Ravel: Complete Orchestral Works

Featuring

Lionel Bringuier
Ray Chen
Yuja Wang
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Zürcher Sing-Akademie
Maurice Ravel

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Maurice Ravel, the composer, was described by his pupil Roland-Manuel as embodying Baudelaire's definition of a dandy: elegant coldness, discreet refinement, and a horror of triviality.

Composition History

The idea for Ravel's Tzigane came to him in 1922 after hearing Hungarian violinist Jelly d'Arányi perform at a private concert in London.

Recording & Production

This album features live recordings from the Tonhalle in Zurich, made between November 2014 and November 2015.

Performer Biography

Lionel Bringuier, the conductor, won the 2005 Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors and the audience prize with Ravel's La Valse when he was barely nineteen.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ravel's lifelong affinity for Spain, cultivated early on with his goatee beard and beret, is evident in works like Pavane pour une infante défunte and Rapsodie espagnole, which conjure an imaginary Andalusia.

Compositional Technique

Ravel, a gifted pianist, conceived many of his orchestral works at the piano, often orchestrating them later, as seen with Menuet antique, Une barque sur l'océan, and Alborada del gracioso.

Composition History

Ravel's Boléro was created under duress in 1928 after copyright issues prevented him from pursuing an alternative project, leading him to work on a "fairly unique piece" with "no form in the true sense of the word."