Pianist Vincent Larderet. Maurice Ravel - CD Review, February 2^nd 2026

Maurice Ravel - Complete works for piano, Vol. 2. Menuet antique, Introduction and Allegro in piano transcription by Lucien Garban (world premiere recording), Suite "Le tombeau de Couperin"(The Tomb of Couperin).

New album released on January 16^th

Considered an expert in Maurice Ravel's works, pianist Vincent Larderet released a second volume of the "Complete works for piano" by the creator of Bolero on January 16th, with the first album that came out in March 2024 included the works "Mirrors", "Jeux d'eau", "Valses nobles et sentimentales", "Sonatina", and "Pavane pour une infante défunte". According to the French pianist's website, we have the perspective of a "definitive" version spread across four volumes, - an Urtext collection that also includes countless premieres. Furthermore, Vincent Larderet personally researched the private scores of pianist Vlado Perlemuter, a close friend and equally close disciple of Ravel, knowing his interpretable creation in detail. One of Vlado Perlemuter's students, Carlos Cebro, had Vincent Larderet as his own disciple, so the French pianist can be considered a rightful heir to this line of authentic interpretation.

This new album, which got released under the Avie Records label, begins with Maurice Ravel's "Menuet antique". The contrasts can be very strong in terms of dynamics and expression, so that an approach that can sometimes be exceedingly harsh is annihilated with the most delicate, transparent, and evocative touch.

There are also piano transcriptions from chamber music pieces written by Lucien Garban, a composer and pianist, member of the Société des Apaches, of which Ravel was a founding member. He wrote an impressive number of pieces for piano or two pianos, including the "Introduction" and "Allegro" for harp, flute, clarinet, and string quartet by Ravel, which were recorded and released for the first time within the second signed by pianist Vincent Larderet, who captured the sound in an extremely refined manner with impressive personal touches, while also displaying a wide range in terms of dynamics.

We can also explore works presented in chronological order in addition to those already mentioned within this volume, such as the "Gaspard de la nuit" suite, a minuet signed by Haydn, a prelude, and the "Le tombeau de Couperin" suite, which is yet another transcription called Berceuse after Gabriel Faure, thus covering the entirety of the 1895-1922 time period. Vincent Larderet offers volume and grandeur in his approach, an essence that is sometimes giocoso and sardonic some other time when the score allows it, brightness and extravagance but also impressionistic touches within the core of visceral clarity for this type of music. A creative storyteller with brilliant piano technique, Vincent Larderet (not coincidentally a Steinway pianist) reveals his talent with an ease and breadth of astringent lucidity, born from the inner depths of extraordinary musical intelligence. I personally prefer the "Le Tombeau de Couperin" suite due to its neoclassical format, which is essentially a tribute addressed to "less to Couperin himself than to French music of the 18th century", as Ravel wrote in his autobiographical work.