French composer Maurice Ravel was born on this day in 1875. To mark the occasion, here are three absorbing samples of his work:
- French choir Accentus (we meet music director Laurence Equilbey at the start) performing the Pavane of Sleeping Beauty, from the Mother Goose suite:
- The great Géard Souzay sings Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, the last three songs Ravel wrote. If his interpretation seems a bit understated, close your eyes and listen again:
- Angela Hewitt playing Le Tombeau de Couperin at Koerner Hall, courtesy of the CBC:
John Terauds
John Terauds, Editor-Emeritus of Ludwig van Toronto, is currently a Divinity student at the University of Toronto and a church music director. He joined the Toronto Star in 1988, was the classical music critic from 2005 to 2012, and continues as a freelance critic for the paper. He is the co-author of Roy Thomson Hall: A Portrait, a book written with Toronto Star Colleague, William Littler.
Latest posts by John Terauds (see all)
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
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