Robert Trevino, Ondine Records and Basque National Orchestra Announce Two New Recordings (16.10.2020)


Robert Trevino began his partnership with Ondine in sterling form earlier this year, with a complete cycle of Beethoven Symphonies featuring the Malmo Symphony Orchestra - where he is Chief Conductor - that was feted by many reviewers ("Such freshness and vitality...there is so much to enjoy!" - Record Review, BBC Radio 3). Now he returns to the recording studio with the Basque National Orchestra, of which he is Music Director, with two recordings for release in the coming period.

 

 

First will be a collection of orchestral suites by Maurice Ravel, the most celebrated Basque composer. His works have become something of a speciality for Trevino and, over many years, this orchestra - which is very closely associated with his music. Most recently, last January, they toured Ravel works to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, for the orchestra's Paris debut. Slated for release in spring 2021, the album will alternate storied favourites such as Rapsodie Espagnole, with less-often performed works such as Pavane pour une infante défunte (with its noted Basque influences) and Une barque sur l'ocean.

 

 

To follow in due course will be a fascinating survey of under-appreciated important American works, comprising:

 

Charles Loeffler's La Mort

Howard Hanson's Before The Dawn

Charles Ruggles's Evocation

Henry Cowell's Variations

 

 

All of these have received barely a handful of recordings before, while the Hanson work is a world premiere.

 

 

The producer for these two albums, as for the Beethoven symphonies, is Ingo Petry. The American music recording has already been completed - recorded at the Basque National Orchestra's Miramón headquarters in Donostia-San Sebastián - while the Ravel is underway, at San Sebastian's landmark Kursaal concert hall.

 

 

"I'm very excited to make my first Basque Symphony Orchestra recordings for Ondine," says Trevino, "Making the Beethoven symphonies with Ingo, and Reijo and his team, was such a positive experience, and now I get to enjoy all of that again with this other incredibly talented group of musicians. The BNO and I have been together for some years now and I regard them as family. Ravel is second-nature to them, yet together we have re-thought this masterful composer and there is no ensemble with which I would rather record his music - sheer joy. Then, from a composer of their homeland to four from mine, it has been truly thrilling to join hands across continents to explore these undersung American works, a whole musical landscape that they and I are exploring at the same time. It has been a very special experience and I hope the microphones will have caught that!"

 

 

"We were more than delighted with Robert's Beethoven symphonies," says Reijo Kiilunen, Ondine's Managing Director, "and we always knew that we also wanted to record with his other ensemble, the Basque National Orchestra. They have a very characterful and distinctive approach and a fabulous sound, and this idea to have the American conductor lead them in music of a Basque genius, and then the Basque orchestra playing important American music, seemed like a great one. I think we will have two terrific new albums from Robert and the Basque National Orchestra."