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By: Please log in to see tutor details Subject: Piano Last updated: 27/02/2013 Tags: piano, ravel

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Ravel's 'Orchestral' Piano

Extract from my article 'Ravel' Art of Transciption'

Before examining Ravel's actual technique of transcribing his piano music, it would bebeneficial to study the nature of that piano writing because, as I will try to prove, thereare many elements in this writing which could easily be considered as 'orchestral'. It isquite obvious that there are strong variances from piece to piece regarding melody,rhythm, harmony and texture. If, for instance, one compares Pavane pour une infantedéfunte with Gaspar de la nuit, one will certainly observe such stylistic discrepancies.Pavane has a simple, flowing melody, the rhythm is quite clear, the use of harmony isrelatively predictable and the texture is thin without many chordal elements.[1] On thecontrary, in the three pieces of Gaspar - Ondine, Le Gibet and Scarbo - the melody isnot always easily discernible, the rhythm is elaborate, there are unusual chromaticprogressions and the texture is full, with many chordal, instead of melodic, elements.[2]However, melody, rhythm and harmony are not the only stylistic elements, which form apiano piece; one should also take into account - especially in the case of Ravel's pianomusic - the way in which the various musical 'events', which sound simultaneously, aretextured. I will focus on this aspect of Ravel's piano writing, as it is closely related to the subsequent transcriptionprocedure.

Those of Ravel's piano works which were later orchestrated show several types of constructions, which are used by the composer.If one excludes the rare unison passages, the structures range from a simple homophonic texture to those which comprise three orfour - or more rarely five - musical layers. These layers, regardless of how many they are, are usually separated from each otherthrough rhythmic differentiation so that they are more discernible. Sometimes, there are also different dynamic or articulationmarkings to each layer so that it is guaranteed that the melody is never overwhelmed by the accompaniment.

The structure involving two musical layers is only rarely used in the pieces, which were later orchestrated. One encounters this kindof disposition in the Menuet Antique, the Prélude and the Rigaudon from Tombeau de Couperin, the Petit poucet from Ma mèrel'Oye and in several of the Valses nobles et sentimentales. In this two-level structure the melody is usually played by the one handwhile the accompaniment is given to the other. The texture can be very thin, like the one in the Prélude from Tombeau de Couperin(Ex. 1) or as full as in Jeux d'eau (Ex. 2).

The most frequently encountered structure is one which involves the simultaneous disposition of three musical 'events'. In this typeof texture, there is usually one melodic line in the uppermost layer and two other accompaniment lines. The opening of the Pavanepour une infante défunte is a typical example of this kind of musical layering (Ex. 3). Here, the uppermost layer consists of a singleand simple melodic line while the middle voice has a broken chord figure, which helps the motion going. Finally, there is a slowlymoving bass line in the third layer.

However, there are occasions where the three-part structure takes quite a different form. A characteristic example can be observedin the opening of Une barque sur l'océan (Ex. 4). The melody is given to the middle layer, while the two accompaniment lines lay intop and low layers respectively. Here, it is also worth noting how Ravel separates the three different parts through rhythmicdifferentiation and dynamic and articulation markings.

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Thank you for visiting my page. I am an experienced piano teacher and performer and ready to help youachieve your musical goals. I usually teach at my studio in E14 and have a beautiful Steinway grandpiano.

Another type of the three-layered texture that can be observed in Ravel' s piano music is one including two melodic lines and justone accompaniment. The eighth waltz of the Valses nobles et sentimentales is a characteristic example of this type (Ex. 5). Here,there are two melodic lines in the two upper layers while the third voice consists of a slow sustained bass line.

In bar 29 of Une barque sur l'océan we can observe a typical example of the way in which Ravel layers four different musical events(Ex.6). There are two melodic lines moving in contrary motion in the first and third layer respectively, while a more complicatedaccompaniment figure exists between them; the lower, fourth layer comprises of a pedal-sustained bass line.

In order to make the separation of the various musical components more obvious, Ravel has occasionally written them in threestaves as in La Vallée des cloches and Gaspar de la nuit. Such a notation can also be observed in Jeux d'eau (Ex. 7). However, inmost cases Ravel uses the traditional two-stave notation and tries to indicate the independence of each component by the use ofaccents, dynamic, articulation and phrasing markings.

The three-part texture is Ravel's favoured style of piano writing. A typical Ravelian piano work consists of one primary melody, onemoving accompaniment or a minor melody, and a slowly moving or pedal-sustained bass. This combination of three and sometimesfour different musical events, which sound simultaneously, are responsible for the 'orchestral' qualities of Ravel's piano music. Thiscontrapuntal style of writing is well suited for the orchestral medium because the various colours of the orchestra, which can beproduced by its various instruments, can more effectively emphasise the different musical layers of such a work than a pianist isable to.

[1] In the same category one could include the Menuet sur le nom de Haydn, Ma mère l'Oye and Tombeau de Couperin.

[2] Similar stylistic elements can be found in Valses nobles et sentimentals, in the Concerto pour la main gauche and in La Valse.

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