For those unaware, the piano was Maurice Ravel’s primary instrument, and he left behind a body of works that has led him to be labeled one of the most important composers for piano and of 20th-century France.

Born in 1875 in Ciboure, a coastal town close to the Spanish border, he would eventually spend most of his life living in or near Paris. Among friends, Ravel was well-known for his love of cats, his devotion to his friends (and especially to his mother), his engagement with his artistic milieu, and his sense of humor.

Ravel passed away after an unsuccessful brain surgery in 1937, but his stature was firmly established by the time he completed his last solo piano work in 1917. This recording celebrates the 150th anniversary of his birth with music written during the most productive period of his life.

Praised by The New York Times for his eloquent sensitivity, The Boston Intelligencer for his impeccable technique, and Fanfare for his Chameleon-like ability to move between composers, pianist Hsiang Tu has graced the audience with his wide range of repertoire and creative programming.

Current projects include The Ivory Menagerie – a full-length recital featuring music inspired by animals that The Utah Review called ingeniously crafted – and the complete cycle of piano solo works by Maurice Ravel (being reviewed here today).

1. Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55: No. 1, Ondine. Lent [06:46]
2. Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit: No. 2, Le Gibet. Très lent [05:52]
3. Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit, M.55: No. 3, Scarbo. Modéré [10:17]
4. Ravel: Menuet in C sharp minor [01:01]
5. Ravel: Sonatine
I. Modéré [04.25]
II. Mouvement de menuet [03:27]
III. Animé [04:09]
6. Ravel: Miroirs, M.43
No. 1, Noctuelles [04:32]
No. 2, Oiseaux tristes [03:54]
No. 3, Une barque sur l’océan [07:30]
No. 4, Alborada del gracioso [06:54]
No. 5, La vallée des cloches [05:30]
7. Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte in G Major, M.19 [05:56]
8. Ravel: Jeux d’eau in E Major, M.30 [05:48]
9. Ravel: Sérénade grotesque in F-Sharp Minor, M. 5 [03:25]
10. Ravel: Menuet antique in F-Sharp Minor, M. 7 [06:08]
11. Ravel: Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn in G Major, M.58 [01:51]
12. Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales: No. 1, Modéré, très franc [01:27]
13. Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales
No. 2, Assez lent, avec une expression intense [02:09]
No. 3, Modéré [01:36]
No. 4, Assez animé [00:44]
No. 5, Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime [01:08]
No. 6, Vif [00:44]
No. 7, Moins vif [02:59]
No. 8, Épilogue. Lent [03:50]
14. Ravel: Prélude in A minor, M.65 [01:14]
15. Ravel: À la manière de...
No. 1, Alexander Borodine: Valse [01:47]
No. 2, Emmanuel Chabrier: Paraphrase sur un air de Gounod [01:29]
16. Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
No. 1, Prélude [03:12]
No. 2, Fugue [03:37]
No. 3, Forlane [05:55]
No. 5, Rigaudon [03:53]
No. 6, Menuet [05:25]
No. 7, Toccata [04:08]

This magnificently hued, and expertly sculpted new recording opens on Ravel’s veritably glistening Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55: No. 1, Ondine. Lent, the more somber toned Gaspard de la nuit: No. 2, Le Gibet. Très lent and the foreboding, yet with strength personified Gaspard de la nuit, M.55: No. 3, Scarbo. Modéré, before we are gifted the short, but sweet set of Ravel’s Menuet in C sharp minor.

Along next is Ravel’s Sonatine: which opens on the flighty Modéré, then brings us the strident fare of Mouvement de menuet, before closing on the swirls and twirls of Animé. Then comes Ravel’s Miroirs, M.43: which opens on the vivacious Noctuelles and the dainty touches of Oiseaux tristes, before moving into the flourishing Une barque sur l’océan, the engaging Alborada del gracioso, culminating with the supple La vallée des cloches.

Next is the gently absorbent appeal of Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte in G Major, M.19, the soulful Jeux d’eau in E Major, M.30 and the affecting strides shown within the brilliantly sculpted Sérénade grotesque in F-Sharp Minor, M. 5, and they are backed seamlessly by the confident Menuet antique in F-Sharp Minor, M. 7, the gentle dancefloor swirls of Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn in G Major, M.58, and then the dominantly hued Valses nobles et sentimentales: No. 1, Modéré, très franc is brought forth.

The new recording continues onward with Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales: which itself opens on the preciseness of Assez lent, avec une expression intense, the sprightly Modéré, and the intricate Assez animé, before we are witness to the simply adorable Presque lent, dans un sentiment intime, the playful Vif, and both the somewhat pensive Moins vif and the resplendent ending piece Épilogue. Lent.

Then this new set begins to round out with Ravel’s cultured Prélude in A minor, M.65, before the final two works are upon us. The first is Ravel’s À la manière de...: which begins with the charming Alexander Borodine: Valse and then gives us the assured Emmanuel Chabrier: Paraphrase sur un air de Gounod; the second, and final work being Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin: which begins on the resplendently flourishing Prélude, then comes the graceful Fugue, the convincing Forlane, the up front and quietly boisterous Rigaudon, the delicate Menuet, closing on the skittish, yet well assured structure of Toccata.

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