![]() All these, together with Thibaudet's discs, represent the creme de la creme.' Gilels's deleted New York Carnegie Hall recital performances of Jeux d'eau and the Pavane on RCA are also instances of a great Russian pianist's sympathy for the French idiom. ![]() When he originally reviewed the album in 1992, Morrison usefully summed up what he saw as the (then) competition on record: 'No Ravel piano collection would be complete without a Gaspard from Argerich (DG, 12/87), Pogorelich (DG, 11/84), Gavrilov (EMI, 4/88), Ashkenazy (Decca, 6/85) and Nojima (Reference, 10/90) and, dividing the issue still further, the ''Prelude'' and ''Toccata'' from Le tombeau de Couperin from Casadesus (Sony Classical) and Gilels (Olympia, 11/88) respectively. Jean-Yves Thibaudet's album was critic Bryce Morrison's top choice in his 2008 Gramophone Collection article surveying recordings of Ravel's complete piano music. ![]() No one who loves French music or exquisite piano-playing will want to miss this.' But for my ears, Chamayou brings everything home in a way that is deeply personal, vivid, unique. The first of two discs dedicated to Ravel's complete solo piano music in this list, Bertrand Chamayou's album for Erato was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award in 2016 and our critic, Patrick Rucker, was full of praise: 'Superlative Ravel seems almost in abundance these days – think Bavouzet, Thibaudet, Queffélec or Lortie. Zimerman’s phenomenal pianism sets its own agenda and brings its own rich rewards he has a place of honour in that exalted company.' For the Left-Hand Concerto I admire the suavity and ravishing textures of Louis Lortie. Our original reviewer, David Fanning, placed the recording in context: 'In the G major Concerto I’ll still turn happily to Argerich for mischief and abandon, and to Michelangeli for breathtaking eloquence in the slow movement. Winner of a Gramophone Award in 1999, Zimerman and Boulez are an unstoppable combination in this music. Krystian Zimerman pf Cleveland Orchestra / Pierre Boulez This improvisatory approach is hardly surprising from an ensemble that is also celebrated for its jazz performances.' Critic Rob Cowan noted that 'There’s a fluidity to the Ebène’s playing of both works that suits the music’s character, a mood of wistfulness too that the Ravel especially benefits from. Gramophone's Recording of the Year in 2009, Quatuor Ebène's album also includes quartets by Debussy and Fauré. Read the full Gramophone Collection article Clark concluded: 'Boulez’s forensic 1974 performance delves deeper than any other into Ravel’s sleight-of-orchestral-hand and layerings of harmony – a probing shaft of light into Boléro’s inventive, one-off weirdnesses.' The top choice in Philip Clark's 2010 Gramophone Collection article surveying all of the important recordings of Ravel's most famous work. To find the perfect subscription for you, simply visit: .uk/subscribe Subscribing to Gramophone is easy, you can choose how you want to enjoy each new issue (our beautifully produced printed magazine or the digital edition, or both) and also whether you would like access to our complete digital archive (stretching back to our very first issue in April 1923) and unparalleled Reviews Database, covering 50,000 albums and written by leading experts in their field. ![]() We have been writing about classical music for our dedicated and knowledgeable readers since 1923 and we would love you to join them. There is a mix of classic recordings (Crespin's Shéhérazade from 1963, Boulez's 1974 Boléro) and very recent releases (Roth's Daphnis et Chloé from last year) so there should be something new and interesting to discover for even long-time Ravel lovers. But here is a selection of 10 outstanding recordings that are sure to offer many hours of listening pleasure. By its very nature, no Top 10 list could hope to include all of the wonderful recordings of Ravel's music that we have available to us today.
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