Ravel transatlantique

The Percussions Claviers de Lyon look back on a significant period in Maurice Ravel’s life, eclectic and filled with curiosity. Gershwin’s famous Rhapsody in Blue is associated with a selection of pieces, all linked to Ravel’s « crazy tour » – Rapsodie espagnole, Concerto in G Major and Gaspard de la nuit – with the undeniable presence of jazz in Ravel’s music.

Hélène Tysman brilliantly performs the piano pieces which alternate audacious versions for the quintet, and the two concertos promise an unusual dialogue! The combination of Ravel’s music and the unique sound of keyboard percussion – historically born from jazz music – like the vibraphone… allow a harmonious ensemble that neither the French nor Americans knew in 1928.

Hélène Tysman has become one of the brightest pianists of her generation. Her recording devoted to Ravel (Des Antiques aux démons, 2016) was unanimously acclaimed by both the international and the French press: a ‘warm touch with a dreamy sensibility’ (The New York Times), an ‘extraordinary interpretation’ (Le Figaro), ‘[Ravel’s interpretation] with rare finesse and intensity’ (Télérama).