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A Return to Civility

Donald Macleod untangles the musical repercussions of Ravel鈥檚 war experience, and some of his strangest musical experiments, including his Frontispice, for two pianos, five hands.

Donald Macleod untangles the musical repercussions of Ravel鈥檚 war experience, and some of his strangest musical experiments, including his Frontispice, for two pianos, five hands.

The music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is much loved for its remarkable orchestral colours and brilliant virtuosity. But his chamber music - intimate, crystalline, and beautiful - is often overlooked. This week, Donald Macleod introduces every one of Ravel鈥檚 works for small instrumental ensemble - an array of work that spans the composer鈥檚 colourful life and career.

After the trauma of World War One, Ravel barely composed for nearly two years. What he could create - including the little-known 鈥淔rontispice鈥 for piano five hands - was strange and jarring. Donald Macleod tells the story of how he slowly came back to life, with a full performance of his sinuous, and rarely-heard, Sonata for Violin and Cello.

Frontispie
Ingrid Thorson
Julian Thurber
David Gardiner (piano five hands)

L鈥橦eure Espagnole (excerpt)
Scenes 17-19: 鈥淥h! la pitoyable aventure鈥... 鈥渕on oeil anxieux interroge鈥
Isabelle Druet (Concepcion, mezzo-soprano)
Fr茅d茅ric Antoun (Gonzalve, tenor)
Marc Barrard (Ramiro, baritone)
Nicolas Courjal (Don Inigo, bass)
Orchestre National de Lyon
Leonard Slatkin (conductor)

La Valse (version for 2 pianos)
Martha Argerich (piano)
Sergio Tiempo (piano)

Sonata for violin and cello
Christophe Horak (violin)
Brune Delepelaire (cello)

Debussy, orch Ravel: Sarabande, from Pour Le Piano
Basle Symphony Orchestra
Armin Jourdan (Conductor)

Produced by Steven Rajam

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Maurice Ravel

    Frontispice

    Performer: Ingrid Thorson. Performer: Julian Thurber. Performer: David Gardiner.
    • BRILLIANT CLASSICS : 94176.
    • BRILLIANT CLASSICS.
    • 15.
  • Maurice Ravel

    L' Heure Espagnole (excerpt)

    Singer: Isabelle Druet. Singer: Fr茅d茅ric Antoun. Singer: Marc Barrard. Singer: Nicolas Courjal. Orchestra: Orchestra Of L'Opera National De Lyon. Conductor: Leonard Slatkin.
    • NAXOS : 8.-660337.
    • NAXOS.
    • 18.
  • Maurice Ravel

    La Valse

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Performer: Sergio Tiempo.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 7231852.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 4.
  • Maurice Ravel

    Sonata for Violin and Cello

    Performer: Christophe Hor谩k. Performer: Brune Delepelaire.
    • INDESENS : INDE139.
    • INDESENS.
    • 9.
  • Claude Debussy

    Pour le piano (No 2, 'Sarabande')

    Composer: Maurice Ravel. Orchestra: Basle Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Armin Jourdan.
    • ERATO : 9029500458.
    • ERATO.
    • 7.

Broadcast

  • Thu 21 Jul 2022 12:00

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