Maurice Ravel

Pierre Monteux had one of the longest active careers as a conductor, probably exceeded among famous musicians by Pablo Casals and Leopold Stokowski. He retained a youthful appearance with black hair (although his mustache was white), and was expressed by any suggestion that the color was not natural. He said anyone who said otherwise was welcome to come with shampoo, alcohol, or whatever to wash his hair and prove the color was natural. "Also you might mention that I have all my teeth," he added. This story also illustrates his sense of humor and genial nature. It is often stated that the man made no enemies, or even that he was loved by all.

'Pavane pour une infante défunte', an early work, takes us into the world of dance that perfumes the musical world of Ravel. 'Gaspard de la nuit' in the French Romantic tradition, is a triptych inspired by three of Aloysius Bertrand's prose-ballads: Ondine, the water nymph; Le Gibet (Gallows), paints a gruesome picture of 'a bell tolling from the walls of a city, beneath the skyline, and the body of a hanged man, reddened by the setting sun'; Scarbo, depicts the night-time mischief of a mocking dwarf. We return to the dance with the bold 'Valses nobles et sentimentales', a series of waltzes written in 1911. Finally, 'Ma Mère l'Oye' (Mother Goose), shows Ravel's affection for his childhood days. Vanessa Wagner brings out the modernity of these scores, their sudden movements of violence, their moments of ineffable sweetness. She plays with rigour, intensity and a velvet touch.

Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist of Impressionist music known especially for the subtlety, richness, and poignancy of his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects. Much of his piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music have become staples of the concert repertoire.

Ravel’s polished sophistication and his absolute perfection are peerless, and to convert that to sound is a monumental task. It may be said that Namiko Nakayama takes on that challenge with the utmost sincerity and approaches the ideal. Her sincerity is seen in the way she contemplates each and every note in the score; the way she considers each note, what’s behind each note, and listens to every note she plays.

Marking Ravel's 150th birthday and the one-year anniversary of Seiji Ozawa's death, Deutsche Grammophon presents Ozawa's recordings with Boston Symphony Orchestra of the composer's orchestral works. This 4 LP set is limited and numbered. The Original Source Series from Deutsche Grammophon features celebrated recordings reissued on vinyl. All recordings have been newly mastered from the original tapes and mixed by Rainer Maillard and cut by Sidney C. Meyer from Emil Berliner Studios. Pressed on 180g virgin vinyl by Optimal, presented in a deluxe gatefold with original artwork and housed in a rigid slipcase. Featuring photos and facsimiles of the recording documentation on the inner sleeve. Each gatefold also contains a note detailing the technical procedure of the Original Source Series.

Famous conductor and musician, Claudio Abbado was internationally known for serving up a repertoire of music from the poetry of Holderlin, the legend of Faust or works that depict German drama. He conducted several orchestras worldwide and received numerous awards for his masterful genius. His works include Mendelsshon's Midsummer Night's Dream and Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto.