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Ravel - Cantates pour le prix de Rome

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Label
Catalogue numberBIS-2582 SACD
Release date2022-05-06
Discs2
Orig. sample rate96000Hz
Total time102:11

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 two-disc 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.
 
  • STUDIO QUALITY
    File formats included in STUDIO QUALITY
    • FLAC 24-bit Stereo
    • FLAC 24-bit Surround 5.0
    • FLAC 16-bit Stereo
    • MP3 Stereo
  • CD QUALITY | MP3
    File formats included in CD QUALITY | MP3
    • FLAC 16-bit Stereo
    • MP3 Stereo
$ 24.50
 
Extra material for download
 
 
Disc 1
 
  Composer: Ravel, Maurice
  Alyssa (1903) 26:08
01 Prélude 03:29 $ 0.84 USD
02 Scène I. Braïzyl: Elfes légers, elfes errants 07:38 $ 1.83 USD
03 Scène II. Braïzyl: Alyssa ! ma beauté, ma lumière 06:11 $ 1.48 USD
04 Scène III. Braïzyl: Le Barde, porte-glaive ! 08:50 $ 2.16 USD
 
  Alcyone (1902) 26:42
05 Prélude 03:44 $ 0.90 USD
06 Scène I. Alcyone: À l'horizon, les blanches voiles 06:40 $ 1.60 USD
07 Scène II. Description symphonique 03:56 $ 0.94 USD
08 Scène III. Alcyone: Ah ! Dieux puissants ! 01:50 $ 0.44 USD
09 Scène IV. Alcyone: Mon aimé ! Mon aimé ! 05:45 $ 1.38 USD
10 Scène V. Sophrona: Ma fille, mon enfant ! 04:47 $ 1.19 USD
 
  Myrrha (1901) 24:25
11 Prélude 02:21 $ 0.57 USD
12 Scène I. Sardanapale: Me voici seul enfin ! 03:33 $ 0.85 USD
13 Myrrha: Ainsi qu'un signal 09:29 $ 2.28 USD
14 Scène III. Bélésis: Tu ne passeras pas, ô roi 09:02 $ 2.26 USD
 
 
Disc 2
01 L’Aurore (1905) 06:08 $ 1.52 USD
 
02 La Nuit (1902) 04:57 $ 1.23 USD
 
03 Les Bayadères (1900) 03:53 $ 0.98 USD
 
04 Matinée de Provence (1903) 03:54 $ 0.98 USD
 
05 Tout est lumière (1901) 03:52 $ 1.06 USD
 
  Album total 102:11
ComposerRavel, Maurice
OrchestraOrchestre National des Pays de la Loire
ConductorPascal Rophé
SopranoDalles, Clarisse
Gens, Veronique
Santoni, Vannina
TenorBehr, Julien
Lagier, Mathys
Spyres, Michael
BaritoneImbrailo, Jacques
Mezzo-sopranoBaechle, Janina
Koch, Sophie
ChoirChœur de l’ONPL

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