Ravel and Zaimont

Synopsis

"La Valse" -- one of the most popular orchestral works of Maurice Ravel -- was performed for the first time this day in 1920 by the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris, conducted by Camille Chevillard. Ravel's score was subtitled a "choreographic poem for orchestra in the tempo of the Viennese waltz."

"La Valse" is a far more Impressionistic work than any of the waltzes by the Strauss Family. It is certainly darker. Ravel himself said, "I had intended this work to be a kind of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz, with which was associated in my imagination an impression of a fantastic and fatal kind of Dervish's dance."

"La Valse" was written for the great ballet impresario Serge Diagalev, who apparently found it undanceable, and his failure to stage "La Valse" caused a serious rift in his friendship with Ravel.

The contemporary composer Judith Lang Zaimont is an unabashed Ravel enthusiast—"Ravel's music defines 'gorgeous,'" says Zaimoint, "it's beguiling to the ear, and sensuous. His textures are built in thin layers, like a Napoleon pastry, and his intricate surfaces—beautifully worked-out—shine and fascinate."

Judith Lang Zaimont should know. For many years she taught composition at the University of Minnesota, and her own solo piano, chamber and orchestra works are increasingly finding their way into concert halls and onto compact disc.

Music Played in Today's Program

Maurice Ravel (1875 -1937) La Valse Boston Symphony; Charles Munch, cond. RCA 6522

Judith Lang Zaimont (b. 1945) Symphony No. 1 Czech Radio Symphony; Leos Svarovsky, cond. Arabesque 6742

On This Day

Births

• 1887 - Swedish composer Kurt Atterberg, in Göteborg;

Deaths

• 1707 - British composer and organist Jeremiah Clarke (Julian date: Dec. 1);

Premieres

• 1891 - Brahms: Clarinet Trio in a, Op. 114, and Clarinet Quintet in B, Op. 115, at the Singakadmie in Berlin, both with clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, accompanied by cellist Robert Hausmann, and the composer at the piano (in the Trio) and the Joachim Quartet (in the Quintet); A private performance of the Clarinet Trio had occurred earlier in Meiningen on November 24, 1891, with the same performers;

• 1902 - Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "Kashchey the Immortal," in Moscow (Gregorian date: Dec. 25);

• 1909 - Liadov: “Kikimora” for orchestra, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Nov. 29);

• 1926 - Shostakovich: Piano Sonata No. 1, in Leningrad, by the composer;

• 1929 - Constant Lambert: "Rio Grande" for piano and orchestra, in Manchester, England;

• 1932 - Britten: "Phantasy Quartet" No. 2 for oboe and strings, in London, with oboist Leon Goossens and members of the International String Quartet;

• 1948 - Henze: Violin Concerto, in Baden-Baden;

• 1997 - Kevin Volans: Cello Concerto, in Munich, by soloist Wen-Sinn Yang with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra;

• 2001 - Henry Brant: "Ice Field" for orchestra, by the San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting; This work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2002;