I haven’t been in this thread since before July 2021, hence this late reply. Prokofiev has been my favorite composer since childhood (partly influenced by my father), and Ravel is also one of my favorites. I have posted quite a lot by both in the “no chit chat” music thread. In addition, Argerich and Michelangeli are two of my favorite pianists. Argerich is supreme on the Prokofiev #3 (with Kapell running a close second), and M., I think, is my very favorite pianist. I did a couple posts of M. playing Images Book 1 (the benchmark performance), no longer available, and Scarlatti (Music sharing thread. Links only. No chit chat - #600 by Conrad_Melville). When Argerich had an artistic crisis shortly after her initial success, she went to Michelangeli and took four “lessons” from him. If this was not part of his early “masterclass” program, I like to think that it may have inspired him to start that program.
I had not seen this performance of M. on the Ravel. I did, however, see a different one), which may no longer be available). I am not too happy with this version, as the sound recording is poor, especially in the beginning of the second movement, where some of the notes are lost (perhaps the most beautiful sad melody in classical music). It also seems like it may have been spliced together, as there are sometimes minute lags between sound and video in the piano parts. Also, a single, high overhead shot of M’s hands seems much sharper than the rest, as if another video has been spliced in.
As to the music, this was Ravel’s glorious tribute to the influence of Gershwin. Such a tragedy that both died so young, and both by brain tumors IIRC. It may seem odd because the melancholy middle movement is pure “classical” Ravel, while the bookends are Gershwinesque. It is famously said (first told by Oscar Levant, I think) that Gershwin asked to take lessons in orchestration from Ravel, and Ravel returned the compliment by saying that he should take lessons from Gershwin.