Progetto Martha Argerich

italiano

Works

Maurice Ravel

Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (Paul Morand)

 

The three pieces that make up Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, a setting of texts by Paul Morand, represent Maurice Ravel’s last musical effort. In 1932, the composer accepted an invitation to write some vocal pieces for a film on Don Quixote, with the title role to be taken by the bass Fyodor Chaliapin, who had previously been a celebrated interpreter of Jules Massenet’s Don Quichotte. But the film project was not realised, and Ravel, who was left with the three songs that he had already written, published them two years later, in 1934. Once again, Ravel’s musical itinerary brings us to his beloved Spain, and indeed all three of the songs were in fact based on melodies and rhythms that were obviously of Spanish or Basque origin. The Chanson romanesque – first of the three pieces – adopts the pace of the guajira, a dance that shifts continually between 6/8 and 3/4 time; the Chanson épique that follows is a prayer to St. George and St. Michael – the two patron saints of chivalry – and it has the slow pace, in 5/4 time, of the zortziko, a Basque dance step; and the amusing final Chanson à boire (drinking song) – peaceful and optimistic in character – unfolds to the rhythm of a lively jota aragonesa.

listen to Real Media recording

1. Chanson romanesque
2. Chanson épique
3. Chanson à boire

Performers

Performance