Ravel's piano works were not primarily written to showcase pianistic virtuosity, even though some, like the Gaspard de la Nuit suite, present enormous challenges for performers.
Performer Biography
Brenda Lucas Ogdon founded the John Ogdon Foundation in 1993, a charity dedicated to preserving her husband John Ogdon's memory and musicianship.
Performer Biography
Brenda Lucas Ogdon, the pianist on this album, won the Gold Medal from the ABRSM in 1949 at age 13 for the highest Distinction marks in any practical Grade 7 throughout the UK and Eire.
Composition History
The eight Valses Nobles et Sentimentales by Ravel were composed to be played anonymously at a concert, and few in the audience correctly identified him as the composer.
Performer Biography
Brenda Lucas Ogdon and her husband, John Ogdon (a fellow student at the Royal Northern College of Music), performed as a two-piano partnership at major festivals like Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Aldeburgh, and Sintra.
Composition History
Ravel's final solo piano work, Le Tombeau de Couperin, is a set of six pieces, each dedicated to the memory of a friend or colleague who died in the Great War.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ravel's piano music, as presented on this album, offers a deeper and more nuanced picture of his compositional persona compared to his popular orchestral works.
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