Ravel the Enigma
Donald Macleod explores Ravel's happy childhood and prodigious musical development in late-1800s Paris. Including Bolero (excerpt); Piano Concerto in G (2nd mvt).
Donald Macleod explores the enigmatic personality and richly vibrant soundworld of Maurice Ravel, composer of Bol茅ro.
Ravel is a musical genius ... with an image problem. Thanks to the efforts of Torvill and Dean (not to mention Bo Derek and Dudley Moore), his is a place in popular culture unmatched by any composer of the 20th century. And all for a piece, Bol茅ro, that he joked to friends "had no music in it" ... Compared to his fellow musical "impressionist" Debussy, Ravel's music is sometimes unfairly characterised as rather shallow - all brilliant artifice and sumptuous detail, but no heart. That reputation's not helped by the man himself. Famously private, Ravel projected the image of a rarefied dandy, whilst keeping his own private emotional world a tightly-kept secret. This week, Donald Macleod seeks to break through the shell of this musical enigma to discover the vast depths beneath.
We begin the week with Ravel's happy childhood and prodigious musical development in fin-de-si猫cle Paris of the late 1800s.
Bol茅ro (extract)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Simon Rattle, conductor
Piano Concerto in G (2nd movt. Adagio assai)
Yuja Wang, piano
Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich
Lionel Bringuier, conductor
Un Grand sommeil noir
Gerald Finley, baritone
Julius Drake, piano
Violin Sonata in A minor, Op posth
Alina Ibragimova, violin
Cedric Tiberghien, piano
Pavane pour une infant d茅funte
Khatia Buniatishvili (piano).
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Music Played
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Maurice Ravel
Bolero
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.- EMI CDC7543032.
- EMI.
- 14.
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Maurice Ravel
Concerto In G - Adagio assai
Performer: Yuja Wang. Orchestra: Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. Conductor: Lionel Bringuier.- DG 479 4954.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 2.
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Maurice Ravel
Un Grand sommeil noir
Performer: Julius Drake. Singer: Gerald Finley.- Hyperion : CDA 67728.
- Hyperion.
- 10.
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Maurice Ravel
Violin Sonata in A Minor
Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Performer: C茅dric Tiberghien.- HYPERION CDA 67820.
- HYPERION.
- 4.
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Maurice Ravel
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili.- SONY : 88883-734622.
- SONY.
- 10.
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Maurice Ravel
Sheherazade
Orchestra: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Ernest Ansermet. Singer: R茅gine Crespin.- DECCA : 460-973-2.
- DECCA.
- 7.
Broadcasts
- Mon 13 Feb 2017 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
- Mon 13 Feb 2017 18:30大象传媒 Radio 3
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