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Track(s) taken from CDA67341/2

Sérénade grotesque

composer
1893; published 1975; originally entitled Sérénade, the 'grotesque' being added in 1928

Angela Hewitt (piano)
Recording details: August 2001
Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ludger Böckenhoff
Engineered by Ludger Böckenhoff
Release date: April 2002
Total duration: 3 minutes 53 seconds

Cover artwork: Near St Tropez (1892). Hubert de la Rochefoucauld
Galerie L'Ergasterre, Paris / Bridgeman Images
 

Other recordings available for download

Steven Osborne (piano)

Reviews

‘Angela Hewitt plumbs Ravel's paradoxical qualities to perfection in this superb set. This magnificent survey … a treasure trove! Angela Hewitt joins Gieseking, Rogé, Thibaudet and Lortie among the most distinguished if entirely different Ravel cycles on record, and easily withstands comparison in such exalted company’ (Gramophone)

‘This newcomer from Hyperion is second to none and will now probably be a first choice for many collectors’ (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

‘Hewitt’s is, unlike a number of other versions of Ravel’s œuvre, a highly worthwhile venture, full of stylish, intelligent playing’ (International Record Review)

‘Ravel trickles fluently through her fingers’ (The Times)

‘Hewitt reveals textural detail rarely heard in other performances … a thought-provoking set’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Delighful’ (The Scotsman)

‘Unique qualities of tone, style, and conscientious craftsmanship’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Hewitt’s control of tone colour is exemplary and the piano sound is warm and rounded … I recommend these discs to those wishing to acquaint themselves with some of Ravel’s lesser-known piano works as well as the more popular favourites’ (Pianist)

‘This is revelatory playing … Hewitt is never anything other than stimulating, probing, characterful and sensitive to both the individual nuance and broader perspective of each piece’ (International Piano)

‘She gets beneath the exotic surfaces of these pieces to expose their compelling musical structures’ (Music Week)

‘With these magnificent pieces, ranging from the well-known Gaspard de la Nuit to real curiosities, Hewitt proves her point: her colour range is vast, her touch compelling’ (The Sunday Express)

‘The restrained gestures, the delicate melodic ornaments, the harpsichord-like figurations, the subtle dance rhythms, the finely-balanced and beautifully engineered structures: Hewitt’s attention to such exquisite details is perfect’ (MusicWeb International)

‘Ravishingly beautiful and artistically satisfying … the whole is an offering not to be missed’ (Musical Opinion)

‘Hewitt’s finest work in this collection easily ranks with the catalog’s top contenders and deserves serious consideration’ (Classics Today)

«Ce qu’on observe d’abord en écoutant son intégrale Ravel, c’est son exactitude, sa précision, sa fidélité au texte» (Le Monde de la Musique, France)

„Revelatory playing that comprehensively challenges current perceived standards of Ravel keyboard interpretation to set alongside the greatest of the past masters … a landmark set that offers unbound opportunities to learn, discover and delight in“ (Piano, Germany)
Ravel's earliest piano composition to survive is entitled Sérénade on the manuscript, from which one might assume that it was an easy-going piece suitable for performance by young ladies in the salons. However, in 1928 he expanded the title to Sérénade grotesque, which fits the music much better, full as it is of surprises, both rhythmic and harmonic, with a plethora of dry arpeggiated chords marked pizzicatissimo. The composer in retrospect felt it was too much influenced by Chabrier (quite possibly by his Bourrée fantasque) and it was not published until after his death.

from notes by Roger Nichols © 2011

La première composition pour piano de Ravel qui nous est parvenue s’intitule Sérénade sur le manuscrit, ce qui pouvait laisser présumer que c’était une pièce facile, faite pour être jouée par des jeunes femmes dans les salons. Toutefois, en 1928, Ravel a transformé ce titre en Sérénade grotesque, ce qui convient beaucoup mieux à cette musique qui regorge de surprises, à la fois rythmiques et harmoniques, avec pléthore d’accords arpégés secs marqués pizzicatissimo. Après coup, le compositeur a pensé qu’elle était trop influencée par Chabrier (peut-être par sa Bourrée fantasque) et elle n’a été publiée qu’après sa mort.

extrait des notes rédigées par Roger Nichols © 2011
Français: Marie-Stella Pâris

Ravels früheste überlieferte Komposition trägt auf dem Manuskript den Titel Sérénade, was zu der Annahme führen könnte, es handele sich dabei um ein gefälliges Salonstück für junge Damen. 1928 jedoch erweiterte Ravel den Titel zu Sérénade grotesque, was viel besser zu dieser Musik passt, die voller rhythmischer und harmonischer Überraschungen steckt, wie etwa eine Fülle von trockenen arpeggierten Akkorden, die mit pizzicatissimo markiert sind. Der Komponist war rückblickend der Ansicht, dass das Werk zu sehr von Chabrier beeinflusst sei (möglicherweise von dessen Bourrée fantasque) und es wurde erst nach seinem Tod veröffentlicht.

aus dem Begleittext von Roger Nichols © 2011
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

Other albums featuring this work

Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Music
CDA67731/22CDs
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