Re: [ARSCLIST] Bolero by Ravel the definitive version?

[Fred Catalano <ink280@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ravel Bolero, EMI Classics, DVD Orchestre De Paris, Jean Martinon, # 7243 4
92395 9 3, made in holland

Fred


> [Original Message]
> From: Karl Miller <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
 > Date: 8/7/2003 12:06:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Bolero by Ravel the definitive version?
>
> On Wed, 6 Aug 2003, Mike Richter wrote:
>
> > At 07:10 PM 8/6/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> > >I was wondering whether anyone on this list might be able to steer
> > >in the direction of any performance of this work that is considered
> > >the benchmark upon which other are judged? I am a neophyte
> > >in the "classical" world and any help would be appreciated.
> >
> > There is a recording which is sometimes listed as being conducted by
Ravel
> > with the Lamoureux. Unfortunately, the attribution is spurious.
>
> L'Edition musicale vivante (Jan. 1930, p.15) "The Lamoureux Orchestra was
> assemble on stage, under the watchful eye of Albert Wolff. The orchestra
> plays, stops, Wolff rushes to the recording booth, Maurice Ravel is there,
> conscientious and precise, listening: 'Not enough in the trumpets, too
> much celesta'; Wolff retuns to the podium and fives the order. The horns
> are moved, a space is cleared in front of the oboes, and they begin again.
> After each attempt, the composer returns from the recording booth; he
> shakes his head, approving or disapproving. After a number of attempts,
> the exact expression is achieved. Wolff gives his baton to Ravel. It is
> the composer indeed who is going to preside over the recording of the this
> disc. Ravel gives the downbeat. With rigid gestures, his writst traces the
> three beats, which, in a mechanical way, govern this melody in C."
>
> Reprinted in the Ravel Reader by Dr. Arbie Orenstein, also reprinted in
> our reissue of the recording on Pierian 0013.
>
> > To my knowledge, there is no one performance which can be considered
> > definitive of this or any other substantial work. For example, one might
> > consider Stravinsky's recordings of his own music "definitive" except
that
> > the 'definition' changes as his interpretation varies in different
> > recordings of the same work.
>
> I concur. As for me, I love the variety that can be found...the Toscanini
> is one of my favorite "party" records. He plays it like he is conducting
> Wagner. I like the second Koussevitzky recording and just about any of the
> Munch.
>
> Karl


--- Fred Catalano
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