|
Welcome to the MAURICE RAVEL
COMPOSITION NOTES Page of
aMUSIClassical Directory
Our Classical Music website
for good music lovers.
Click to subscribe to MUSIClassical discussion list
|
Brief synopsis' of the most popular classical music by
Joseph Maurice Ravel...
French, Ciboure 7 MAR 1875 ~ Paris, 28 DEC 1937
Operas, Ballets, Chamber Works
Orchestral and Piano Works
- Ravel A la Borodin or 'In the style of Borodin'
1913 part of the anthology of music in the style of other composers.
- Ravel A la Chabrier
1913, part of an anthology of music in the style of other composers.
- Ravel A la Haydn or 'Minuet on the name of haydn'
1909. Written to commemorate 100th anniversary of the death of Haydn. It is
based on a five note theme on each letter of the name and part of a series
of works by various composers published in a music magazine.
- Ravel Alborada
del Gracioso
From a five piece collection of piano works titled Miroir.
Composed in 1906 it was transcribed in 1918 by
Ravel as an orchestral show piece. An alborada, is a morning song or
serenade. Gracioso, refers to a figure in traditional Spanish comedy.
- Ravel Bolero
He called it a piece for
orchestra without music. An orchestral piece with no thematic development. A 15
minute creshendo with varying orchestral effects. FP November 22, 1928 at a dance
recital by Ida Rubinstein at the Paris Opera House.
- Ravel Daphnis
and Chloe
Composed in 1910 and first produced in Paris in June, 1912 by Diaghilev's
Ballet
Russe following professional disagreements and many revisions. Based on
the Greek romance written in the fourth century about
shepherd's who have nothing to do but wear garland's, make love to nymphs,
and cry to the gods when their lovers are kidknapped by pirates or
brigands. A love story between the selfconscious shepherd Daphnis and
the graceful, lovely, Chloe and their antagonists Dorcon and Lycion. The
stars in the FP were Nijinsky and Karsavina.
Choreography by Fokine and conducted by Pierre Monteux. Ravel worked his
score into two concert
suites.
Broadway composers Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane scored their 'On A Clear Day You Can See Forever' with overtones of Ravel's work. Stephen Sondheim has said the music of Ravel, and others, also
influenced his composing. [Wright and Forrest's ´Kismet´ ala Borodin]
- Ravel Jeux d'eau
Composed in 1901 and inspired by bubbling fountains, waterfalls and
brooks. (Zheh DOH')
- Ravel La
Valse
Composed for ballet empresario Diagalev as a tribute to Johann
Strauss.
- Ravel L'Enfant et les sortileges
A 45 minute opera about a spoiled child who hates his school work and beats
up on his toys who come to defend themselves against him. Lots of medieval
music, Viennese waltzes and jazz.
- Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin
- Ravel
Miroirs
(Meer WAH') a five piece set of piano works FP in 1906 by pianist Ricardo
Vines (veen YES'). It includes the 'Alborada del Gracioso' which was later
orchestrated. Lost Birds, the second in the score is dedicated to
Vines. (picture lost birds in a dark forest during the hottest hours of
summer.
- Ravel Mother Goose
Suite "Ma Mer l'Oye"
Images of the simple tales from Mother Goose first conceived as a five
part, two piano suite in 1908. Later for soloist and then orchestrated for
the ballet in 1911. The music depects the Mother Goose fairy tales The
Sleeping Beauty, The Beauty and The Beast, Tom Thumb, The Empress of the
Pagodas and finally the Fairy garden that expressively blooms in the
finale. (c2386 14'48-Haas Piano)
- Ravel Le
Tombeau de Couperin
He transcribed most of his piano works himself. Composed for piano in
1914, Ravel arranged this suite
of six studies in to an orchestral suite of four mmts in 1920. The work is
dedicated to friends who died in WW I and is a tribute to the composer
Francois Couperin.
- Ravel Ouverture de
feerie (oh vair TOOR' de feh REE)
- Ravel Pavane for a
Dead Princess
First composed for solo piano in 1899, and FP in 1902, then orchestrated in
1910 the work
is characteristic of stately Spanish court dances, perhaps as Ravel
stated, "by a little princess as painted by Valesquez at the Spanish
court".
- Ravel Piano
Concerto in d
- Ravel Piano
Concerto in G
FP in Paris, January 14, 1932. Ravel was to be the soloist but due to
illness
the work was premiered by pianist Margaret Long to whom he dedicated the
work. The work is based on
sketches Ravel made as early as 1911 and is influenced by Basque folk
music.
- Ravel PC for Left Hand
Ravel composed his PC for the Left Hand, in 1931, for Austrian pianist
Paul
Wittgenstein who lost his right arm in World War I. He premiered the work
in Vienna in November of 1931.
- Ravel Quartet
Ravel composed his quartet in 1903. It was FP on March 5, 1904 by the
Hayman Quartet, a group of popular French performers at the turn of the
century who were very enthusiastic about this work. It was referred to as
a jewel of polyphony by critics. It thrust the 28 year old composer into
the first ranks of French composers. There were critical comparisons to
the works of Debussy which came to strain the friendship of the two
composers.
- Ravel Rhapsody
Espagnole
Composed for piano in 1907 and dedicated to a conservatory piano teacher.
He later orchestrated the piece with the help of British composer Ralph
Vaughn Williams. FP on March 15, 1908 at a Colonne concert.
- Ravel 'Sonatine'
A set of three interludes written for piano in 1905...sponsored by a
magazine offering 100 francs for new musical pieces. However the magazine
went out of business and the contest was cancelled. But this work took on
a life of it's own and became this three movement piano piece.
- Ravel 'Trio for violin, cello and piano'
Written in Paris in 1913 in Paris and at his retreat on the Basque coast in
March og 1914. Finally finished in August 1914, just prior to his enlistment
in the military service when WWI broke out in France.
- Ravel Tzigane
A piece in the style of the Gypsies, whose music was quite popular with
the cognoscenti when Ravel was composing. Tzigane (tZEh GAH neh) really
can't be translated into English since it's a gypsy dance. It would be
like trying to translate the words 'waltz' or 'polka' or 'mazurka'. They
are names from different countries which describe a certain dance step and
rhythm, which composers use in their compositions.
- Ravel
Valses Nobles et Sentimentales ("Noble and Sentimental Waltzes")
These waltz MMTs were written for piano in 1911 and orchestrated for a
ballet a year later. They are a set of seven waltzes and an epilog
played without pause. The 'Noble Sentiments' influenced Stephen Sondheim's
"A Little Night Music" In 1904 Maurice
Ravel also wrote the music for the hit song ´Fascination´ allowing destitute friend, F. D. Raoul Marchetti, take the royalties for the song. Turned out to be a rather rewarding gift.
|
