*RAVEL. Concerto in G major for piano and orchestra. Nicole Heturiot (piano). L'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Con- servatoire de Paris (munch). Concerto for the Left Hand for piano and orchestra. Jacqueline Blancard (piano). L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Ansermet). Decca LXT2565 (12 in., 39s. 6d.).

We needed new recordings of both these concertos and in spite of inequalities I should be prepared to recommend the recording of the G major Concerto to anyone who cares for Ravel's music. There is an instrument in the orchestra called frustra, meaning whip, and this decisive sound sets up a lively clatter at the start. The trumpet solo comes out well and I was not really disturbed until figure 22 in which, for once, the harp lacks proper definition. There is, also, a curious dampening down of the tone at the climax on the last page of the movement, a defect also to be noted in the final movement.

The slow movement begins with a long unaccompanied solo for the piano, beautifully played, as is the whole work, by Nicole Henriot, and the orchestra enters with a flute solo that is one of Ravel's loveliest inspirations. Excellent also is the recording of the long English Horn solo accompanied by rapid figuration for the piano. It is a pity that the A sharp on the second violins is inaudible in the fifth bar from the end of the lovely movement— it is an important note. The gay final movement, if robbed of its climax, is successful enough.

Unfortunately the second concerto, well played by Jacqueline Blancard, is so poorly recorded as to be a dead loss. The beginning of the work is certainly hard to record clearly, double-basses and 'cello divisi, solo double bassoon above, all at a low pitch, but it need not have sounded, as here, so much like the seething of a witch's cauldron. The entry of the piano, with a cadenza, comes as a relief to the acidity of the woodwind and brass, but the piano tone also is far from satisfactory and the outburst for the full orchestra afterwards is excruciatingly badly recorded : but there is no point in prolonging the melancholy tale of this miscarriage.

Those who possess the CasedesusPhiladelphia recording (Columbia LX1o88-9) have nothing to worry about.

A.R.