Kazuki Yamada
Aigul Akhmetshina
Konstantin Krimmel
Oslo Philharmonic Choir Maurice Duruflé
Maurice Ravel

Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986) developed a deep connection to Gregorian chant during his childhood as a choirboy at the cathedral school in Rouen. His Requiem (1947) blends the modal melodies of medieval chant with modern harmonies inspired by Impressionism and Neoclassicism.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral work Scheherazade, depicting the legendary heroine and storyteller from One Thousand and One Nights, premiered in St. Petersburg in the autumn of 1888 and quickly gained widespread acclaim across Europe. The piece helped spark a growing interest in both Russian music and Orientalist influences.

One of the young composers captivated by this wave of enthusiasm was Maurice Ravel (1875–1937), who went on to write two works titled Shéhérazade. This concert features his 1903 song cycle, set to texts by Tristan Klingsor, a poet who was also inspired by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Daphnis et Chloé premiered as a ballet in Paris in 1912 with music by Ravel. While the stage production was not an immediate success, the score has endured as a masterpiece of orchestral color and texture. This concert features Orchestral Suite No. 2, drawn from the ballet’s most radiant and expressive passages.