SORTILEGES - GRASSO, VENEZIANO

We first came across the figure of Lucien Garban while studying his transcription for piano 4 hands of La Valse. We immediately found it extremely interesting, with very successful piano solutions, many references to the orchestral version and some original elements, although naturally with the utmost respect for the autograph writing. We were very fascinated by this figure of transcriber and composer, a pupil of Faurè, and a friend of his contemporary but more famous and brilliant Ravel. Garban followed him with affection and admiration throughout his musical life: from the first performance, of revolutionary importance, of Pelléas et Mélisande to Ravel's requests for transcriptions or arrangements of his works, to the suggestions of Lucien, who in his maturity became the musical director of the Durand editions, for his friend Maurice, to Garban's support, both professional and personal, during Ravel's last years, severely marked by illness.
We then also addressed some of his other transcriptions, giving precedence to Ravel's music and then to the Valses Nobles et Sentimentales and the three extracts from l'Enfant et le Sortilege, these works being particularly dear to Garban, also cited several times in his correspondence. To embrace another important part of the French musician's work, we chose to record his transcription for piano four hands of the Carnival of the Animals, undoubtedly one of the most performed versions of the famous "zoological fantasy".
The album aims to highlight the figure of Garban, who worked a lot in Ravel's shadow but fell into an oblivion that we don't believe does him justice...
Eliana Grasso & Irene Veneziano