Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. À la manière de Chabrier
2. A la maniere de Borodine
3. No. 1, Modere
4. No. 2, Mouvement de Menuet
5. No. 3, Anime
6. No. 1, Noctuelles
7. No. 2, Oiseaux tristes
8. No. 3, Une barque sur l'ocean
9. No. 4, Alborada del gracioso
10. No. 5, La vallee des cloches
11. No. 1, "Pavane de la Belle au Bois dormant"
12. No. 2, "Petit Poucet"
13. No. 3, "Laideronnette, Imperatrice des Pagodes"
14. No. 4, "Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bete"
15. No. 5, "Le jardin feerique"
16. Habanera

Disc 2:

1. Prelude
2. Fugue
3. Forlane
4. Rigaudon
5. Menuet
6. Toccata
7. No. 1, Ondine
8. No. 2, Le gibet
9. No. 3, Scarbo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14655 in Music
• Released on: 1998-06-16
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered

Customer Reviews

History, Art, Science, Friendship
How do I admire this recording, let me count the ways... (please pardon the awful Elizabeth Barret Browning misquote) To begin with, on the pianist, Robert Casadesus, other than Ravel himself, he is the premier interpreter of his work. Not only that, he was also a close friend and one of the few present at Ravel's meager funeral.

On the recordings themselves, they are of a superlative quality. What many interpreters today try to do is make a melodrama of everything. They forget that the composer himself drew inspiration from the machines of the time (his father was an engineer) and thus lose some of the forcefulness and directness of the works. Unfortunately, many today try to drown them in fluff and emotion.

Another added benefit of these recordings is the convenience of having them all in one set, digitally remastered of course. As a Ravel fan , I heartily recommend these to all who admire the composer, the pianist, or most importantly, beautiful music.

THE Interpretation
This is the best recording of Ravel for piano! It is full of the sensitive nuance that french impressionistic music requires. I had this recording on LP, and am ecstatic to find it is now available on CD. I had bought another full CD recording by another highly regarded pianist which is not of the same caliber of playing as the Casadesus. I cannot do without the Casadesus recording!

Excellent interpretations of Ravel
My favorite interpretation of Tombeau de Couperin esp the prelude which dances over the notes like a wildly bubbling stream. I prefer this to the orchestrations which are all you generally hear of Ravel. Superb! It is probably out of print but I have bought this recording several times because I can't bear to be without it.