Seong-Jin Cho – Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Works (UHQCD dublu)

Seong-Jin Cho’s sensitive interpretations of Ravel’s solo piano works underscore his status as one of the most elegant and accomplished pianists of our time. The South Korean pianist already loved the French composer as a child and immersed himself in his music while studying at the Paris Conservatory. To mark Ravel’s 150th birthday in 2025, he has decided to record all of his solo piano works as well as both piano concertos. “Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Works” is now being released by Universal Music Japan and Deutsche Grammophon for the first time as a high-resolution UHQ double CD. This is the first recording of the legendary French composer’s solo piano works. 

The French piano literature has always fascinated the pianist, and the orchestral sound of the solo works, as well as the composer’s meticulous attention to detail, are a challenge, says Cho: “Ravel knew exactly what he wanted. That’s why I try to stick to his precise playing instructions.” Seong-Jin Cho won the 17th Chopin International Piano Competition in 2015, as well as the prestigious Polonaise Prize. Since then, he has been in the international spotlight. With his overwhelming talent and innate musicality, he has established himself as one of the most outstanding talents of his generation and as an artist who stands out from the crowd in today’s music world.

UHQCD stands for Ultimate High Quality Compact Disc and is a joint development of the Japanese CD replication company Memory-Tech and the Audio Quality CD Company from Hong Kong. Unlike conventional CDs, UHQCDs are not pressed from polycarbonate, but cast from a photopolymer and cured with UV light. Another layer of high-purity polycarbonate is applied to the softer photopolymer for scratch protection. The combination results in significantly reduced reflection of laser light inside the CD and an unmatched precise edge transition between pits and lands of the CD. UHQCDs are 100% compatible with standard CD players. Musically, the result is a sound image strongly reminiscent of analog master tapes.

While Universal Music Japan’s first UHQCD series relied on the DSD data of previous SHM-SACD releases, with increasing popularity, albums that had not previously been released as SHM-SACD are now appearing. Typically, the Universal Archive master tapes are re-converted to DSD for this purpose. UHQCDs are ideal for music lovers who want to get as close as possible to the sound of the recording, but do not own an SACD player.

Lista pieselor

UHQCD 1
1.    Sérénade Grotesque, M. 5
2.    Menuet Antique, M. 7
3.    Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte, M. 19
4.    Jeux D’eau, M. 30
5.    Sonatine: I. Modéré
6.    Sonatine : II. Mouvement De Menuet
7.    Sonatine: III. Animé
8.    Miroirs: I. Noctuelles
9.    Miroirs: II. Oiseaux Tristes
10.    Miroirs: III. Une Barque Sur L’océan
11.    Miroirs: IV. Alborada Del Gracioso
12.    Miroirs : V. La Vallée Des Cloches

UHQCD 2
1.    Gaspard De La Nuit, M 68: I. Ondine
2.    Gaspard De La Nuit, M 68: II. Le Gibet
3.    Gaspard De La Nuit, M 68: III. Scarbo
4.    Menuet Sur Le Nom D’Haydn, M. 58
5.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: I. Modéré, Très Franc
6.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: II. Assez Lent, Avec Une Expression Intense
7.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: III. Modéré
8.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: IV. Assez Animé
9.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: V. Presque Lent, Dans Un Sentiment Intime
10.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: VI. Vif
11.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: VII. Moins Vif
12.    Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales: VIII. Epilogue. Lent
13.    Prélude In A Minor, M. 65
14.    La Manière De Borodine, M. 63/1
15.    La Manière De Chabrier, M. 63/2
16.    Le Tombeau De Couperin, M. 68: I. Prélude
17.    Le Tombeau De Couperin, M. 68: II. Fugue
18.    Le Tombeau De Couperin, M. 68: III. Forlane
19.    Le Tombeau De Couperin, M. 68: IV. Rigaudon
20.    Le Tombeau De Couperin, M. 68: V. Menuet
21.    Le Tombeau De Couperin, M. 68: VI. Toccata