Seong-Jin Cho is opening the Ravel Year 2025 with his most ambitious project to date for Deutsche Grammophon: the Korean star pianist is releasing three Ravel albums between January and April to mark the French composer's 150th birthday.
 
This first release comprises the complete works for solo piano in chronological order. In the summer of 2024, Cho faced the historic, comprehensive work in the historic Siemens Villa in Berlin: “Ravel knew what he wanted, so I tried to stick to his exact playing instructions. Miroirs, for example, is technically incredibly challenging. It is emotional and dramatic, full of fantasy and color. It's almost impossible to follow every indication, but I do my best!” says Cho.
 
This seems to be working, as recent reviews suggest: After a recital in Madrid, Scherzo named Cho “perhaps the best Ravel interpreter of our time”, while The Scotsman stated after the performance at the Edinburgh Festival: “Cho played the Ravel part of the concerto with almost incomprehensible precision in contrasting and rich colors, he was as if in the flow of the music, which allowed it to breathe full of lightness and warmth.”

Tracklisting:

CD1
 
Sérénade grotesque, M. 5
 
Menuet antique, M. 7
 
Pavane pour une infante défunte, M. 19
 
Jeux d'eau, M. 30
 
Sonatine, M. 40: 
I. Modéré 
II. Mouvement de menuet 
III. Animé
 
Miroirs, M. 43: 
I. Noctuelles.Très léger 
II. Oiseux tristes. Très lent 
III. Une barque sur l'océan. D'un rythme souple 
IV. Alborada del gracioso. Assez vif 
V. La vallée des cloches. Très lent

CD2

Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55: 
I. Ondine. Lent 
II. Le Gibet. Très lent 
III. Scarbo. Modéré
 
Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn, M. 58
 
Valses nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: 
I. Modéré, très franc 
II. Assez lent, avec une expression intense 
III. Modéré 
IV. Assez animé 
V. Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime 
VI. Vif 
VII. Moins vif 
VIII. Épilogue. Lent
 
Prélude, M. 65
 
À la manière de Borodine, M. 63/1
 
À la manière de Chabrier, M. 63/2
 
Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68: 
I. Prélude. Vif 
II. Fugue. Allegro moderato 
III. Forlane. Allegretto 
IV. Rigaudon. Assez vif 
V. Menuet. Allegro moderato 
VI. Toccata. Vif