Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor / Sonata for violin & cello / Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in G major

I heard the middle movement from this trio on the local classical station when coming up out of sleep. It had a haunting, modal quality, like something out of one of Lou Harrison's quieter moments. When checking the station's playlist a few days later, I was surprised to read it was Ravel. Just another example of a composer I don't know enough about.

Ravel's Trio is one of my favorite pieces and i am quite sensitive to variations in interpretations. This is my favorite one. The first movement is played at just the right speed.

The Ravel Trio is that rare piece of music (not that rare for Ravel, actually) that is fresh every time, year after year. Except when it's even more fresh, as it is in this brilliant performance and superb recording. The other pieces on the album are also fantastic. Bravo.You can preview two entire movements here: [...]

In the Piano Trio, movement 1, the two brief, similar themes are inadequate to sustain a piece for over 9 minutes. The second movement lacks a decent melody. The somber single melody in the third movement is pretty and undergoes several modulations and good development. Movement 4 is dissonant. In Sonata For Violin And Cello, movement 1 is an exercise in countermelody. The second is a dissonant experiment with pizzicato. The third movement is slow, somber and relaxing. Movement 4 is another dissonant sound-experiment, actually quite ugly.

The performances here are superb, as is the recording. Moreover, the coupling is ideal as it all-Ravel. This saves one from getting all sorts of pieces, as in other performances, you don't really want or already have.

... che producono migliaia di edizioni della stessa opera e trascurano i trio e le sonate per violino e violoncello di Ravel. Qui c'è un'ottima edizione, una bellissima esecuzione e una compilazione coerente e il gusto di portarsi a casa il lavoro di un'etichetta discografica minore ma che fa molta ricerca ... tra l'altro chi si fosse fatto ispirare dal film "Un cuore in inverno" qui ritrova i brani della colonna sonora (che non è più edita).

« C'est avec plaisir que je recommande le Trio Dali. Ses membres sont d'excellents instrumentistes. Mais, ce qui les rend spéciaux, c'est leur habilité à phraser leurs idées musicales pour devenir, dans un vrai sens, un trio. Le Trio Dali maîtrise un large répertoire et possède une magnifique présence scénique. Je crois qu'ils deviendront un ensemble important. » Ce n'est pas moi qui le dit, mais Menahem Pressler, le légendaire pianiste du Beaux-Arts Trio. C'est vous dire ! Avec une prise de son avantageuse et une interprétation aussi aisée qu'agréable, le Trio de Ravel trouve ici l'équilibre indispensable à sa forme. Pour cela, nos trois musiciens ont placé la barre au bon niveau : à équidistance de l'humilité et de l'exubérance. Ils traduisent avec un art consommé la violence sous-jacente de la partition. Un choix qui s'avère payant, car rarement le dosage des nuances n'aura été aussi précis, tout comme l'est, d'ailleurs, celui des tempos. Pour le reste du programme, le verdict est le même, c'est-à-dire sans appel. Toutefois, une recommandation s'impose. En effet, si avec son Bolero - oeuvre fétiche s'il en est - Ravel a conquis un large public, sa musique de chambre n'est pas de celle que l'on siffle le matin sous la douche. Plus complexe, elle utilise un langage musical moins « commun », mais tout aussi efficace.

Sentiti in Un cuore in inverno di Sautet: non il meglio di Ravel ma comunque molto interessanti; buona edizione discografica.