American Record Guide August 2023
Marshev has phenomenal abilities at the piano, the excitement and forward momentum he brings is outstanding.On the other hand, the minuet movements (Haydn and Sonatine) have some of the best legato playing I’ve ever heard, while still keeping a little of the dance rhythms in mind.
Marshev is a seasoned professional with about 50 highly regarded records to his credit. This is the second of at least three volumes of Ravel piano music. Most of my recordings of Ravel’s “complete” piano are on two discs. Complete is a relative term here, since there are also a number of transcriptions. Several Ravel piano pieces were later orchestrated. There are also a few where the reverse is true: orchestra first, piano second. Until Marshev, only one pianist that I know of has included the substantial solo piano transcriptions from Daphnis et Chloe. Florian Uhlig has a 3CD “Complete” Ravel piano music (Hanssler 93318, Mar/Apr 2015) that includes both Daphnis et Chloe and La Valse transcriptions, but is missing three Fugues (about 14 minutes total) that Marshev has split between Vol. 1 and 2 here.
Marshev has phenomenal abilities at the piano. On the technical side, he navigates Ravel’s treacherous ‘Scarbo’ and the climax of ‘Fragments Symphoniques’ with ease. He might disagree with my use of the word ease, but the excitement and forward momentum he brings to these passages is outstanding. On the other hand, the minuet movements (Haydn and Sonatine) have some of the best legato playing I’ve ever heard, while still keeping a little of the dance rhythms in mind.
There is an excellent and thorough booklet essay by Peter Quantrill, and Danacord’s recorded piano sound ranks with the best today. I look forward to Vol. 3, promised for the summer of 2023, which will have Le Tombeau de Couperin, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, and maybe La Valse and half a dozen or so short pieces. It will likely complete in fine fashion the most complete set of Ravel piano music to date.
© 2023 American Record Guide
