Debussy, Ravel: Music for Two Pianos

Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy

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Debussy, Ravel: Music for Two Pianos Review

by James Leonard

With this disc, Vladimir Ashkenazy, celebrated for his readings of Rachmaninoff and Chopin, and his son, Vovka, take on music by Debussy and Ravel for two pianos, and the results, utterly unlike virtually anything Ashkenazy père has ever recorded before, make it a real winner. From the electric excitement of the opening En blanc et noir, through the hazy mysteries of Jeux, and the luminous colors of the Rapsodie espagnole, to the inexorable hysteria of La Valse, Ashkenazy père and fils turn in performances that match the music for poise, drive, and technical brilliance. Some might find their sonorities a bit hard-edged at points -- should the opening of En blanc et noir and the close of La Valse really be hit so strongly? -- but the results are so consistently thrilling that most listeners are likely to be swept away. Recorded in close but clear and vivid digital sound, this disc may not be for every Debussy and Ravel fan, but it should certainly appeal to fans of Ashkenazy.

Track Listing

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
En blanc et noir, for 2 pianos, L. 134
	1	1. Avec emportement Claude Debussy	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	04:02	Amazon
	2	2. Lent - Sombre Claude Debussy	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	06:34	Amazon
	3	3. Scherzando Claude Debussy	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	04:17	Amazon
	4	Jeux, ballet, L. 126 Claude Debussy	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	16:32	Amazon
	5	Lindaraja, for 2 pianos, L. 97 Claude Debussy	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	05:52	Amazon
Sites auriculaires, for 2 pianos
	6	Entre cloches Maurice Ravel	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	02:43	Amazon
Rhapsodie espagnole, for orchestra (or 2 pianos)
	7	1. Prélude à la nuit Maurice Ravel	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	03:45	Amazon
	8	2. Malagueña Maurice Ravel	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	02:04	Amazon
	9	3. Hanabera (from "Sites auriculaires") Maurice Ravel	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	02:36	Amazon
	10	4. Feria Maurice Ravel	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	06:23	Amazon
	11	La valse, poème choréographique for piano or 2 pianos Maurice Ravel	Vladimir Ashkenazy / Vovka Ashkenazy	11:07	Amazon