Jacques Ibert

Escales (Ports of Call), IJI 18

When Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) won the Prix de Rome in 1922, he was asked to send back musical fruits of his residency. As a result, he devised a three-movement musical voyage, Escales (Ports of Call) for orchestra. The piece captures the route he took during his honeymoon with his wife Rose-Marie Veber, but in reverse: Rome to Palermo, then Tunis to Nefta, then finally, the port of Valencia. The piece premiered on January 6, 1924 with the Orchestre Lamoureux under the direction of Paul Paray. It remains his most frequently performed work. This version for piano 4-hands was transcribed by the composer. Reprint edition. (15:00)