Classical Music | Music for Duo

Recorded on 03/13/2007, uploaded on 01/26/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Ma Mère l'Oye, Cinq piecès enfantines (Mother Goose) (1910)           Maurice Ravel

Ravel's five-movement Mother Goose Suite was premiered in 1910 by two young students at the Paris Conservatory - six-year old Jeanne Leleu and ten-year old Genevieve Durony. The atmosphere of fairy tales and nursery rhymes is strongly felt with the help of the text Ravel included at the beginning of some of the movements:

      I.    Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty

      II.    Tom Thumb ... He thought that he would easily find his way back with the help of the bread he had scattered all along as he passed; but, to his surprise, he could not find a single crumb: birds had come to eat them all up.

      III.   The Plain Little Girl, the Empress of the Pagodas...She undressed and got into the bath. All of a sudden, the miniature porcelain nodding dolls began to sing and play instruments: some had lutes made of walnuts, some viols made from almond shells, because the instruments had to be accommodated to their size.

      IV. The Conversation of the Beauty and the Beast ..."When I think of how good-hearted you are, you do not appear so ugly to me."..."Oh, Lady, yes, I do have a good heart, but I am a monster."..."There are quite a lot of people who are more of a monster than you."..."If I were witty enough, I would pay compliments to you, but I am only a beast."..."Beauty, will you marry me?"..."No, my Beast."..."I happily die because I had the pleasure to meet you once more."..."No, my dear Beast, you shall not die: you shall live to become my husband!"...The Beast disappeared, and all she saw in front of her was a prince more beautiful than Love, who thanked her for having put an end to his enchantment.

      V. The Enchanted Garden

Michael Cansfield

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.