Louis Lortie, Helene Mercier - Ravel: Music For Four Hands (1992)

Louis Lortie is well-known for his Ravel. His recording of the two piano concertos is one of my favorites. This set pairs him with a childhood friend, a fellow pianist from Montréal, Hélène Mercier now long resident in Paris. They play a couple of Ravel's own one-piano, four-hands arrangements (Mother Goose & Rapsodie Espagnole) and three two-piano, four-hands arrangements (Introduction and Allegro, La Valse, Boléro). Actually, Mother Goose was originally written for four-hands at one piano, for a couple of talented children of friends of Ravel's; he later orchestrated it and that is now probably the more familiar version. Ravel was, of course, a sensationally talented composer for piano and that is clearly in evidence in these pieces. One might imagine that Boléro would become boring since it is repetitive and is often described in its orchestral guise as primarily an exercise in orchestration, but that simply is not the case. And one might imagine that the delicate chamber work, Introduction and Allegro, might sound like it is missing something for its lack of harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet but, again, Ravel's piano arrangement is a marvel in its own right.

'La Valse' as played here by Lortie and Mercier is, in a word, breathtaking. Literally, at least in my case. As an old pianist I am simply stunned by what they accomplish with Ravel's admittedly spectacular piano writing. Needless to say, Lortie and Mercier play the rest of these works marvelously. Chandos has provided exceptionally clear and true sound. This CD has long been a favorite of mine and I'd wager that it would be one of yours, too.