Lucerne Festival Academy 6

The same thing twice? Not at all! When an orchestral magician like Maurice Ravel orchestrates his own piano pieces, it’s as if we’re suddenly hearing completely new and different works. This is demonstrated by two pieces from his cycle Miroirs. In Une barque sur l’océan, Ravel transforms sparkling piano arpeggios into mightily surging orchestral waves. And in Alborada del gracioso, he conjures up his beloved Spain in garish colors through artful imitations of the guitar, clattering castanets, and a languishing serenade by the solo bassoon. “Ravel’s ability to transcribe is amazing,” said Pierre Boulez, who went even further. When Boulez arranged five of his own early Notations for full orchestra a good thirty years later, he discovered the untapped sonic potential they contained and allowed the piano miniatures to proliferate and flourish — luxuriantly and to highly expressive effect. Pierre-Laurent Aimard and the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) invite you to compare the two directly. The program opens, however, with brand new music: a tribute to Boulez by Olga Neuwirth.