Ravel's Prélude of 1913 was originally composed for sight-reading tests at the Paris Conservatory.
Composer Biography
Maurice Ravel, who originally intended to become a concert pianist, left behind a significant but small number of piano works.
Composition History
Ravel's pieces À la manière de Borodine and À la manière de Chabrier were written in 1912 at the request of composer, pianist, and conductor Alfredo Casella, paying tribute to two of Ravel's favorite composers.
Performer Biography
Keigo MuKawa performed the complete solo piano works of Maurice Ravel in a series of six recitals for Chanel Pygmalion Days 2017 in Tokyo.
Compositional Technique
A common characteristic across the works on this album is that they push the limits of the keyboard, such as the imitation of posthorns in Bach's work or Liszt's creation of highly contrasting sound fields.
Performer Biography
Keigo MuKawa, born in Japan in 1993, was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire in 2014 while studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and earned a master's degree in 2019.
Album & Artwork
This album's program, performed by Japanese pianist Keigo MuKawa, explores themes of farewell, loss, and remembrance, spanning over two centuries of music.
