Motherland

Donald Macleod explores Ravel’s powerful bond with the Basque Country, his spiritual home.

Maurice Ravel is one of France’s most enigmatic, original and beloved composers. While less prolific than some of his contemporaries, Ravel was a master of detail - his works are elegant and exquisitely crafted, and precision was a guiding force in both his creativity and personality. He is often linked with impressionism for his painterly approach to orchestration and vivid sound worlds of his piano writing, but his distinctive voice bears influences from the baroque, to the exotic, to jazz. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod drops five pins on the map of Ravel’s life story, discovering the places that were important to him and what they reveal about his character.

Today, the place Ravel called “my country” – the Basque region in Southwest France, which had a strong sentimental pull over him. Although he only lived there for the first few weeks of his life, he returned time and time again to his coastal motherland, where a key part of his personal and creative identity was formed. We’ll step into Ravel’s holiday snaps, meet the most important woman in his life, and hear how Basque culture coloured some of his best-loved works.

Habanera
London Symphony Orchestra
Francois-Xavier Roth, conductor

Pavane pour une infante defunte
Louis Lortie, piano

Alborada del Gracioso (Miroirs)
Louis Lortie, piano

Piano Trio
Florestan Trio

Don Quichotte a Dulcinée
Jose van Dam, baritone
Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Lyon
Kent Nagano, conductor

Produced in Cardiff by Amelia Parker