Rina Kharrasova captivates with a sharply focused interpretation of Maurice Ravel’s Sonatine, M. 40. Moving beyond “impressionistic haze,” the Moscow Conservatory graduate emphasizes structural precision and rhythmic urgency. Her performance strips away ornament to reveal a contemporary, high-tension clarity across three movements of meticulously controlled intensity.
Opening the EP, “Sonatine, M. 40: I. Modéré” dazzles with its elegant yet brisk array of trickling piano. A wintry feeling is conveyed, resembling rapid snowfall in its initial ascent, and then achieving a lusher introspection as the first minute comes to a close. A re-ignition of vigor appears thereafter, seamlessly and melodically — and emphatic of both Ravel’s tonal range and Kharrasova’s impeccable piano playing. The track’s alternations between unsettling ardor and serene contemplation make for a riveting, climactic listening experience.
Next up, “Sonatine, M. 40: II. Mouvement De Menuet” shows a brighter tonal charm — illuminated in its layers of piano and prancing-like demeanor. While the opening track excelled in moments of erupting fervency, this track delights largely in its calmer territory — though certainly with moving moments of clanging effervescence, like at 01:17. EP finale “Sonatine, M. 40: III. Animé” resembles a combination of its two predecessors, commencing with an intensely trickling array of piano notes — at times showing hints of Legend of Zelda’s “Great Fairy’s Fountain Theme” — and traversing into spacious, dreamily absorbing moments. Ravel: Sonatine is a stunning, immersive success of an EP from Rina Kharrasova.
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“Sonatine, M. 40: II. Mouvement De Menuet” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
