Favorite Ravel Piano Concerto

[johntpt]

Ravel's Piano Concerto is one of my favorite concertos in the repertoire to play. The trumpet has a brilliant solo part that can be very tricky, but also a lot of fun.

The opening solo from this piece shows up on most trumpet auditions as well. They love to put this one on the first round. My theory is that it is over quickly, in about 15 seconds or so, and it eliminates a lot of people. In the heat of the moment at an audition it is easy to crack a few notes or to have less than rock solid rhythm, and commitees like excerpts that eliminate a lot of candidates quickly!!

Unlike many popular trumpet excerpt pieces, there aren't 5 Chicago Symphony recordings, or a famous Phil Smith recording, or Tommy Stevens, etc.

I have 2 favorites. One features Mike Sachs with Cleveland, Krystian Zimerman on piano, conducted by Pierre Boulez. Sachs is the man! The tempo is comfortable, not too fast, about where it usually goes, and Sachs sounds great.

The other features Jim Thompson with Montreal, Pascal Roge on piano, conducted by Charles Dutoit. Here the tempo is a little faster, definitely a double tongue speed, and Thompson plays with just the right flair. Very exciting!

If you want to hear this piece go about as fast as possible, check out a 1940 broadcast with the Concertgebouw and Cor de Groot conducted by Eduard van Beinum. Here the first movement lasts just 8:08, and the whole piece comes in under 21 minutes!

What are your favorites?

JU

[ZeroMan]

My favorite is the Dutoit/Montreal (Roge soloist) with James Thompson. I also have a later Dutoit/Montreal recording (Thibaudet soloist), recorded in late '90s. I'm guessing it's Paul Merkelo playing the trumpet part on that one, but I could be way off. In any case, and no slight intended to the principal trumpeter on the later recording, I prefer Thompson's rendition. At certain points his playing sounds enjoyably impish. He sounded like he was having a blast too. How in the world do they manage that fast mute change in the opening part of the trumpet solo?!

_________________
Peace & Love,

Thos.

[ This Message was edited by: ZeroMan on 2003-07-26 18:51 ]

[Mzony]

I too adore the Montreal/Dutoit recording with Thompson. However, there are two recordings I also like.

1) Cleveland/Szell with Adelstein playing. This recording has been released anew on CD by the Sony Classics label. Not only is it fab, but it is cheap.

2) There is a label that is putting out broadcasts of vintage Boston Symphony performances and there is one with Charles Munch conducting and Roger Voisin is the trumpeter. This might be the most exciting performance of this piece I have ever heard...and it is a live performance.

In general the BSO of the past did the best recordings of the french repertoire that I have ever heard.

Mike

[redface]

[robert_white]

I heard this on NPR's Performance Today last night. It was the Buffalo Phil. with Cecile Licad on piano. I can say with certainty that it was the fastest performance of the first movement I've ever heard! By the end of the movement, I think they were around mm=156 or so.

Presumably, my old classmate at Western Michigan Alex Jokipii was playing trumpet on this one. If you're out there, Alex, great job!

Bob

[ This Message was edited by: on 2003-07-31 12:22 ]

[Brewblue1]

Presumably, my old classmate at Western Michigan Alex Jokipii was playing trumpet on this one. If you're out there, Alex, great job!

Ah, the days of playing with Alex in the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra...remember those Bob?

Seriously, Alex Jokipii is a fantastic trumpet player. Phil Smith comes to mind when I hear him play!


John
_________________
John Marchiando
University of New Mexico
New Mexico Philharmonic
Shires Artist
Tromba Mundi
Summit Brass