Vincent Larderet’s Five-Star Review for Ravel’s Complete Piano Works in FONO FORUM Magazine
FONO FORUM Magazine "Recommendation of the Month" (July 2024)
5 stars Music - 5 stars Sound
Vincent Larderet presents the first instalment of his complete cycle of Maurice Ravel's solo piano works, consisting of four (!) albums. For the first time, all transcriptions authorised by the composer are also included. In the foreword, Larderet states that his interpretations are based on an alternative text: the estate of the legendary Vlado Perlemuter (1904-2002), who rehearsed the works with Ravel and whose notes contain detailed instructions regarding rubato and dynamics, among other things.
Pianistically, Larderet leaves nothing to be desired (the sound is also brilliant and absolutely transparent), and his performances are characterised by crystal-clear chords and sober, plausible horizontal structuring. The demonic and the transverse are cathartically brought to bear, yet the elastic flow and hypnotic metrical playing that characterise the continuo are maintained throughout. This makes the continuity of the phrasing and the meaningfulness of the colouring stand out so uniquely.
Larderet's unpretentiously unobtrusive approach is particularly well-suited to the roughened ambiguity of the "Valses nobles et sentimentales," and the "Miroirs" finally become a real adventure for the listener here. A captivating start to an impressive endeavour.
