Daphnis et Chl覇

Jeux d'Enfants, Ma M較e l'Oye,

Entr'acte

Piano Trios, Sicilienne, Berce

Cantos de Espana

Sonatas

Marc Soustrot conducts Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in orchestral works by Ravel. This is Soutrot's second release on Danacord after the acclaimed Bizet album.

Classical Music

Maurice Ravel's predilection for fantasy worlds and exotic ambience can be heard in many of his orchestral works. Even as a student he composed the Ouverture de Sheherezade and had planned to write an opera based on the fairytales of teh Arabian Nights. in the end, all that remains are three poems for voice and orchestra. Stéphanie d'Oustrac sings these songs rapturously and with exactly the right feel for oriental opulence.

Daphnis and Chloe was commissioned in 1910 by Sergey Diaghilev, head of the Ballets Russes in Paris, one of the most innovative dance companies. Like Ravel, Diaghilev also strived for new aesthetics, therefore it was no surprise that Ravel promised to compose the music for Diaghilev‘s newest ballet. Unfortunately it took a while before the work was seen on stage because Diaghilev and his choreograhper had a fight. The Sinfonieorchester Aachen under Kazem Abdullah show us that the music can stand for itself and is indeed one of the masterpieces of Ravel. The Sinfonieorchester Aachen is the concert and opera orchestra of the Theater Aachen. It consists of about 70 musicians and performs about 140 concerts annually. The regular symphony concerts take place in the Eurogress Aachen. Kazen Abdullah has led the ensemble since August 2012.

With Carlo Rizzi, Gordan Nikolic and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Amsterdam, one of the most sought-after conductors, one of the best violinists and an absolutely top-notch orchestra got together for a TACET production. What an honour to be able to work with such artists! We have tried to apply the precision and painstaking detail from chamber music to this project as well. Carlo Rizzi brings out typically Ravellian details that frequently have the effect of being levelled out, e.g. the composed overtones. There will be some surprises in store for one listener or another. In all honesty: do you know what the saxophones in Bolero play a few bars before the end? Or when the first harp plays and when the second harp plays in La Valse? Not least, this production should offer something to the many old-fashioned crazy audiophiles, our beloved public, who still prefer a carefully produced sound carrier to a blurred or squeaky You Tube download. Whether the result is really worth more than merely another line in the table "Recordings of the Great Orchestral Works of Ravel" - that is up to the critics to decide. It's your turn! (Of course the recording is also being issued as an LP and in TACET Real Surround Sound.). Andreas Spreer

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

This recital contains several of Ravel's most outstanding and popular works for piano performed by Francois-Joel Thiollier. These include the virtuosic Gaspard de la nit, inspired by the sinister poetry of Bertrand, the atmospheric Miroirs, the Alborada del gracioso, one of Ravel's most famous works and tombeau de Couperin, a moving tribute to a great musical predecessor of Ravel; so giving a perfect introduction to the world of one of the greatest French composers of the last century.