RAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin (arr. Grealy)
DURUFLÉ Prelude et Fugue sur le Nom d’ALAIN 

The individual movements of Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin, composed from 1914 to 1917 and orchestrated in 1919, are each dedicated to friends of the composer who perished in the First World War. Like his more famous Boléro being played by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in the 7.30pm concert, it takes its cue from older dance forms, in this case those of a French baroque suite. Played this evening as an organ solo transcription, it is possible the see the common influences between Ravel and his younger contemporary Maurice Duruflé. Duruflé’sPrèlude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain, also dedicated to a fallen soldier – his friend and fellow composer, Jehan Alain, who fell in World War II – is one of the seminal works of twentieth-century organ repertoire.