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Ravel: Orchestral Works, Vol. 5 / Slatkin, Orchestre National de Lyon
Naxos

Ravel: Orchestral Works, Vol. 5 / Slatkin, Orchestre National de Lyon

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Details

Composer
RAVEL, MAURICE
Artist
Dussolier, Druet, Slatkin
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Apr 14, 2017
Catalog #
8573448
UPC
747313344871

About

Listen to the Naxos Podcast to learn more about this release

Now here’s a novelty that fans of Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov will want to hear. In 1910, the story of Antar reached the stage in Paris as a play, with incidental music by Ravel arranged out of Rimsky’s eponymous symphony/tone poem (with a bit of Mlada thrown in for good measure). There is very little original music by Ravel–just a couple of minutes in all–but the arrangements involve some telling reorchestration and the creation of numerous short interludes. The cinematic conclusion (sound clip) sums things up nicely. All told, you get almost the complete original work: the first three movements, plus a good bit of the finale, albeit in a different order.

Unfortunately, for this premiere recording a long, pretentious, self-consciously “poetic” narration has been added, with words by Amin Maalouf. His main musical distinction lies in the fact that he has furnished several opera librettos for Kaija Saariaho, as if that’s a recommendation. My annoyance grew with every word. I mean, the only reason anyone wants to hear this piece is to find out what Ravel did with Rimsky’s original. Why put narrator André Dussolier in what sounds like an empty aircraft hangar and superimpose his histrionic reading of the text on top of the music? You’ll get through it, but it was a bad decision.

That said, Slatkin’s conducting is excellent, as it almost always is when he’s interpreting Russian music, and the sonics are very good when the narrator isn’t narrating. The coupling is a fine performance of Shéhérazade. Isabelle Druet’s voice is, arguably, a bit too small for the work, but she only sounds strained at the climax of Asie. Otherwise, she sings with intelligence, excellent diction, and characterful attention to the text. A sometimes frustrating release, then, but a collector’s item all the same.

– ClassicsToday (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 19 tracks

  1. 1 No. 1. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: I. Largo - Le désert n'est pas vide… (narration) 11:09
    Track
    1
    Title
    No. 1. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: I. Largo - Le désert n'est pas vide… (narration)
    Duration
    11:09
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  2. 2 No. 1bis. Ravel: Allegro 00:35
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 1bis. Ravel: Allegro
    Duration
    00:35
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  3. 3 En ce temps-là… (narration) - No. 2. Ravel: Cadenza ad libitum 01:39
    Track
    3
    Title
    En ce temps-là… (narration) - No. 2. Ravel: Cadenza ad libitum
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  4. 4 Sa mère, Zébiba… (narration) - No. 3. Ravel: Allegretto 00:53
    Track
    4
    Title
    Sa mère, Zébiba… (narration) - No. 3. Ravel: Allegretto
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  5. 5 Sa renommée grandissait avec lui… (narration) - No. 5. Ravel: Allargando 00:32
    Track
    5
    Title
    Sa renommée grandissait avec lui… (narration) - No. 5. Ravel: Allargando
    Duration
    00:32
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  6. 6 No. 6. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: IV. Andante amoroso (from letter C) - Un jour, il fut convoqué par son père… (narration) 06:20
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 6. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: IV. Andante amoroso (from letter C) - Un jour, il fut convoqué par son père… (narration)
    Duration
    06:20
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  7. 7 No. 7. Ravel: Allegretto 01:10
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 7. Ravel: Allegretto
    Duration
    01:10
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  8. 8 Cette bataille… (narration) - No. 8. Ravel: Andante 00:46
    Track
    8
    Title
    Cette bataille… (narration) - No. 8. Ravel: Andante
    Duration
    00:46
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  9. 9 No. 9. Ravel: Allegro - Ses poèmes l'ont rendu célèbre… (narration) 02:22
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 9. Ravel: Allegro - Ses poèmes l'ont rendu célèbre… (narration)
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  10. 10 No. 10. Ravel: Allegro 00:43
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 10. Ravel: Allegro
    Duration
    00:43
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  11. 11 No. 11. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: III. Allegro risoluto alla marcia 05:24
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 11. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: III. Allegro risoluto alla marcia
    Duration
    05:24
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  12. 12 C'était une journée en apparence paisible… (narration) - No. 11bis. Ravel: Allegro, rythmé 01:34
    Track
    12
    Title
    C'était une journée en apparence paisible… (narration) - No. 11bis. Ravel: Allegro, rythmé
    Duration
    01:34
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  13. 13 Antar n'écoutait plus… (narration) - No. 12. Ravel: Allegro moderato 01:59
    Track
    13
    Title
    Antar n'écoutait plus… (narration) - No. 12. Ravel: Allegro moderato
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  14. 14 No. 13. Rimsky-Korsakov: Mlada, Act III: Scene at Mount Triglav - Puis il y eut encore une bataille… (narration) 07:28
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 13. Rimsky-Korsakov: Mlada, Act III: Scene at Mount Triglav - Puis il y eut encore une bataille… (narration)
    Duration
    07:28
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  15. 15 En atteignant la plaine… (narration) - No. 14. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: II. Allegro 07:31
    Track
    15
    Title
    En atteignant la plaine… (narration) - No. 14. Rimsky-Korsakov: Antar: II. Allegro
    Duration
    07:31
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  16. 16 C'était le crépuscule… (narration) - No. 16. Ravel: Andante 03:29
    Track
    16
    Title
    C'était le crépuscule… (narration) - No. 16. Ravel: Andante
    Duration
    03:29
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
    Performer
    André Dussollier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  17. 17 No. 1. Asie 10:03
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 1. Asie
    Duration
    10:03
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Isabelle Druet
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  18. 18 No. 2. La Flûte enchantée 03:05
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 2. La Flûte enchantée
    Duration
    03:05
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Isabelle Druet
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin
  19. 19 No. 3. L'Indifférent 04:06
    Track
    19
    Title
    No. 3. L'Indifférent
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Isabelle Druet
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lyon
    Conductor
    Leonard Slatkin