Description
Experience the Sultry Magic of Ravel's Bolero with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra CD
UPC: 028947766797
MPN: 477 6679
Brand Name: Deutsche Grammophon
Overview
Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing world of Maurice Ravel with this exceptional compilation from Deutsche Grammophon's Greatest Classical Hits series. This celebrated recording features the legendary Seiji Ozawa conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra through Ravel's most beloved Iberian-inspired masterpieces, including the world-famous Bolero—often called "the world's longest crescendo." This compilation showcases the incomparable French composer's lifelong passion for Spanish music, bringing together sensuous orchestral colors and breathtaking virtuosity in performances that have become reference recordings for classical music enthusiasts worldwide. Recorded during Ozawa's acclaimed 1974-75 Ravel cycle, this CD captures the Boston Symphony Orchestra at its finest, delivering interpretations that combine technical brilliance with deep emotional resonance.
Product Features
- Format: Audio CD
- Total Runtime: 62 minutes 27 seconds
- Recording Type: ADD (Analog to Digital to Digital)
- Label: Deutsche Grammophon (Universal Music Company)
- Release Year: 2007 (compilation of earlier recordings)
- Series: Deutsche Grammophon's Greatest Classical Hits
- Genre: Classical, Orchestral
- Composer: Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
- Conductor: Seiji Ozawa
- Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Manufacturing: Made in the EU
- Catalog Number: 00289 447 6679 GICH
Interesting Facts
This compilation draws from Seiji Ozawa's stellar 1974-75 Ravel cycle with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, recognized as one of the finest collaborative projects between Ozawa and the BSO for Deutsche Grammophon. The recording captures the orchestra's ravishing performance of these sensuous, exotic scores with full-bodied intensity and breathtaking virtuosity that set new standards for Ravel interpretation.
Seiji Ozawa served as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 29 years (1973-2002), making him the orchestra's longest-serving conductor. Known for his energetic style and sweeping performances of 19th-century Western symphonic works, Ozawa revealed himself as a natural Ravelian interpreter, magically evoking the hallucinogenic atmospheres and intricate colors that define the composer's orchestral palette.
Maurice Ravel's Bolero has transcended the concert hall to become one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music in popular culture. Commissioned as a ballet score in 1928, this hypnotic work features a single melodic theme repeated over and over with gradually increasing orchestration and volume—a musical experiment that became an unexpected worldwide phenomenon. Ravel himself was surprised by its popularity, once remarking that it was "a piece for orchestra without music."
The other works featured on this disc demonstrate Ravel's deep affinity for Spanish musical traditions. The Rapsodie Espagnole showcases his mastery of orchestral color and exotic atmospheres, while the Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) remains one of his most tender and nostalgic compositions. Une barque sur l'océan (A Boat on the Ocean) and La Valse further display the composer's genius for creating vivid orchestral landscapes that transport listeners to imagined worlds.
Track Listing
- Boléro
- Pavane pour une infante défunte
- Une barque sur l'océan
- Menuet antique
- Rapsodie espagnole
- La Valse
Publishers
Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg - As one of the world's most prestigious classical music labels, Deutsche Grammophon has been producing exceptional recordings since 1898. This release is part of their Greatest Classical Hits series, which presents celebrated performances of the most popular classical masterpieces. The label continues to set standards for recording excellence and artistic integrity in classical music.
Copyright: This compilation © 2007 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg. A Universal Music Company.
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