Ravel - Pavane pour une infante défunte | Simone Young | WDR Sinfonieorchester

Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane pour une infante défunte,” performed by the WDR Sinfonieorchester under the direction of Simone Young. Recorded live on February 6, 2026, at the Cologne Philharmonie. Maurice Ravel - Pavane pour une infante défunte. For small orchestra WDR Sinfonieorchester Simone Young, conductor ► For more information about the symphony orchestra, concerts, and current livestreams, visit https://sinfonieorchester.wdr.de ► The WDR Sinfonieorchester on Facebook/wdrsinfonieorchester ► You can also find additional concerts and program notes from the world of classical music, symphonic crossover, choral music, and concerts for children in the ARD Media Library: https://1.ard.de/ARD_Klassik?yt=b Program Notes The list of her acquaintances reads like a “Who’s Who” of Parisian musicians and artists who shaped the flair of the French metropolis in the early 20th century: Winnaretta Singer, heiress to the American sewing machine magnate I. M. Singer. In 1893, Winnaretta married Prince de Polignac, and together they hosted a salon frequented by the great figures of the time: Marcel Proust, Claude Monet, Enrico Caruso, Jean Cocteau, and many others. But people didn’t just gather at Princess de Polignac’s for artistic exchange. Thanks to her wealth, she was also an important patron of the arts. De Polignac even took a young, up-and-coming composer under her wing—Maurice Ravel. In 1899, he thanked her with a short, exquisite piano piece, which he gave a tongue-in-cheek title: “Pavane pour une infante défunte,” “Pavane for a Deceased Princess.” This title surprised his contemporaries, as Princess de Polignac was very much alive. Ravel replied that he had been drawn to the title primarily by the assonance, the playful sound of “infante défunte.” Moreover, he said, this piece was simply a “pavane that a little princess might once have danced at the Spanish court.” One must imagine this with a certain degree of restraint, for the pavane is a courtly processional dance from the 16th century. Ravel’s miniature was not premiered until 1902 by the pianist Ricardo Viñes, a close friend of the composer. And the audience was immediately captivated. It is no coincidence, then, that Ravel arranged his “Pavane” for small orchestra in 1910. The success of this atmospheric gem, however, disheartened him somewhat, as he himself did not consider it particularly successful: “too much influence from Chabrier and a rather poor form.” What Ravel omits from his assessment is the ethereal atmosphere and the wistful melancholy that characterize his “Pavane.” For this was Ravel: a master of mood—even when using delicate means. Text: Otto Hagedorn