Ravel’s predilection for fantasy worlds and exotic ambience can be heard in many of his orchestral works. Even as a student he composed the Ouverture de Shéhérazade and had planned to write an opera based on the fairy tales of the Arabian Nights. In the end, all that remains are three poems for voice and orchestra. Stéphanie d’Oustrac sings these songs rapturously and with exactly the right feel for oriental opulence

The main work on this CD, however, is of course the comic opera L’Heure espagnole, which touches on another subject that attracted Ravel: Spain. The score reminds one of musical accompaniments to old silent movies; the rich instrumentation includes chimes, cuckoo pipes, celesta and many percussion instruments. These bring to life the ambient sounds of the watchmaker’s shop, in which the story of Concepcion and her lovers takes place. An excellent cast of singers, supported by a highly responsive orchestra – what more could one ask for?

Cast (L’Heure espagnole):
- Concepcion: Stéphanie D’Oustrac (soprano)
- Torquemada: Jean-Paul Fouchécourt (tenor)
- Ramiro: Alexandre Duhamel (baritone)
- Don Inigo Gomez: Paul Gay (bass)
- Gonzalve: Yann Beuron (tenor)