Debussy-Ravel

Debussy – Ravel

Roger Benedict viola – Simon Tedeschi piano

Viola virtuoso Roger Benedict and renowned pianist Simon Tedeschi present a new studio album reimagining masterpieces by Debussy and Ravel for the rich, mellow tone of the viola – the ‘melancholy dreamer’, as Berlioz described it.

The album opens with Benedict’s arrangements of four of Debussy’s evocative Préludes, and closes with the composer’s kaleidoscopic cello sonata. In between, we hear viola arrangements of Ravel’s wistful and lyrical violin sonata – left unpublished at his death – as well as his Piece in the form of a Habanera and the soulful, melancholy Kaddisch, with the viola singing the hauntingly beautiful melodic line. The album also features Ravel’s radiant Sonatine in its original version for solo piano.

The artwork for the album cover is by Loribelle Spirovski, a Sydney-based Archibald finalist.

 

TRACKLISTING

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

       4 Préludes

       Arranged for viola and piano by Roger Benedict

1      I.   La puerta del vino (The Wine Gate)

2      II.  Des pas sur la neige (Footsteps in the Snow)

3      III. La Fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)

4      IV. Général Lavine – eccentric

 

MAURICE RAVEL

5      Pièce en forme de Habanera

       Arranged for viola and piano by Paul-Louis Neuberth

 

MAURICE RAVEL

6         Kaddisch from Deux mélodies hébraïques

           Arranged for viola and piano by Roger Benedict

 

MAURICE RAVEL

           Sonatine pour le piano

7         I.   Modéré

8         II.  Mouvement de menuet

9         III. Animé

MAURICE RAVEL

10    Sonate posthume (Violin Sonata in A minor)

       Arranged for viola and piano by Roger Benedict

 

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

       Cello Sonata

       Arranged for viola and piano by Roger Benedict

11      I.   Prologue (Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto)

12      II.  Sérénade (Modérément animé)

13      III. Finale (Animé, léger et nerveux)