Maurice Ravel ‒ Rapsodie espagnole

Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937), Rapsodie espagnole (1907)

Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa conductor

00:00 - No. 1 Prélude à la nuit. Très modéré
03:57 - No. 2 Malagueña. Assez vif
06:02 - No. 3 Habanera. Assez lent et d'un rythme las
08:35 - No. 4 Feria. Assez animé

The Rapsodie espagnole was completed in 1908, after a two-piano version of the work the previous October. It consists of four movements, the evocative Prélude à la nuit, Malagueña, Habanera, and Feria. The Habenera had originally been written in 1895 as a work for two pianos. With Entre cloches, written two years later, it formed the Sites auriculaires, first imperfectly performed in 1898 by Ricardo Viñes and Marthe Dron on a newly devised instrument, a piano with two keyboards, at a Société nationale de musique concert, to conservative disapproval. Debussy showed interest and borrowed the score of Habanera and it has been widely supposed that the piece gave rise to Debussy's own Soirée dans Grenade a few years later. Rapsodie espagnole was Ravel's first major orchestral work, a demonstration of his originality and of his gifts as an orchestrator. The music moves from the stillness of night, with its four-note descending motif, to be heard again in the second and fourth movement, to two characteristic Spanish dances and a final celebratory Spanish fiesta.

(Naxos)

[sebastianboeddinghaus]

I keep thinking I've listened to all of Ravels and then I find hidden gems like this

[Hailey_Paige_]

Ravel is incredible. You can hear whole sections of “Daphnis et Chloé” in this piece, along with “Ma Mére l’Oie” motifs, bits of “La Valse, ” and definitely the D-S-C-H motif (though different pitches, same rhythm).

Mind you, this piece was written BEFORE all of the ones I mentioned above. It’s like Ravel was giving us all a teaser for the brilliance of his yet to come!!

[dieulinhtran]

1. Прелюдия «К ночи»
2. Малагенье 3:57, средний раздел, соло английского рожка 5:11 [12]
3. Хабанера 6:02
4. Ферия 8:35, тема хоты 9:42, тема рожка [12] 10:52

[tomekkobialka]

I love the bit from 13:32 in particular. Amazing piece of music!

[windowtrimmer]

I am in awe visually at the next-to-last bar.

[CrowTRobot-nizu]

I remember hearing the part at 1:27 on an old sign-off clip from Radio-Canada, after they had gone to the test card, which was a list of the next day’s programming, while classical music played. Finally I got an identification of this piece when I heard it on WRCJ-FM yesterday morning.

[SCRIABINIST]

5:14 the modulation there tugs on my heartstrings. Ravel is a genius

[LordNev]

14:32 I can see where Stravinsky got the end of the 'Infernal Dance' from

[cubycube]

Listened to the ny Phil play this live, it was an amazing experience!

[sk_yro]

2:16 Ravel inspires Stravinskij? It seems just like a passage from Petrushka

[polinakozlovska]

šuriņbērniem

M.Ravels: Spāņu rapsodija:

I Nakts prelūdija ♫ 0:05

II Malagenja : 1.t. [čelli, kb.atveido ģitāru] 3:58
2.t. [tromp., ļoti aktīvi] 4:30 - -

III Habanera 6:03

IV Svētki : pamatt. 8:35 - -
Aragonas hotas t. ♫ 9:48, 10:18

[kir-iv]

1 часть Прелюдия к ночи
0:00
1:39
2:19
2 часть Малагуэнья
3:57
5:11 (середина с англ. рожком)
5:49
3 часть Хабанера
6:02
7:50
4 часть Ферия
8:35
9:42
10:52 (т.рожка)

[alisekeita]

I Nakts prelūdija 0:05
II Malagenja : 1.t. 3:58
2.t. 4:30
III Habanera 6:03

[EggMCMUFFIN-el]

You can’t tell me Ravel was not an alien…

[MegaCirse]

C’est comme si l’on entrait dans un de ces palaces d’Europe centrale à l’architecture pâtissière style religieuse au chocolat. Dans chaque pièce où l’on pénètre, les individus sont habillés en noir et blanc des pieds à la tête. Ils ont cette étrange absence dans les yeux tout en vous regardant fixement.
Les plafonds sont peints, le mobilier est d’un luxe indescriptible et le marbre veiné des tables reflète l’évanescente sérénité de l’endroit ! Tout y est rigide, jusqu’au temps qui s’écoule derrière les lambris, comme aux aguets..

[Charlie-bnho]

I am so curious about Ravel. I feel I am barley scratching the surface with all of this. If anyone has any advice or resources they can recommend that would teach me more about this fascinating man and his works, please let me know!

[docbailey]

Was Ravel spoofing Debussy with this piece?

[gentle_goy]

Рааель безусловный мастер оркестровки как наши родные Чайковский и Римский-Корсаков.

[CMLPoP]

Very disappointing to see ads. There was one in the climax of the last piece. You should disable them - i am watching on my iPad so no Adblock - very, very annoying.

[DrCoyoteBanjo]

from CJS for Texas Tech MUHL3303: 1907