The Ricard Viñes Year begins with Debussy and Ravel

BarcelonaRicard Viñes (Lleida, 1875 - Barcelona, ​​​​1943) and Maurice Ravel (Ciboure, 1875 - Paris, 1937) met during their adolescence and, from their early years in Paris, shared artistic concerns and a great personal affinity. When a young Ravel wrote the Small antique (1895), Viñes decided to premiere it in 1898, thus beginning a career deeply committed to new musical languages. "Ravel wasn't so gifted on the piano and was expelled from the conservatory, but thanks to it we gained a great composer," explains Màrius Bernadó, curator of the Viñes Year. That premiere, apart from marking Ravel's public debut, consolidated Viñes as a tireless promoter of 20th-century modern music.

This year, within the framework of the Ricard Viñes Year and coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the birth of both artists, the Gran Teatre del Liceu is programming this Sunday, May 4th at 5 p.m. A Night in Paris with Debussy and Ravel, conducted by Josep Pons. It's a concert that explores the expressive richness of Impressionist music and pays tribute to two great French composers and the Lleida-born pianist. Puig-Reig, conducted by Emmanuel Niubó.

Josep Pons notes that "the concert program celebrates Paris in 1900." The repertoire includes nocturne music by Debussy and Ravel. Nocturnal by Debussy, which includes the third movement Mermaids, sung by the female heart. Then the Piano Concerto in G by Ravel, with Perianes as soloist. "It's a very late work by Ravel, from 1929-1931, during a time of conflict with Viñes, who didn't premiere it," explains Pons. Finally, the evening will close with Suites I and II from the ballet Daphnis and Chloé, also by Ravel, which he himself called a "choreographic symphony" and which was commissioned by the Russian impresario Diaghilev.

The Year of Ricard Viñes

"Ricard Viñes was not a creator or a composer, but a performer at the service of creators. And what we should vindicate in a performer is his memory," notes curator Bernadó. The Any Viñes Festival, which will run throughout 2025, was born with the desire to value the legacy of the musician and cultural agent. Viñes's prolific career as a pianist in Paris made him a key figure in the European artistic and musical avant-garde; however, his great work in disseminating the contemporary piano repertoire of composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Falla, Satie, and Mompou transformed the contemporary music of his time. "He is truly the architect of the presentation to the public of most of the new piano language of the 20th century," reflects Bernadó. "We are commemorating a great artist from Lleida and Catalonia, but, above all, a great universal artist," adds Pons.

The program of activities will be structured around research, conservation, dissemination, and contemporary creation, with the support of national and international organizations and led by the Lleida City Council. To preserve the pianist's life, the digitization and cataloging of documentary collections will be promoted, as well as the restoration of valuable materials. Highlights include the creation of an open knowledge portal about the musician and the publication of his personal diary, which runs to over 7,000 pages. The project will also mobilize renowned performers and institutions from both Spain and abroad to foster cultural dialogue. Contemporary musical creation will be promoted, and exhibitions, concerts, conferences, publications, and educational activities will be organized. On the international stage, events will be held at the New York Philharmonic in New York, the Louis Vuitton and Maurice Ravel Foundations in Paris, and Fontfreda Abbey in Narbonne, among others. Furthermore, the project aims to continue beyond 2025.