Composer: Maurice Ravel
Performer: Ragna Schirmer
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Belvedere
Catalogue: BVE08002
Release: 2017
Size: 175 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Miroirs, 5 pieces for piano
01. No. 1, Noctuelles
02. No. 2, Oiseaux tristes
03. No. 3, Une barque sur l’océan
04. No. 4, Alborada del gracioso
05. No. 5, La vallée des cloches
Gaspard de la Nuit
06. I. Ondine
07. II. Le gibet
08. III. Scarbo
09. Pavane pour une infante défunte
Playing pieces from “Miroirs” and “Gaspard de la nuit”, empathetic pianist Ragna Schirmer reveals the essence of Ravel’s artistic compositions with delicate brilliance: These musical works are animated by an incomparable union of mechanical precision and aching fantasy. In such moments it becomes clear that these mournfully beautiful sound creations are the essence of the artistic soul whose fibres Maurice Ravel wove into his compositions so assuredly. Ragna Schirmer’s exquisite interpretations be witness to Ravel’s passionate sensibilities and that which could not be sai d something he himself concealed from those around him during his lifetim This virtuoso recording is also a bold interpretation that demands the attention of the listener. With her distinctive interpretations, pianist Ragna Schirmer enjoys an exceptional reputation far beyond the borders of Germany. She has won the highly regarded International Bach Competition in Leipzig twice—a unique achievement in the history of the prize. Numerous awards from national and international competitions, ecstatic reviews and the receipt of two of Germany’s top classical music awards, the ECHO Klassik, reflect her remarkable career. Her tutors include Bernard Ringeisen in Paris, himself a student of Marguerite Long, friend and student of Maurice Ravel. Ragna Schirmer performs in the greatest concert halls of Europe, China and New Zealand, as well as at renowned music festivals such as the Heidelberger Frühling (artist in residence 2010), the Beethovenfest Bonn, the MDR-Musiksommer, the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, and the Salzburg Festival. She has played together with Zubin Mehta, Sir Roger Norrington, Kurt Masur, Sir Neville Marriner, and Herbert Blomstedt, to name only a few, and has performed with orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the German Symphonic Orchestra Berlin, the Orchestre National de France, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.