Maurice Ravel plays La vallée des cloches from Miroirs

[Soloc24]

First off, Ravel was a COMPOSER who performed. Not a PERFORMER who COMPOSED. It is nice, however, to try and glimpse into what he was looking for when he tried to capture what's in his noodle. Take from an actual composer, composing and performing are COMPLETELY different. Even when I perform my own works, I have to change my mindset in a radical way and am, in my opinion, an inferior performer to a composer.

[misskimberlyblake]

STUNNING. I just went to heaven and back.

[mirkojorgovic]

Ravel was far better pianist than Debussy,Saint-Saens,Stravinsky­; Alexander Scriabine was similar in range

[Maddolis]

@mirkojorgovic Saint-Saens, the incredible virtuoso pianist/composer, or a boy you knew growing up?

[mirkojorgovic]

@Maddolis Saint-Saens did FAST VIRTUOSO,but himself tone-quality was inferior compared to Arthur Rubinstein,Leopold Godowsky or G.G.Neigauz; also Alfred Cortot was excelent tone-quality pianist

[Maddolis]

@mirkojorgovic Ah okay, you probably know more about it than I do.

[mirkojorgovic]

@Maddolis I am pianist and composer; in today time exist great quantity of pianists, but in spite of modern training techical in cause of musician capabilities, percent of tone-quality pianists was greater in first half of XX-century than today; for modern competitors lection is S.Rachmaninoff- he played himself great piano-concertos almoust 100% clean, but with much more MUSIC than modern competitors or members of jury

[chfiesta08]

nice

[victorsj88]

As Horowitz said, a piano is not a typewriter!

[stjn00]

This is clearly not an actual audio recording of Ravel playing but a badly transferred vinyl copy of a Welte-Mignon roll made around 1910. Ravel left public life around 1934, at a time recordings simply didn't sound like this.

[Ludovic98]

On aimerait bien savoir si c'est vraiment Ravel qui interprète cette musique...

[thomasmoredamian]

This is not strictly a Ravel-related comment, but is advice for fans/devotees of all Impressionist/post-Impressioni­st composers: anyone who is a fan of the music of either Debussy or Ravel MUST get hip to the virtuoso performances of Jean-Yves Thibaudet! His recording of Debussy's "Images" is heavenly, and his recordings of Ravel's oeurvre are terrific, too.

[maternalheart66]

@thomasmoredamian His Ravel is very messy from what I've heard, too much rubato. I have a recording of him playing Jeux d'eau, Sonatine etc. and it all had to much rubato. Martha Argerich and Andre Laplante are the best for Ravel in my opinion. 

[patol7d]

@maternalheart66 I agree absolutelly with you!

[Marthinusjacobus]

In a sense music defies categorigal statements. Composers need performers and vice versa. Sviatoslav Richter, Enesco and Mozart had the uncanny ability to see or hear a piece once and then could play it from memory. Mozart wrote his manuscripts with no corrections whereas Beethoven anguished over his scores as can be seen in corrections galore. I'm proud of and elated at our Western culture in which artistic endeaver is allowed to grow and prosper.

[Subineb]

J'émets de sérieux doutes sur l'authenticité de cet enregistrement. A ma connaissance Ravel n'a enregistré ses interprétations que sur rouleaux mécaniques, et celle-ci, qui daterait au plus tard de 1934, me paraît de bien trop bonne qualité sonore.

[wildejag]

One thing I notice is there are a lot of recordings where people are playing the wrong notes. At least this helps put that to rest. Beautiful expressions here. Thanks again Truecrypt! And thank you Maurice Ravel. You have made this even better by playing it yourself.

[kowalityjesus]

uncompromisingly intimate and sublime.  what a great composer.

[flic71]

qui si sentono veramente le campane... che meraviglia...

<3

[palcsi]

I feel the same way about listening to poets reading their own work. I'd prefer to hear Robert Frost read his own poetry than hear Sir Anthony Hopkins read Frost. Does Anthony Hopkins have a better trained voice than Robert Frost? Yes, but Frost is closer to the fire of the intent. 

[thomasmoredamian]

Just marvelous: there is no other composer like him, no other compositions with as more power to hypnotize the listener: not even Debussy can do such a great job of creating a deeper sense of the transformative power of music. 

[Alexmg123]

@thomasmoredamian agreed

[natalyamark]

@thomasmoredamian I agree. I think exactly the same.........

[Vook]

Ravel is just amazing. This has to be one of the most hypnotic piano pieces ever written.

[angeladeniselear]

Ravel plays the music - rather than playing the piano! No empty histrionics or feelings of self-aggrandizement. Just a pity that the piano in the recording was not of first-rate quality - or the recording techniques back then... So-called 'virtuoso' pianists often spend several hours/days and even weeks recording a single work, so all in all... Bravo Mnsr. Ravel !

[PlunderPiano]

If you wake up hearing the sound of bells like every morning you just got to love this masterpiece. It imitates the real sound just perfectly... Amazing!

[peachmelba16]

Transporting.

[flibbertergibbet]

Richter and Argerich and other virtuosi would not exist if it were not for composers of Ravel's calibre. In a sense, all performers are just parasites feeding off the labours of truly musical minds (composersof genius). Ravel may not be a pianist of genius, but he's fifty times the musicians Richter and Argerich are...

[jcwk87]

@flibbertergibbet Comparing performers and composers is like comparing apples and oranges. Sure, performers may seem to be 'less of musicians' than composers, but that doesn't deny the fact that they have impeccable technique and interpretative ability, which is something only attainable through hard work. It takes an equal amount of talent to be a good performer as a good composer. :)

[aladinschneider]

this masterpiece is wellness and chill out pure. Thanks for uploading this jewel.

[honron21]

aldebussy is right, but it doesn't matter, it is incredible that Ravel could write such kind of masterpieces for piano without being a great pianist

[TubularJim183]

Yes... speed and technical brilliance doesn't always make for a heartfelt delivery........ and he delivers!!!!

[themusicdr]

great to hear a composer performing his own work. ravel was a stickler for precion and accuracy and yet his own most severe critic.

this is lovely

[478493]

This is a no-brainer...composers were often good pianists but not in the first rank of virtuosos of their age...Rachmaninoff was an exception as were his forebears,Chopin and Liszt. To rank on Ravel and compare him to Richer and Argerich is ridiculous....he was a composer par excellance whose work is recognizable in one measure and that is all.....what a pleasure to hear him play his own work....if only the technology was there in 1880 to hear Liszt!

[TheAlonetogether]

@478493 Et Ritcher et Argerich comme compositeurs sont des navets à côté de Ravel. Vraiment...

[graysight]

I dont think anyone can match the author in their interpretation as long as they can do it just the way they wanted to be, other pianista is just another interpretation but not the authentic original version, sadly we can not hear chopin nor any other playing. But I think thats the reason why music needs to be played , because the pentagram is unperfect, and also because people likes variations, but in visual arts that can not be achieved, it would be like movies re-makes (as some music interpre

[478493]

@graysight I think the score takes on a life of it's own after the author creates it.....as Liszt said,we are helmsman,not oarsman. It is not a bible but a guide and many players bring out different things that have value.Ravels first great interpreter was Ricardo Vines I believe, who conveyed the composers intentions with the flair of the professional pianist which composers often lack.none the less,the hear the creator play his own music is a wonderful treat packed with insights.

[AMEwrestling]

This is an actual good song and recording. Rarely you hear originals from innovative composers like Ravel, Stravinsky, and Gershwin, but I have now heard the composers themselves.

[MicoMonstrosity]

Its imperfections is what makes it so dream like.

It doesn't need to be perfect to be beautiful.

That's how his music makes me feel.

[TubularJim183]

I love these imperfections. He could play whatever he wanted and I would still love it.

[acortot]

@MicoMonstrosity I don't hear imperfections.. I would call it interpretation or rhythmic elasticity...

an actor's face does not communicate depth unless it is free to alter it's symmetry and become slightly irregular in it's expression. To act using predetermined expressions is basically posing, isn't it?

[CarlHalling]

Ravel's influence on music of diverse kinds from art to popular since his heydey has been little short of monumental. Man I love Ravel.

[dalecampbl5]

that's kind of true...hahah

[OriginalMoonbeam]

One of my favorite Ravel pieces-a dream like quality that makes me feel like I am walking around inside a painting exploring.

[nikinikinikita]

This is very Beautifl By the way I play chopin,Bach,usually one day a pianist came my home and pleyed noizy Ravels,mirror,prokoviev fack over may piano he say chopins etude so good how many times you studied it and he sayed ballad4 no good ,and play Ravel i did not playd ballad was surely no good play because he stand by me ,oh his negative aura! OMG! sorry my poor english

[OriginalMoonbeam]

this is a beautiful piece..it brings so many visual ideas to my mind's eye!

[aardvaark069]

I suspect this to be a piano roll. Sounds a lot like my Duo-art reproducing roll. But maybe not.

[minetto2]

also, his music is not based on a superficial exposition of virtuosity, as sometimes others composers-pianists did (Im thinking of Liszt especially, but he was also a genius in his own right), but Ravel's music is primarily based on interiority

[aldebussy]

lol. Another know-it-all we've got here! Liszt was famous for introducing new harmonies and orchestral effects (not mere virtuosity). De plus, Ravel worshipped Liszt purchasing large quantities of his music and studying them. His Gaspard de la Nuit is based on the music of Liszt and Chopin.

Read a little bit more. And then a bit more. You're bringing yourself down.

AND Ravel was hated people like Wagner who were all for 'interiority' as you call it. He was for melody, simplicity and beauty

[minetto2]

to aldebussy: I don't feel i need to read or know anymore about music but i think you do need to feel more the music and change your nasty attitude toward people that don't think like you. You can reply but i won't, wasted already enough of my time. Poor you, you need to rely on what other people says before you can make up your mind.

[minetto2]

thank you for making that recording available so we can discover not 'only' a composer of genius but also a true ARTIST (see previous comments...) and a fantastic pianist

[aldebussy]

By the way, I worship Ravel.

[smithsherman]

If Ravel were living,he'd probably be posting his perfermances apologetically at Youtube,

praising Michelangeli,Perlemutter,Arger­ich and Gilels...1

[smithsherman]

But they don't get the profundity nearly as well as he.Other than Ravel I've only heard Stutz or Richter equal or surpass this for inner qualities.2

[sidonie3]

inner qualities, yes that's the right expression.

[Ankhsnammon]

Ravel is an ARTIST...the others...safe m,ichelangeli and gilels...only pianists...

ankhsnammon

[ArbiterElegantium]

Only pianists....

It is degrading...

Pianist aren't artists?

It is necessary for them to adapt a piece, to feel it, to do something, something splendid of it... And they are not artists...?

I thought that they deserved at least this statute.

[Ankhsnammon]

there are pianist whom are artists...like rubinstein,richter,cortot,von sauer....

They have the spirit..the soul..the heart...the pain...all that it is necessary for to re-create everything...

I know you are so...like them....like them...

Nina

[ArbiterElegantium]

Only pianists....

It is degrading...

Pianist aren't artists?

It is necessary for them to adapt a piece, to feel it, to do something, something splendid of it... And they are not artists...?

I thought that they deserved at least this statute.

[Ankhsnammon]

I don't want to degrade anyone...i only was saying that there are ARTISTS(Rubinstein,busoni,mich­elangeli,richter....iturbi...)­and...pianists...people whom palys the piano ...

I know you're an artist...i know you're one of them...

Forgive me...you know everything...forgive me...please...

Nina