As part of the Symphonic Series of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra, Maestro Josep Pons will conduct the concert A Night in Paris with Debussy and Ravel on May 4 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. The evening, which pays tribute to the pianist from Lleida Ricard Viñes, will feature renowned pianist Javier Perianes in a program that explores the subtlety and expressive richness of Impressionist music.
The Gran Teatre del Liceu presents A Night in Paris with Debussy and Ravel, a concert held as part of the Ricard Viñes Year—an initiative promoted by the Government of Catalonia—and also commemorating the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth.
The evening will feature renowned pianist Javier Perianes, the Liceu Choir conducted by Pablo Assante, the Polifònica de Puig-Reig Choir led by Emmanuel Niubó, and Josep Pons conducting the Orchestra, in a program that explores the subtlety and expressive richness of Impressionist music.
Through a repertoire that evokes atmospheres, moods, and fleeting scenes with remarkable timbral sophistication, the concert offers a sonic journey into the universe of Debussy and Ravel—two key figures in French music at the turn of the 20th century. Debussy contributes his dreamlike, evocative qualities, while Ravel brings a more structured writing style marked by refinement and orchestral mastery.
The internationally acclaimed artistic duo of Perianes and Pons brings to life a dialogue between two composers who were instrumental in shaping modern musical language, in a performance where formal intelligence and profound expressiveness coexist in perfect balance.
This concert also pays tribute to Ricard Viñes, one of the most influential Catalan pianists of his time and a major champion of Debussy and Ravel’s music, with whom he shared a close artistic and personal bond.
A tribute to Ricard Viñes, a key promoter of Debussy and Ravel
This concert is part of the Ricard Viñes Year, a celebration of one of the most important Catalan pianists of the 20th century, promoted by the Government of Catalonia on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. It also coincides with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel.
Born in Lleida in 1875, Ricard Viñes was an extraordinarily talented pianist and a major advocate of the music of his time. He developed his career in Paris, where he became a key figure in the European artistic and musical avant-garde. In addition to a brilliant trajectory as a performer, Viñes stood out as a promoter of contemporary piano repertoire and as a mentor to many Spanish and Latin American artists who settled in the French capital.
His relationship with Ravel and Debussy was particularly significant: Viñes was responsible for the world premieres and the widespread dissemination of much of their work. With Ravel, who was the same age and shared his artistic sensibilities, he developed a close friendship. The composer dedicated several works to him, such as Menuet antique—Ravel’s first piece performed in public—and Oiseaux tristes, from the Miroirs suite. With Debussy, Viñes was not only a regular collaborator but also his preferred pianist, premiering many of his works and being the only contemporary musician to whom Debussy dedicated a piece: Poissons d’or.
Viñes’s generosity toward his close friend Maurice Ravel, premiering Menuet antique, marked a turning point. What could have been a promising yet conventional career as a virtuoso pianist shifted toward new territories—those of commitment to emerging musical languages. After Menuet antique, he went on to premiere most of Ravel’s piano works; shortly thereafter, he did the same with Debussy and continued with the same determination to champion dozens of composers seeking to transform musical language during the first third of the 20th century.
With the support of:
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