Ingryd Thorson, Julian Thurber - Ravel: Complete Works for Piano Duet (2011)

Tracklist

01. Introduction et Allegro
02. Entre cloches
03. Boléro
04. Fanfare for Piano Duet
05. Ouverture de Shéhérazade
06. Frontispice
07. La Valse for Two Piano
08. Rapsodie Espagnole for Two Pianos: I. Prélude à la nuit. Très modéré
09. Rapsodie Espagnole for Two Pianos: II. Malagueña. Assez vif
10. Rapsodie Espagnole for Two Pianos: III. Habanera. Assez Lent et d'un rythme las
11. Rapsodie Espagnole for Two Pianos: IV. Feria. Assez animé
12. Ma Mère l'Oye for Piano Duet: I. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant. Lent
13. Ma Mère l'Oye for Piano Duet: II. Petit Poucet. Très modéré
14. Ma Mère l'Oye for Piano Duet: III. Laideronnette, Impératrice des pagodes. Mouvement de marche
15. Ma Mère l'Oye for Piano Duet: IV. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête. Mouvement de valse modéré
16. Ma Mère l'Oye for Piano Duet: V. Le jardin féerique. Lent et grave

Ravel was a pianist, and the piano was central to his art. The piano was the instrument through which he discovered and expressed innovations in style, technique and expression. He composed at the piano, and, unsurprisingly, many of his orchestral works (Bolero being the exception) appeared in piano versions.

Although his entire output is modest – around 60 works, he transcribed more than half of these works for 2 pianos, or piano duet.

Apart from the well known works, this 2Cd set contains some little known pieces – Entre cloches of 1897 was only published in 1975, and was originally appended to the Haberna, now better known as the 3rd movement of Rapsodie espagnole.

Frontispice for 2 pianos, 5 hands was written in 1918. Ravel’s mother had died in 1917, and he was deeply attached to her. Her loss resulted in 3 years of musical silence, with the exception of Frontispice. It is a short and very experimental work published with a collection of philospohical war poetry by the Italian Ricciotto Canudo. It is a curiously evocative work, almost surreal.

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