VA - Ravel: The Essentials (2017)

A French composer known for melodic and tonal invention. Giving the lie to the idea that turn-of-the-century musical trends were necessarily elite impressionism or "decadent" (whatever that may mean), Ravel's music always speaks directly to the heart in a subtle rhythmic sense through great melody, harmonic richness, and iridescent orchestration. (The art of stacking partials in Ravel's Boléro and in the work of Ives predate harmonic synthesis in electronic music by half a century.) Ravel's ballet Daphnis et Chloé, with its gently sustained, wordless vocal chorus amidst heaven-on-earth sound-painting, is probably the finest synthesis of his aesthetic. Ravel's melodic abilities and method of making subtle timbre changes by harmonic shift (rather than loud/soft articulation) are beautifully amplified in his piano works, including the famous Sonatine, Gaspard de la Nuit, and in Concerto for Piano (for the left hand in D), which also contain some of his most advanced harmonic writing. The expansive La valse shows a more extroverted Ravel, with much of the same fine orchestral composition. The Quartet in F, with its rich, earthy melodies, shows perhaps a more intimate side of Ravel. ~ Blue Gene Tyranny

TRACKLIST
01. Ravel: Jeux d'eau, M.30 - Martha Argerich
02. Pavane pour une infante défunte, M.19 : Lent - Philharmonia Orchestra
03. Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2, M.57b - Boston Symphony Orchestra
04. Alborada del gracioso, M.43 : Assez vif - Martin Gatt
05. Ravel: Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré, M.74 - Augustin Dumay
06. Ravel: La valse, M.72 - Boston Symphony Orchestra
07. String Quartet In F Major, M.35 : 2. Assez vif, très rythmé - Melos Quartet
08. Piano Concerto In G Major, M.83 : 1. Allegramente - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
09. Miroirs, M.43 : 5. La vallée des cloches - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
10. Ravel: Boléro, M.81 - Berliner Philharmoniker
11. Ma Mère l'Oye, M.60 : 1. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant - Martha Argerich
12. Ma Mère l'Oye, M.60 : 3. Laideronnette, Impératrice des pagodes - Martha Argerich
13. Ma Mère l'Oye, M.60 : 4. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête - Martha Argerich
14. Piano Concerto In G Major, M.83 : 2. Adagio assai - Martha Argerich
15. Miroirs, M.43 : 3. Une barque sur l'océan - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
16. Sonatine, M.40 : 1. Modéré - Monique Haas
17. Sonatine, M.40 : 2. Mouvement de menuet - Monique Haas
18. Sonatine, M.40 : 3. Animé - Monique Haas
19. Le tombeau de Couperin, M.68 : 1. Prélude - The Cleveland Orchestra
20. Le tombeau de Couperin, M.68 : 2. Forlane - The Cleveland Orchestra
21. Le tombeau de Couperin, M.68 : 3. Menuet - The Cleveland Orchestra
22. Le tombeau de Couperin, M.68 : 4. Rigaudon - The Cleveland Orchestra
23. Shéhérazade, M.41 : 1. Asie - Anne Sofie von Otter
24. Ravel: Menuet antique - For Orchestra, M.7 - The Cleveland Orchestra
25. Ravel: Piano Concerto For The Left Hand In D Major, M.82 - Pierre-Laurent Aimard