It’s great to hear these performances on CD, freed from the low-level LP transfer that robbed particularly Mehta’s contribution of the necessary impact. Ashkenazy’s piano performance of a work that has engaged him throughout his career is magnificent. Listen to the way he punches out the opening Promenade, his subtle touch in The Old Castle, or the gruff heaviness of Bydlo. If he has any weakness compared to, say, Richter’s famous Sophia recital recording, it’s that Richter’s swifter tempos bind the work together more convincingly as a whole, while Ashkenazy’s conception maintains the impression of a series of individual vignettes. Still, it’s a fine achievement, as is Mehta’s richly personal view of Ravel’s orchestration. Actually, like so many conductors, Mehta tinkers here and there (as at the final appearance of the Promenade theme backed by tubular chimes rather than Ravel’s glockenspiel just before the very end), and the closing pages could have a bit more tam-tam and bell, but other than that there’s little to criticize. The entrance of the full string complement at the opening is unforgettable, and Gnomus, Limoges, and the emphatic portrait of Two Polish Jews all stand out vividly. If you want to hear both piano and orchestral versions on a single disc in very good sound, this recording offers your best bet.
