Firma Melodiya presents an album of Maurice Ravel’s symphonic works dedicated to the great French composer’s 135th birthday.

“Music, I insist, must in spite of everything be beautiful,” as Ravel declared his artistic credo.

When the composer lived, his works were frequently a subject of relentless criticism. He was accused of imitating his contemporaries, compliance with outdated standards and banality. However, Ravel’s music has been loved by millions of listeners for more than half a century now, which lets him take a deserved place in the pantheon of the world’s classical music. Devoting attention to all genres and forms, Ravel had a special predilection to orchestra. Being one of the most important figures of musical impressionism, he was a great master of the instrumental palette. Not he was a stranger to romantically passionate impulses.

He combined firm reliance in the French national traditions with rapt admiration for Russian music, which was also reflected in his music.

The album features Ravel’s works created during one decade – Spanish Rhapsody, Suite No. 2 from the ballet Daphnis and Chloe, as well as orchestral versions of Pavane for a Dead Princess for piano and the suite Mother Goose. They are performed by the USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov. A world-renowned interpreter of Russian music, Svetlanov showed genuine interest in French musical impressionism and often included Ravel’s and Debussy’s works in his programmes.

These recordings were made at the concert dedicated to Ravel’s 100th anniversary that took place on 17 March 1975 at the Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.