Ravel: Tzigane for Violin & Orchestra • Artur Chermonov • Volker Hartung • Cologne New Philharmonic

Tzigane is a rhapsody for violin and orchestra, composed by Maurice Ravel in 1924. The piece is one of the most demanding works of the virtuoso violin literature. Here the work is seen played by young violinist Artur Chermonov in a fabulous live performance with Volker Hartung and his Cologne New Philharmonic Orchestra. Here the work is seen played by young violinist Artur Chermonov in a fabulous live performance with Volker Hartung and his Cologne New Philharmonic Orchestra. Even though the name goes back to French terms for gypsies such as "gitan", "tsigane" or "tzigane", it is aimed more at the romantic gypsy cliché attributed to Hungary, e.g. by Liszt and Brahms, than at real music by Sinti or Roma. So no real gypsy melodies are used. The first performance took place in London on 26 April 1924 with the dedicatee, Hungarian violinist Jelly d'Arányi, on the violin. In his biographical sketch of 1928 Ravel spoke of it as "a virtuoso piece in the style of a Hungarian rhapsody". It consists of "a string of successive variations juxtaposed without development“. Enjoy!