Ravel: La Valse, Mother Goose, Daphnis et Chloé Suite No 2 etc

Featuring

Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest
Maurice Ravel

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Composition History

Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales, dating from 1912, were inspired by the "infinite variety" he found in Franz Schubert's miniature works.

Recording & Production

This recording is the first collaboration between Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who became Music Director in 2008, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

Compositional Technique

In 'Lever du jour' from Daphnis et Chloé, Ravel ingeniously scores arpeggios for harps and flutes, and a slow, rising melody has string players gradually remove mutes to brighten the sound.

Composer Biography

Ravel's 'children's' music, like Ma Mère l'Oye, reflects a highly refined and nostalgic view of childhood, exploring the child's residue in the adult, as evidenced by his collection of toys still in his house.

Compositional Technique

Ravel was deeply technical in his compositional procedures, rooted in a profound respect for pre-cast forms from the past, as seen in his sonatas and Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Maurice Ravel's music often revisited creative impulses, focusing on childhood, Ancient Greek culture, and a near-obsession with waltzes.

Historical Context

Some commentators close to Ravel found a parallel between the climax of La Valse and the political madness of the First World War, in whose wake the work was written (1919-20).