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The main attraction of the orchestra Les Siècles and its conductor François-Xavier Roth is its use of period instruments from around 1900, the time period in which the group specializes. One could hardly ask for a better demonstration record (as audiophiles used to call them) than this take on Maurice Ravel's L'Heure espagnole, an edgy, rather tawdry but undeniably funny little opera about the extramarital escapades of a clockmaker's wife, complete with excellent satirical characterizations of her two lovers. The opera receives a pitch-perfect performance here from a quintet of younger singers, who deliver the kind of dry, close-to-spoken singing Ravel wanted. Even better, though, is the orchestral sound, where the opera's large contingent of winds, brass, and percussion displays the sound of Les Siècles at its most vivid. The score calls for trios of oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, and these all have a tangier sound than modern instruments provide. The program ends with Boléro, and this, too, stands out from among the hundreds or thousands of other recordings on the market. Ravel had very fixed ideas about how he wanted the work to sound, and he wrangled with Arturo Toscanini, who conducted the premiere in New York, about it: it should be played absolutely straight, with no variation in tempo and little expression. Notwithstanding the connotations that became attached to the work later on, he viewed it as an abstract work, and that is exactly what it becomes in Roth's bracing reading. Listeners who have been wanting to sample Roth's work with this orchestra are enthusiastically encouraged to try this release, which made classical best-seller charts in the summer of 2023.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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L'heure espagnole, M. 52 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 1 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Loic Felix, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 2 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Loic Felix, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 3 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Loic Felix, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 4 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 5 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 6 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 7 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 8 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 9 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 10 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 11 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 12 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 13 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 14 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 15 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 16 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 17 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 18 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 19 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 20 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Loic Felix, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
L'heure espagnole, M. 52, Scene 21 (Maurice Ravel)
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Loic Felix, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Thomas Dolie, MainArtist, BaritoneVocals
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist - Loic Felix, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Jean Teitgen, MainArtist, BassVocals - Isabelle Druet, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals - Julien Behr, MainArtist, TenorSolo
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
Maurice Ravel, Composer - Les Siècles, Orchestra, MainArtist - François-Xavier Roth, Conductor, MainArtist
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
Album review
The main attraction of the orchestra Les Siècles and its conductor François-Xavier Roth is its use of period instruments from around 1900, the time period in which the group specializes. One could hardly ask for a better demonstration record (as audiophiles used to call them) than this take on Maurice Ravel's L'Heure espagnole, an edgy, rather tawdry but undeniably funny little opera about the extramarital escapades of a clockmaker's wife, complete with excellent satirical characterizations of her two lovers. The opera receives a pitch-perfect performance here from a quintet of younger singers, who deliver the kind of dry, close-to-spoken singing Ravel wanted. Even better, though, is the orchestral sound, where the opera's large contingent of winds, brass, and percussion displays the sound of Les Siècles at its most vivid. The score calls for trios of oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, and these all have a tangier sound than modern instruments provide. The program ends with Boléro, and this, too, stands out from among the hundreds or thousands of other recordings on the market. Ravel had very fixed ideas about how he wanted the work to sound, and he wrangled with Arturo Toscanini, who conducted the premiere in New York, about it: it should be played absolutely straight, with no variation in tempo and little expression. Notwithstanding the connotations that became attached to the work later on, he viewed it as an abstract work, and that is exactly what it becomes in Roth's bracing reading. Listeners who have been wanting to sample Roth's work with this orchestra are enthusiastically encouraged to try this release, which made classical best-seller charts in the summer of 2023.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 25 track(s)
- Total length: 01:04:26
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: François-Xavier Roth Les Siècles
- Composer: Maurice Ravel
- Label: harmonia mundi
- Genre: Classical Opera
2023 harmonia mundi 2023 harmonia mundi/ Les Siècles
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