Ravel: Complete works for piano duet
Maurice Ravel was an excellent pianist, and the piano was central to his art. The piano was the instrument through which he discovered and expressed his creativity and his innovation in his compositional style, as well as new ideas of compositional expression.
Many of Ravel’s orchestral works (Bolero being the exception) appeared in piano versions. He transcribed more than half of these works for 2 pianos, or piano duet.
This recording is in fact a collection of duo piano works by Maurice Ravel:
Ravel:
- Introduction & Allegro for 2 pianos
- Rapsodie Espagnole (for 2 pianos)
- Entre cloches for two pianos
- Boléro for two pianos
- Ma Mère l’Oye for piano duet
- Fanfare for piano duet
- Shéhérazade – Ouverture de féerie for piano duet
- Frontispice for poème du Vardar for two pianos five-hands with David Gardiner (piano)
- La Valse (for 2 pianos)
Performed by: Ingryd Thorson (piano) & Julian Thurber (piano)
Apart from the well known works, this 2-CD set contains some lesser known pieces – Entre cloches of 1897 was only published in 1975, and was originally appended to the Haberna, now better known as the 3rd movement of Rapsodie Espagnole.
“These performances from Denmark are all affectionate and notably intelligent and they are powerfully yet pleasingly recorded. The culmination of this set is a fine account of that terrifying masterpiece La valse. Recommended.”
…………….. Gramophone Magazine, October 1988
While I could not locate a video of these specific performers, here’s an arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole for piano four hands:
Tags: Maurice Ravel, Duo piano