The vocal cycle five greek folk songs by M. Ravel: the interpretative potential of treating the author’s text

This article examines Maurice Ravel’s vocal cycle Five Greek Folk Songs from the perspective of identifying potential interpretative possibilities in approaching the original text. Three versions are analyzed: that of the French baritone Gérard Souzay with the renowned American concert master Dalton Baldwin; of the Canadian operatic baritone Gerald Finley accompanied by the British pianist Julius Drake; and of the Russian singer Nina Dorliak in a duet with the pianist Sviatoslav Richter. These interpretations are equally justified, although the original text is approached differently in each of them. As a result of the comparison, it is concluded that, in order to adequately reflect the compositional conception of the work, the singer chooses the tonality, tempo, agogics, and other expressive means appropriate to his interpretative potential, and the pianist identifies the appropriate touch, depending on the type of voice, to highlight the qualities of the vocal melody.