read from the Amazon website, you couldn't find any information about the recording in the accompanying pamphlet or on the CD itself. There is no name for the orchestra that played the Bolero, you are not sure whether Ravel was the conductor to this anonymous orchestra or he was just a cymbals player sitting in the back of orchestra. For the solo piano pieces, it didn't say it was from live recordings or piano rolls. All the accompanying pamphlet said is just a brief generic biography of Ravel. Only two out of the seven works mentioned are actually on the CD. The copyright of this recording is "1995 Delta Music", Delta Music is a seldem heard name. The CD is issued by a truly budget label - "Laser Light Digital". You certainly get a bottom budget price on this CD, but whether it is historical or not? only Ravel knew!"

Ravel as Ravel intended

Bruce Gray | Shenandoah Valley, VA, USA | 12/28/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD cotains something that we normally do not get a look at - five works as they were actually performed by the original composer.The "Bolero" that begins this recording, however, is by the Halle Orchestra under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. Although not the best recording of "Bolero" (that distinction belongs to Pierre Boulez and the Berlin Philharmonic), it is certainly up to the standards of the remainder of the album.And it is the rest of the numbers on this CD that give it the distinction it deserves. Transcribed and transferred from original piano rolls that had been manufactured from Ravel's own hand, these recordings are a rare look at musical works that were composed =and= played by the composer."Pavanne for a Dead Princess" starts the show, followed by "Valley of the Bells", a toccata from "Le Tombeau de Couperin", "The Gibbet", and "Sad Birds". There five recordings show students how Ravel himself would have played his own pieces. These five recordings are what make this album a "must buy" for students and fans of Ravel and a worthy addition to the classical library, especially for classical radio stations."