It's not British, but...Ravel's Orchestral Transcriptions on Danacord

This enriching CD platforms a selection of Maurice Ravel’s orchestrations of his piano compositions, alongside the Rapsodie Espagnole.

Le Tombeau de Couperin was composed as a suite for solo piano, between 1914 and 1917. Ravel insisted that it was “a tribute not so much to Couperin himself as to Eighteenth Century French music in general.” Originally, there were six movements: Prélude, Fugue, Forlane, Rigaudon, Menuet, and Toccata. All were dedicated to friends who had been killed during the First World War. Two years later, Ravel orchestrated four of them, omitting the Fugue and Toccata. The typically serene and charming Prélude sets the scene for the entire Suite. Yet, even here, there is occasionally a slight edge to its progress. The Forlane is playful and may remind the listener of an ‘antique’ dance, from an earlier generation of French composers. Ravel pays homage to classicism in the graceful Minuet. Finally, a folk dance, seen through twentieth century eyes, underlies the lively and rhythmic Rigaudon. The Suite is given a delightfully cool performance by the Aarhus SO.

Maurice Ravel provided a rich orchestral arrangement of his piano suite, the Valses nobles et sentimentales, dating from 1911-12. Ravel wrote that it was “clearly enough my intention to write a chain of valses in the style of Schubert.” He had been inspired by Franz Schubert’s Valses nobles (D.969) (1827) and his Valses sentimentales (D.779) (1823-4). It is possible that he was also motivated by his encounter with Franz Liszt’s Valse caprice after Schubert and his Soirées de Vienne as well as nods to Johann Strauss II. There are eight waltzes in this Suite, each with its own character and atmosphere, with contrasting moods, pace, and rhythmic variation, but always subject to the 3/4 time signature.

The only composition on this disc that was originally written for orchestra is the Rapsodie Espagnole (1907-08). Like Bizet, Chabrier and Debussy, Ravel paints an evocative picture of the Iberian Peninsula and its musical traditions. There are four movements. The sultry, shimmering, Prélude à la nuit (très modéré) is followed by a vibrant dance from the Malaga region complete with castanets and Basque drum. Then there is a slow, smoky Habanera (assez lent et d’un rythme las). The Rapsodie closes with the festive Feria (assez animé) which paints a riotous fairground image. The impact of this piece is abetted by its masterful orchestration.

The ubiquitous Pavane pour une infante défunte originated as a piano solo in 1899 and was later orchestrated by Ravel in 1910. This lovely number evokes a sense of melancholy with its elegant melody and delicate textures. Despite the picturesque title alluding to an unnamed member of Spanish royalty, Ravel insisted that he “simply liked the sound of these words and I put them there, c’est tout.”

Interestingly, it was dedicated to the Princesse Edmond de Polignac (Winnaretta Singer) who was a contemporary patron of the arts and heiress of the Singer Sewing Machine fortune.

Une barque sur l’océan is the third section of Ravel’s Miroirs. Originally devised for solo piano in 1904-05, it was orchestrated the following year. The liner notes explain that “[Ravel] paints the movement of the boat with the theme initially presented by the flute” however the “tres souple de rythme” gives the composer much scope to portray the “unpredictable swell of the ocean.”

It is hard to imagine a better “impression of a very blue Mediterranean, with just a hint of a breeze stirring up wavelets.”

The Aarhus Symphony orchestra is based in the eponymous second largest Danish city, in the eastern part of the country. It was established in 1935. Since 1982 it has performed most of its concerts at the Musikhuset in the city centre. The sixty-five players also engage in chamber music recitals, take part in school concerts, and support the Danish National Opera.

Danacord explains that French classical conductor Marc Soustrot, who is currently Chief Conductor of the Aarhus SO, has extensive expertise in major works from the classical and Romantic repertoire. His interpretations of French orchestral compositions are particularly noted. Soustrot served as the director of the Orchestre Philharmoinique des Pays de la Loire from 1976 to 1994 and later as the Generalmusikdirektor of the Beethoven Orchester, Bonn from 1995 until 2003. His first album for the Danacord label was a disc of Georges Bizet’s music including the Symphony in C Major; Carmen Suite No. 1; L'Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 and 2. (DACOCD 775, 2016). It was reviewed here, and here.

This disc offers a delightful listening experience with a great recording, comprehensive documentation, and excellent performances. It serves as a wonderful primer to some of Maurice Ravel’s essential orchestrations.

Track Listing
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Le Tombeau de Couperin (1914-17, orch.1919)
Valses nobles et sentimentales (1911, orch.1912)
Rapsodie Espagnole (1907)
Un barque sur l’océan (1904-05, orch.1906)
Pavane pour un enfant défunte (1899, orch.1910)
Aarhus Symphony Orchestra/Marc Soustrot
rec. 22-26 May 2023, Symphonic Hall, Aarhus, Denmark
Danacord DACOCD 982