Ravel the Enigma
Donald Macleod explores Ravel's happy childhood and prodigious musical development in late-1800s Paris. Including Bolero (excerpt); Piano Concerto in G (2nd mvt).
Donald Macleod explores the enigmatic personality and richly vibrant soundworld of Maurice Ravel, composer of Boléro.
Ravel is a musical genius ... with an image problem. Thanks to the efforts of Torvill and Dean (not to mention Bo Derek and Dudley Moore), his is a place in popular culture unmatched by any composer of the 20th century. And all for a piece, Boléro, that he joked to friends "had no music in it" ... Compared to his fellow musical "impressionist" Debussy, Ravel's music is sometimes unfairly characterised as rather shallow - all brilliant artifice and sumptuous detail, but no heart. That reputation's not helped by the man himself. Famously private, Ravel projected the image of a rarefied dandy, whilst keeping his own private emotional world a tightly-kept secret. This week, Donald Macleod seeks to break through the shell of this musical enigma to discover the vast depths beneath.
We begin the week with Ravel's happy childhood and prodigious musical development in fin-de-siècle Paris of the late 1800s.
Boléro (extract)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Simon Rattle, conductor
Piano Concerto in G (2nd movt. Adagio assai)
Yuja Wang, piano
Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich
Lionel Bringuier, conductor
Un Grand sommeil noir
Gerald Finley, baritone
Julius Drake, piano
Violin Sonata in A minor, Op posth
Alina Ibragimova, violin
Cedric Tiberghien, piano
Pavane pour une infant défunte
Khatia Buniatishvili (piano).
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Music Played
-
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Bolero
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.- EMI CDC7543032.
- EMI.
- 14.
-
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Concerto In G - Adagio assai
Performer: Yuja Wang. Orchestra: Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. Conductor: Lionel Bringuier.- DG 479 4954.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 2.
-
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Un Grand sommeil noir
Performer: Julius Drake. Singer: Gerald Finley.- Hyperion : CDA 67728.
- Hyperion.
- 10.
-
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Violin Sonata in A Minor
Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Performer: Cédric Tiberghien.- HYPERION CDA 67820.
- HYPERION.
- 4.
-
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili.- SONY : 88883-734622.
- SONY.
- 10.
-
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Sheherazade
Orchestra: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Ernest Ansermet. Singer: Régine Crespin.- DECCA : 460-973-2.
- DECCA.
- 7.
Broadcasts
- Mon 13 Feb 2017 12:00BBC Radio 3
- Mon 13 Feb 2017 18:30BBC Radio 3
Vaughan Williams Today
Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.