BaL 13.03.21 - Ravel: Introduction and Allegro

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is this the shortest work ever considered on BAL?

Ravel's Alborada del gracioso was reviewed in BaL in 2011 (7' 19")

[cloughie]

Ravel's Alborada del gracioso was reviewed in BaL in 2011 (7' 19")

Plenty of recordings to get through with that!

Have they done Mother Goose?

[Wolfram]

What's the old joke about orchestral harps? If the harps are in tune then they must be playing the wrong notes - or something like that. Very cruel.

To wander off the point just briefly, whenever I listen to a new recording of the Ring for the first time, I always go straight for the rainbow bridge sequence after Donner's hammer blow and the magic fire music at the end of Die Walkure just to check the harps in the recorded balance. I find nothing more infuriating than producers, or conductors, who don't bother to ensure that the six harps can be clearly heard in the orchestral texture. I've always assumed that Wagner scored those passages for six harps simply because he wanted them to be heard through the dense orchestration at those pivotal points. Solti, or Culshaw, or both, is/are exemplary in this respect. And actually the Karajan is not too bad either, in spite of his reputation for homogeneous orchestral textures, and Janowski in Dresden. Even more infuriating though are those conductors who think that you can get away with only 4 - Sir Simon in Munich for one - presumably for reasons of cost. But on those occasions when they are captured just right by the conductor and engineers, there's really nothing quite like them.

[BBMmk2]

Be one BaL I’m looking forward too!

[mikealdren]

I got to know the piece from an old Saga LP of French harp music with Edward Vito as the harpist. I've got my record deck connected up again so I'll listen again this morning. Lovely programme, the coupling includes the Debussy danse sacrée et profane and, Saint Saens fantasie Op.124 and the Faure impromptu for harp Op.86.

[Pulcinella]

Here's a YouTube with score video of the two-piano arrangement.

Ravel: Introduction and allegro (arrangement for two pianos)

https://youtu.be/1ny-pImkr7Q

Giorgia Tomassi and Alessandro Stella

(The presentation when only one piano is playing is not ideal; it's quite easy to get lost!)

[ardcarp]

Off piste again....but here's a harp impromptu by Gabriel Pierné, superbly played. Those interested in the technical side can watch those little widgets at the top of the harp which are altering the pitch of strings via her feet (which you can't see.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tVBOIvYK1c

I think the French fell in love with both the flute and the harp au fin de siècle.

[Barbirollians]

Off piste again....but here's a harp impromptu by Gabriel Pierné, superbly played. Those interested in the technical side can watch those little widgets at the top of the harp which are altering the pitch of strings via her feet (which you can't see.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tVBOIvYK1c

I think the French fell in love with both the flute and the harp au fin de siècle.

Didn’t Mozart write his concerto for flute and harp for a Paris commission ?

[mikealdren]

I got to know the piece from an old Saga LP of French harp music with Edward Vito as the harpist. I've got my record deck connected up again so I'll listen again this morning. Lovely programme, the coupling includes the Debussy danse sacrée et profane and, Saint Saens fantasie Op.124 and the Faure impromptu for harp Op.86.

Well I listened to it and it was very poor as well as badly recorded. I followed it with the Ellis/Melos to refresh my ears although that recording is beginning to show its age.

[ardcarp]

Didn’t Mozart write his concerto for flute and harp for a Paris commission ?

The thought crossed my mind when I typed the words Flute and Harp. I was thinking though of late 19th century flautists such as Philippe Gaubert, Adolphe Hennebains, and Paul Taffanel. And isn't there a famous book of flute studies by Moyse?

[Darloboy]

Both of the Melos with Ellis are excellent (alps I think the one with Chung Lupu is the same Decca Melos but coupled with Chung and Lupu playing the Franck Sonata and others playing Debussy)
For the orchestral versions I would choose either Gerhardt or Martinon.

The Decca Melos was David Huckvale’s first choice when this work was last covered by BaL in March 01. The Nash Ensemble was runner-up. Prior to that, last reviewed by Roger Nichols in June 83 - don’t know what his recommendations were, I’m afraid (although it wouldn’t surprise me if it was the Melos again).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The thought crossed my mind when I typed the words Flute and Harp. I was thinking though of late 19th century flautists such as Philippe Gaubert, Adolphe Hennebains, and Paul Taffanel. And isn't there a famous book of flute studies by Moyse?

Well, Marcel Moyes was much more recent. He died in 1984. (My flute teacher had been one of his pupils.)

[Goon525]

I’m no expert on the work, but this seemed a perfectly sound, sensible BaL with reasons given for choices. Quite a luxury, of course, to have plenty of time to discuss a ten minute work.

[Alison]

To add nothing to this thread, I suspect I would enjoy this work in the flesh but have never really taken to it on disc.

Will try the complete work tomorrow night. The less prominent harp maybe a plus.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I’m no expert on the work, but this seemed a perfectly sound, sensible BaL with reasons given for choices. Quite a luxury, of course, to have plenty of time to discuss a ten minute work.

Not wishing to steal BBM's thunder, please could someone release the name of the winner?

Don't often miss BaL but I hope packing to move house on Weds is sufficient excuse