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PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS: 
The late Patric Standford may have written these short pieces deliberately to provoke our feedback. If so, his success is reflected in the rich range of readers' comments appearing at the foot of most of the pages.
Maurice Ravel: L'Heure espagnole, Bolero
HMM 905361 (harmonia mundi, CD)
FIRST RELEASE (16 June 2023)
Playing time: 64'36"
Tracks: 25
Booklet pages: 72
℗ 2023 harmonia mundi musique sas
© 2023 harmonia mundi musique sas
Main country of recording: France
Country of manufacture: Netherlands
Reviewer: Geoff Pearce
Review of Maurice Ravel: L'Heure espagnole, Bolero published on 2 June 2023
Isabelle Druet, mezzo (Concepción, femme de Torquemada)
Julien Behr, tenor (Gonzalve, bachelier)
Loïc Félix, tenor (Torquemada, horloger)
Thomas Dolié, baritone (Ramiro, muletier)
Jean Teitgen, bass (Don Iñigo Gomez, banquier)
Les Siècles
François-Xavier Roth, conductor
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937):
1-24 L'Heure espagnole, M 52
25 Bolero, M 81
Continuing their exploration of Ravel's output, François-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles offer us two works linked by his love of Spain. Alongside the famous Bolero, which regains its original flavour here on period instruments, is Ravel's first opera, which flirted with libertinism: though its outstanding cast consists entirely of native French-speakers, this caustic 'Hour' remains quintessentially Spanish.
Recorded 23 and 24 March 2021 at Studio RIFFX 1, La Seine Musicale, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.