Download Vive Les Apache! ~ Bohemian Ravel

Vive Les Apache! ~ Bohemian Ravel
John Barley
History and Literature of Music
Dr. Geeting
March 17, 2010
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Miroirs (“Mirrors”)
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Composed: 1904-1905
Length: c. 28 minutes
Orchestration: Piano-solo
1st Performance: Ricardo Viñes 1906
Six dollars an hour was what it cost for young Maurice Ravel’s parents to bribe
him to practice the piano. Fortunately it was well worth the money, as he is
remembered as one of the most distinguished composers of the early twentieth
century. The amalgamation of modernism and technical beauty captured throughout
his compositions often casts a shadow on how breathtakingly intricate they truly are.
Ravel is often paired alongside fellow French composer Debussy, as they both
represent the iconic nature of musical Impressionism. Like the parallel movement in
painting, Ravel attempts to reveal emotion and beauty through the creative endeavors
of his compositions. He acquires these characters through the use of non-traditional
chord combinations, parallelism, and exotic scales.
At age fourteen Ravel began serious studies of piano and composition at the
Paris Conservatory. It is here that he studied under the illustrious Gabrielle Fauré and
André Gédalge, who both became essential influences on his technique and
musicianship.
1
Ravel tried several times during his tenure at the Conservatory to win the
esteemed Prix de Rome. Nonetheless he failed five times, most likely because of his
radical approach towards his compositions. His String Quartet in F, which he entered
in 1904, was “criticized for lacking academic strictness.”1
The years that followed his studies at the Conservatoire marked Ravel’s
entrance into the artistic world of Paris. His bohemian lifestyle constantly surrounded
him in the most prominent literary, musical, and artistic groups of the time.
Eventually Ravel became a member of a group of young artists and intellectuals
residing in Paris known as the Les Apaches (“The Hooligans”). Most recognizable
amongst the groups numerous members were Igor Stravinsky, Paul Sordes (painter),
Léon-Paul Fargue (poet), Ricardo Viñes (pianist), M.D. Calvocoressi (critic), and
Maurice Delage (composer). The group met every Saturday at the house of Paul Sordes
where, as Léon-Paul Fargue put it, “We all read or played whatever we had recently
written or composed, in the most friendly atmosphere I have ever experienced.”2 It is
clear-cut how important and inspiring the group was to Ravel, as each of the five
movements of his Miroirs collection is dedicated to a close and admired member of Les
Apache.
Miroirs – 1905 - (“Mirrors”), a collection of piano pieces written in Ravel’s late
twenties, captures the essence of his musical genius through five movements of
complete beauty: Noctuelles, Oiseaux Tristes, Une Barque Sur l’Océan, Alborada del
Gracioso, and La Vallée des Cloches.
1 Jankelevitch, Vladimir: “RAVEL: Life and Works”
2 http://romanriverfestival2009.blogspot.com/2007/10/ravel-miroirs.html
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Noctuelles (“Night Moths”), dedicated to and inspired by close friend and poet
Léon-Paul Fargue, leads the suite with gliding fluidity. A soothingly tranquil middle
section full of chordal melodies and pedal points quickly refines the brisk chromatic
pianissimo that opens the piece. Ravel’s use of colorful harmonies and rich
chromaticism conjures the imagery of the clumsy insects fluttering awkwardly through
the crisp night air.
Oiseaux Tristes (“Sad Birds”), follows with gloomy overtones. Perhaps one of
the most depressing pieces of Ravel’s youth, it opens with a lone bird calling for
guidance. Soon, joined by others the birds flock to a wild and dissonant middle section
that is counter-balanced by a relaxing and breathtaking cadenza. The mood of Oiseaux
Tristes seems to depict an image of “birds lost in the torpor of a very somber forest,
during the hottest hours of summertime.”3 The dedication of this piece to fellow Les
Apache member and virtuoso pianist, Ricardo Viñes, seems to serve as a playful wink
through its “non-pianistic” nature.
Legend has it that Ravel had a weakness for little wind up toys; his favorite, a
boat is said to be the inspiration for Une Barque sur l’Océan (“A Boat on the Ocean”),
the third movement of the Miroirs collection. It is dedicated to painter Paul Sordes,
and applies graceful arpeggios and fluid lines to capture the entrancing motion of
water. The calm starting point of the piece swiftly erupts into a storm of sweeping
waves marked by a powerful fortissimo climax. The tension of the piece diminishes as
it returns to the tranquil theme of opening statement. Ravel’s manipulation of broken
3 http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-the-complete-works-of-ravel-vol--1.aspx
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chords and vast registers eludes “the great lullaby of the ocean and the rocking of a
boat, which sails up and down the troughs of the waves.”4
Dedicated to M. D. Calvocoressi, fellow Les Apache and author of the text for
Ravel’s Cinq Melodies Populaires Grecques (“Five Popular Greek Melodies” – 1907),
Alborada del Gracioso is the famed fourth movement of Ravel’s Miroirs. Aside from one
other composition (Habanera - 1895) this is the first time Ravel bestowed a strictly
Spanish title on one of his pieces. Alborada, (“Song of the Dawn”) is a type of serenade
of North Spanish influence, and Gracioso is the traditional clown of Spanish comedy5.
The Spanish flavor of this movement is heavily conveyed through the dryness of
introductory chords, suggestive of a strummed guitar. The strong dynamic and
textural contrasts of the astonishing melodies of this peace require considerable
virtuosity and concentration. The section of repeated notes at the core of Alborada del
Gracioso, is notoriously regarded as one of the most difficult passages to play in all of
piano music6.
La Vallée des Cloches (“The Valley of the Bells”), the mystifying final movement
takes the audience away from the eccentricity of the previous piece and places them in
a valley of pure tantric bliss that prepares them for the delicate conclusion of Ravel’s
Miroirs. Dedicated to Ravel’s first protégé, Maurice Delage, the astonishingly unified
character of the bell piece paints a smooth picture, as its exquisite atmosphere seems
as though it were cast in one continuous pouring. The peacefulness of the final
movement is the quintessential finale to a spectacular suite.
4
Jankelevitch, Vladimir: “RAVEL: Life and Works”
Stuckenschmidt: “Maurice Ravel”
6 http://www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=171
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Bibliography
-
Myers, Rollo H. RAVEL: Life & Works. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1960. Print.
This is a book about the biographical life of Maurice Ravel and the
compositions he created during the process.
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Jankelevitch, Vladimir. RAVEL. New York: Grove, 1959. Print.
A book that reflects the life and accomplishments of composer Maurice
Ravel.
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Stckenschmidt, H. H. Maurice Ravel: Variations on His Life and Work.
Philadelphia: Chilton Book, 1968. Print.
This is a book about the life and works of composer Maurice Ravel.
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Reel, James, and Chris Morrison. "Maurice Ravel." Dayton Philharmonic. Web.
<http://www.daytonphilharmonic.com/content.jsp?articleId=855>.
A website providing information about the life and works of Maurice
Ravel
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Barbara L. Kelly. "Ravel, Maurice." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music
Online. 18 Mar. 2010
<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52145>.
A website put together by the oxford music dictionary, specifically on the
life and works of composer Maurice Ravel.
-
Unknown. "Linn Records - The Complete Works of Ravel." Linn Records. Web. 18
Mar. 2010. <http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-the-complete-works-ofravel-vol--1.aspx>.
A website comprised of information about the life of Maurice Ravel and
his works. Specifically the Miroirs collection.
-
Unknown. "Miroirs - Maurice Ravel - Piano Society." Piano Society. Web. 18 Mar.
2010. <http://www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=171>.
A website comprised of information about the life of Maurice Ravel and
his works. Specifically the Miroirs collection.
-
Unknown. "Ravel Miroirs." Roman River Festival 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.
<http://romanriverfestival2009.blogspot.com/2007/10/ravel-miroirs.html>.
A website comprised of information about the life of Maurice Ravel and
his works. Specifically the Miroirs collection.
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