Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Donald Macleod explores Ravel’s meteoric rise to fame and early chamber music - including a long-lost violin sonata, and a unique arrangement for four ondes martenots.

The music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is much loved for its remarkable orchestral colours and brilliant virtuosity, heard vividly in works like Bolero, Daphnis and Chloe and Gaspard de la Nuit. But his chamber music, intimate, crystalline, and beautiful, is often overlooked. This week Donald Macleod puts that right, as he introduces every one of Ravel’s works for small instrumental ensemble; an array of work that spans the composer’s colourful life and career.

Music Featured:

Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré Violin Sonata No 1 in A minor Sites Auriculaires (No 2, 'Entre Cloches') Chanson du Rouet Si morne! Shéhérezade (Overture) String Quartet in F major (1st mvt) Noël Des Jouets Deux Epigrammes de Clement Marot String Quartet in F Major (2nd - 4th mvt) Miroirs (No 3, 'Une Barque sur l'Ocean') Introduction and Allegro Deux Melodies Hebraiques (No 1, 'Kaddische') Piano Trio in A Minor (1st mvt) Trois chansons Piano Trio in A Minor (2nd mvt) Le Tombeau de Couperin (Prelude and Rigaudon) Piano Trio in A Minor (3rd and 4th mvts) Deux Melodies Hebraiques (No 2, 'L 'enigme eternelle') Frontispie L’Heure Espagnole (excerpt) La Valse (version for 2 pianos) Sonata for Violin and Cello Sarabande (Pour le Piano) L’Eventail de Jeanne (Fanfare) Tzigane L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (excerpts) Trois Chansons Madécasses Violin Sonata No 2 in G major

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Steven Rajam

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00194q9

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z