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Review by Iain August 31, 2014 (9 of 10 found this review helpful)
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I've spent some time with this and for the most part, it's a marvellous recording with an excellent performance by Larderet.
Only problem is with the Gaspard. I find two of the three movements superb, but the problem seems to be with the slower than normal pace of "Le Gibet". Compare this movement with the same movement on the El Bacha or Giacometti (Érard - disc 1) versions and you'll see what I mean. Of course it could all be down to Ravel's original intentions, as liner notes indicate that Larderet meticulously followed the composers instructions.
Also, I found the piano version of "La Valse" to be somewhat odd at first. As time passed and I became more familiar of it, I found it to be significantly better, in that it's smoother flowing and more cohesive than the orchestral version.
The masterpiece of this title is the "Daphnis et Chloe". This is the most stunning version I've ever heard and relegates the orchestral version to second place for listening preference.
Superb venue acoustics, the sound engineers venue familiarity and of course the piano, combine to make this the most realistic recording of a Steinway I've ever heard. Surround tracks comprise discretely recorded ambience information without any excessive reverberation. Tonally, recording is rich and warm. Venue is St. Immanuel Church, Wuppertal (Düsseldorf).
Larderet is playing a model D of recent vintage here.
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