Håkon Austbø has a special place in the French repertoire, with his complete recordings of Messiaen and Debussy as references in the catalogue. Celebrating his 70th birthday this autumn Austbø releases the complete works for solo piano of another towering French composer – Maurice Ravel. And his readings reveal the darker side of Ravel’s music. “The more one penetrates into the complex and mysterious universe of Ravel as revealed to us through his music, the more one is left with riddles never to be solved. I must confess, having played his music all my life, that there are aspects about him still puzzling me,” says Austbø – who also contributes with an enlightening personal note for this release.
