Among the most popular works in the orchestral repertoire, Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Chabrier's celebrated rhapsody Espa±a have delighted generations of concertgoers.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1897), an orchestral scherzo, is a symphonic comment on a mordant ballad by Goethe. One of the most memorable pieces in the concert literature €" and Dukas's sole claim to fame €" the work is filled with relentless drive and musical magic, perfectly capturing Goethe's tale of a bumbling would-be sorcerer. Espa±a, a rhapsody inspired by Chabrier's visit to Andalusia, met with extraordinary success at its 1883 premiere. Its harmonic and rhythmic coloring, accented by profuse vitality and spirit, make it a masterpiece of lively spontaneity.
Musicians and music lovers will welcome this convenient one-volume compilation €" the only one of its kind €" enabling them to study the structure, texture, and remarkable orchestration of these 19th-century classics, reproduced here from authoritative French editions.
