Renowned pianist Seong-Jin Cho has announced an ambitious project to record the complete solo piano works and two piano concertos of Maurice Ravel, marking the 150th anniversary of the French composer's birth.
Universal Music announced on Tuesday that Cho will be releasing his Ravel recordings in stages, beginning with a digital release of the solo piece "Le Tombeau de Couperin" on December 22nd. Other solo works, including "Sonatine" and "À la manière de Chabrier," will be digitally released on January 13th and January 3rd, respectively.
Deutsche Grammophon will release a complete recording of Ravel's solo piano works on January 17th in both digital and two-CD formats. The two piano concertos, recorded with Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will be released on February 21st, followed by a deluxe edition containing all tracks on April 11th. The concerto for the left hand, composed for pianist Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm in World War I, is particularly challenging, requiring the pianist to produce a full range of sounds and colors with only one hand.
Cho, who has been exploring Ravel's music since his time at the Paris Conservatory, shared his thoughts on the project. "Ravel knew exactly what he wanted," Cho said. "I try to follow his specific instructions. For example, 'Miroirs' is a very technically demanding piece. It's quite delicate and dramatic at the same time, and it's full of imagination and color, so it's almost impossible to apply all the instructions, but I'm still trying my best."
"This is the first time I've performed or recorded the complete works of a composer," Cho added. "I've come to understand Ravel much more deeply. It has been a great pleasure to immerse myself in the various aspects of his music."
Cho will embark on a world tour in support of his new recordings, beginning with a recital at Vienna's Konzerthaus on January 25th. His tour will include performances at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall in February and March, followed by recitals at London's Barbican Centre and Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie in April and May. He will also continue his residency with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Most recently, Cho performed Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle in South Korea on December 20th and 21st.
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