Ravel: Complete Works for Violin and Piano

Featuring

Elsa Grether
David Lively
Maurice Ravel

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Maurice Ravel, a French composer, famously considered the violin and piano to be "essentially incompatible" instruments.

Compositional Technique

For his concert rhapsody Tzigane, Ravel sought technical advice from violinist Hélène Jourdan-Morhange, asking her to play all of Paganini's Twenty-four Caprices to understand violin virtuosity.

Composer Biography

Ravel's composition process was often lengthy and difficult, with him frequently mentioning "le cafard" (the blues) that prevented him from working.

Album & Artwork

This album presents Maurice Ravel's complete works for violin and piano, along with two world premiere recordings of arrangements.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ravel considered his Piano Concerto in G major a "divertissement" and a "light piece," as he believed all concertos should be.

Compositional Technique

In his 'Blues' movement, Ravel used a luthéal, an attachment for grand pianos that could produce cimbalom- or harpsichord-like sounds, effectively creating a "prepared piano."