Warmly Spontaneous Ravel songs - heard by GERALD FENECH '... utter conviction ...'

For some inexplicable reason, of all Ravel's output, his songs appear to be the least appreciated. Maybe listeners expect such pieces to be identified with groups and styles that are predictable, but this is not the case with Ravel who was obsessed with not repeating himself.

The songs in this issue, despite their extreme diversity and choice of texts, can be split into two sections; folk songs and those that can be labeled as art songs...

MAURICE RAVEL

GERALD FINLEY

HYPERION