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piano version / orchestral version

Rapsodie espagnole marks Ravel’s first truly important full-scale orchestral work. The piece is based on models by Rimsky-Korsakov (Capricco espagnole-1888) and Chabrier (España-1883), two works which CYS has often performed. You can access both of these works under Ravel and his Contemporaries. Once again we see Ravel’s fascination and indebtedness to all things Spanish. 

The brief instrumental solos in the first movement (heard here) clearly derive from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnole. The piano version is actually for piano four-hand as opposed to solo piano. Also, note the subtle difference in tempo between the piano version and the orchestral version.