MAURICE RAVEL

 

Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, La Valse, Ma mere l’Oye

 

Daphnis & Chloe Suite No. 2

1. Lever du jour

2. Pantomime

3. Danse générale

 

Valses Nobles et Sentimentales

4. Modéré

5. Assez lent

6. Modéré

7. Assez animé

8. Presque lent

9. Vif

10. Moins vif

11. Epilogue: lent

 

12. La Valse

 

Ma mère l'Oye

13. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant

14. Petit Poucet

15. Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes

16. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête

17. Apothéose: Le jardin féerique

 

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin

 

The exciting young conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who succeeded Valery Gergiev as Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra last season, makes his EMI Classics debut with the Orchestra in an all-Ravel programme. The repertoire features the composer’s greatest orchestral works: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2, Valses nobles et sentimentales, La Valse and Ma mère l’Oye.

 

For Nézet-Séguin, Maurice Ravel is the greatest orchestrator French music has ever had: “It’s all about colours” Yannick says, “and the contrast between intimacy and grandness, La Valse being one of his greatest and most powerful symphonic poems and the Valses nobles et sentimentales being much more intimate (…).Daphnis and Chloe is one of his most uplifting and triumphant works while Ma mère L’Oye is so intimate.” This disc explores the enormous variety of Ravel’s orchestral music through three of his particular themes: his fascination with childhood; his interest in the culture and character of Ancient Greece; and a near obsession with waltzes of all kinds. Indeed the collection is suffused with dance, ballet and rhythmic energy.

 

Yannick Nézet-Séguin (b Montreal, 1975) studied piano, chamber music, composition and conducting at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec and choral conducting at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. He took master classes with leading conductors, among them Carlo Maria Giulini. After receiving the Virginia-Parker Award in 2000, he was invited to conduct all the major Canadian orchestras. He continues to work regularly with the Toronto Symphony and was Principal Guest Conductor of the Victoria Symphony from 2003-2008.

 

EMI 9663422