Composer: Isaac Albéniz, Armand Amar, David Chalmin, François Couperin, Philip Glass, Alberto Iglesias, Jean Philippe Rameau, Maurice Ravel, Max Richter, Charles Camille Saint-Saëns, Pablo de Sarasate, Igor Stravinsky, Victor Jacob
Performer: Aurèle Marthan, Dmitry Smirnov, Adrien Boisseau, Caroline Sypniewski, Célestin Guérin, Mathilde Caldérini, Amaury Viduvier, Nicolas Lamothe, Domi Emorine, Victor Jacob
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Alpha
Catalogue: ALPHA871
Release: 2022
Size: 598 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Glass: The Fog of War: Invitatio
02. Chalmin: Guéthary
03. Saint-Saëns: Le carnaval des animaux: Aquarium
04. Iglesias: O Night Divine
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major, M. 83 (Arr. for Piano and Octet by Lucas Henri)
05. I. Allegramente
06. II. Adagio assai
07. III. Presto
08. Iglesias: Piano Bar y coro infantil
09. Stravinsky: Danse Russe (from Pétrouchka)
10. Donostia: 21 Preludios vascos: No. 6, Oñazez! – Dolor
11. Albéniz: Recuerdos de Viaje, Op. 71: En la playa
12. Rameau: Les Sauvages
13. Sarasate: Prière et berceuse, Op. 17
14. Couperin: Pièces de clavecin II: Ordre 7ème de clavecin in G major: La Basque
15. Amar: Gerstein’s Theme (from ‘Amen’)
16. Richter: Andante / Reflection (from ‘Waltz With Bashir’)
17. Eagles: Hotel California (Arr. for Piano by Nicolas Worms)
18. La Femme: Sur la planche
Ravel and the Basque Country have always been one and the same. His Concerto in G major is the central work of this album and is presented here in an original arrangement for piano and small ensemble. Pianist Aurèle Marthan also pays homage to his splendid hometown, Guéthary, where he founded the festival “Classic à Guéthary”. All of the works recorded here illustrate the richness of a region that has been cherished by so many artists: Stravinsky arranged his Petrouchka in Biarritz, Pablo de Sarasate chose to reside there and Isaac Albéniz opted to spend his last days there.
Another Basque celebrity, although on the Spanish side, is Alberto Iglesias, director Pedro Almodóvar’s house composer. The Basque coast is often compared to California because of its excellent beaches for surfing; Aurèle Marthan evokes the Eagles as well as his passion for the American minimalists (Glass) and for cinema, with music from the films Amen and Waltz with Bashir; he also provides a piano version of the Biarritz-based rock band La Femme’s hit Sur la planche.
This album covers more than three centuries of music and includes music by Rameau and Couperin — the composer of La Basque ! Guéthary was written especially for this recording by composer David Chalmin, who also produced the recording in his studio in the Basque Country.