Ravel: Prix de Rome Cantatas / Rophé, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

$24.99
Label
BIS
Release Date
May 6, 2022
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      Maurice Ravel
    • PERFORMER
      Veronique Gens, Julien Behr, Jacques Imbrailo, Sophie Koch, Janina Baechle, Vannina Santoni, Michael
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      May 06, 2022
    • UPC
      7318599925820
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      BIS-2582
    • LABEL
      BIS
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      2
    • GENRE
      Cantata
    Works ⌄

    1. Prélude

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    2. Scene 1: Elfes légers, elfes errants (Braïzyl, Alyssa)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Julien Behr, Véronique Gens

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    3. Scene 2: Alyssa! ma beauté, ma lumière (Braïzyl, Alyssa)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Julien Behr, Véronique Gens

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    4. Scene 3: Le Barde, porte-glaive! (Braïzyl, Le Barde, Alyssa)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Julien Behr, Jacques Imbrailo, Véronique Gens

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    5. Prélude

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    6. Scene 1: À l'horizon, les blanches voiles… (Alcyone, Sophrona)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Sophie Koch, Janina Baechle

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    7. Scene 2: Description symphonique: Alcyone! (L'Ombre)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Julien Behr

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    8. Scene 3: Ah! Dieux puissants! (Alcyone)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Sophie Koch

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    9. Scene 4: Mon aimé! Mon aimé! (Alcyone, L'Ombre)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Sophie Koch, Julien Behr

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    10. Scene 5: Ma fille, mon enfant! (Sophrona, Alcyone, L'Ombre)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Janina Baechle, Sophie Koch, Julien Behr

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    11. Prélude

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    12. Scene 1: Me voici seul enfin! (Sardanapale)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Michael Spyres

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    13. Scene 1: Ainsi qu'un signal - Scene 2: Myrrha! Toi! (Myrrha, Sardanapale)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Vannina Santoni, Michael Spyres

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    14. Scene 3: Tu ne passeras pas, ô roi (Bélésis, Myrrha, Sardanapale)

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Jacques Imbrailo, Vannina Santoni, Michael Spyres

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    15. L'Aurore

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Chœur de l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Mathys Lagier

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    16. La nuit

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Chœur de l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Clarisse Dalles

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    17. Les Bayadères

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Chœur de l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Clarisse Dalles

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    18. Matinée de Provence

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Chœur de l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Clarisse Dalles

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé

    19. Tout est lumiere

      Composer: Maurice Ravel

      Ensemble: Chœur de l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

      Performer: Clarisse Dalles

      Conductor: Pascal Rophé


Between 1803 and 1968, the Grand Prix de Rome marked the zenith of composition studies at the Paris Conservatoire. In Maurice Ravel’s time the competition included an elimination round (a fugue and a choral piece) followed by a cantata in the form of an operatic scena. The entries were judged by a jury which generally favoured expertise and conformity more than originality and Ravel’s growing reputation as a member of the avant-garde was therefore hardly to his advantage, and may explain why he never won the coveted Premier Grand Prix, and the three-year stay at Rome’s Villa Medici that went with it.

The present set brings together all the vocal works that Ravel composed for the Prix de Rome – five shorter settings for choir and orchestra and three cantatas, each with three characters taking part in a plot which followed a more or less fixed sequence of introduction, recitative and aria, a duet, a trio and a brief conclusion. First published more than half a century after Ravel’s death, these test pieces for the Prix de Rome have never acquired the popularity of his other early works, such as Pavane pour une infante défunte, Jeux d’eau or the String Quartet. They are worth more than their reputation as academic exercises might suggest, however, and deserve to be better known, especially when performed by Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and Pascal Rophé and a team of vocal soloists including Véronique Gens and Michael Spyres.

REVIEWS:

This two-disc set brings together all of these rare vocal pieces by the composer: five shorter settings for choir and orchestra, and three cantatas, each with three characters taking part in the plot, which followed a more or less fixed sequence of introduction, recitative and aria, a duet, a trio and a brief conclusion. First published more than half a century after Ravel's death in 1937, these test pieces for the Prix de Rome have never acquired the popularity of his later and more mature works, but they are no mean pieces and are worth more than their reputation as academic exercises might suggest. These are compositions that are deftly crafted, full of attractive melodies, harmonically refined, and very often deeply sensitive. Indeed, they encapsulate all of the future Ravel hallmarks that were to make him one of the twentieth century's leading French composers.

Pascal Rophé draws some convincing performances and, in his hands, the music has an immediacy that keeps it consistently fresh and vivid. More than a collector's item which should attract the interest of all music lovers - Ravel aficionados in particular. Sonics and booklet notes are first-rate.

-- Classical Music Daily