Ravel enthusiasts will notice that Alexandre Tharaud’s Ravel cycle is more complete than previous “complete” editions in that it includes two previously unpublished pieces. The lovely, modally-tinged Minuet in C-sharp lasts less than a minute and seems to conclude sooner than it should, yet it adds a uniquely-colored sparkle among the better-known jewels decorating Ravel’s solo-piano tiara. La parade, composed in 1896 when Ravel was 21, is a suite of character pieces full of boisterous marches, explosive bass accents, quirky recitative passages, music hall waltzes, and lots of unbuttoned extroversion. Both the piano layout and harmonic language sound more like Chabrier than Ravel, with vestiges of Satie–an interesting curio.
There’s much to admire among the more familiar works. Save for a slightly square-toed and liltless Alborada del gracioso, the Miroirs stand out for Tharaud’s clear textural layering and crisp articulation. Comparative listening renders Tharaud’s stylish and sensitive Le Tombeau de Couperin vulnerable to Angela Hewitt’s more sharply defined rhythm in the Rigaudon and Toccata and cleaner fingerwork in the Prélude. In Gaspard de la nuit, Tharaud’s rubatos lack Argerich’s decisiveness and conviction, nor does he control the repeated right-hand patterns so evenly as Hewitt, Ashkenazy, or, best of all, Michelangeli. He compensates, though, with a fleet and lightfingered Scarbo whose elfin rather than devilish demeanor convinces on its own terms.
In contrast to the firm, classic outlines Abbey Simon and Jacques Rouvier project in the Valses nobles et sentimentales, Tharaud is more skittish and freewheeling, especially in the quicker sections. The short pieces feature nothing unusual beyond Tharaud’s excellent and perceptive playing. This may not be a Ravel cycle to purchase in place of the reference versions listed above, yet the unpublished repertoire–and Harmonia Mundi’s glorious sonics–may sweeten the deal for some collectors.
