Maurice Ravel - 6 the most beautiful piano pieces
1. Miroirs (Mirrors)
Miroirs (Mirrors) - Maurice Ravel is a solo piano piece composed in 1905, dedicated to one of Ravel's close friends, the Swiss-born French painter and writer, Robert Delaunay. The piece consists of five movements, each of which have a unique musical identity, ranging from folk-inspired rhythms to symphonic force. It is a remarkable work in the early 20th-century musical style often referred to as musical Impressionism. History and Release Miroirs (Mirrors) was originally composed as a series of five solo piano pieces arranged for a private concert in Paris in 1905. It was not until 1920 that it was re-arranged for the larger concert hall upon commission from Alfred Cortot. It was premiered two years later in Paris with Cortot at the keyboard. After the premiere Miroirs (Mirrors) was…
2. Pavane pour une infante défunte
Pavane pour une infante défunte by Maurice Ravel is one of the composer’s most recognized and beloved solo piano pieces. This inspired work of art conjures a magical air of both past and present through its mesmerizing and delicate melodies. This piece has inspired both fellow composers, as well as audiences worldwide. History and Release Ravel wrote this piece in 1899 and premiered it at the Salle Erard in Paris that same year. Pavane was written for piano but, in 1901 it was adapted for orchestra. Throughout the years since then the piece has been re-orchestrated and arranged by many other composers, such as Leopold Stokovsky, Claude Debussy, and Leon Jouret, to name a few. The piece is based on the popular renaissance pavane style and clearly draws inspiration from that time period.…
3. Jeux d'eau (Fountains)
Jeux d’eau (Fountains) - by Maurice Ravel is a solo piano piece composed in 1901 and dedicated to his friend José Vianna da Motta. It is considered Ravel's first mature masterpiece for piano and set the standard for modern French piano music. History and Release Jeux d’Eau was first performed at Societé Nationale de Musique, in April 1902. It also received positive reviews from contemporary music journals such as Le Ménestrel, who wrote that it “expresses with admirable graciousness the charm of a nightwatch at a fountain.” Later, during a recital tour to London, Amsterdam and Spain, Ravel incorporated Jeux d’Eau in his piano repertoire. The piece is orchestrated for two pianos and strings in 1905, and later reorchestrated for one piano in two hands. It was also adapted by…
4. Sonatine
Sonatine - Maurice Ravel. is a popular solo piano composition and is one of Ravel's most performed pieces. It was first published in Paris circa 1903 and is composed of three individual movements. It is characterized as having a neoclassical quality, with elements borrowed from the Baroque and Classical periods. History and Release of Sonatine Ravel composed his Sonatine during April, 1903, when he was beginning to establish himself as a composer in France. The piece received its title Sonatine due to its occasionally light mood, and its smaller scale when compared to more traditional sonatas. It was originally composed with an eye toward unity of effect and economy of means, to allow a young musician to feel successful in their interpretation. The Sonatine was originally dedicated…
5. Gaspard de la nuit
Gaspard de la nuit - Maurice Ravel: One of the Best Solo Piano Pieces Gaspard de la Nuit, originally composed by Maurice Ravel and first published in 1909, is recognized as one of the most iconic of solo piano pieces. It is haunting in its atmosphere and closely intertwined with the symbolism and surrealism of earlier works of the same era. History and Release Inspired by the 1842 collection of poems by Aloysius Bertrand, Gaspard de la Nuit can be translated to 'Gaspard of the Night'. It's woven in an intricate web of musical and literary symbolism. The three pieces that make it up - 'Ondine', 'Le Gibet' and 'Scarbo' - are based on their own individual, mysterious poems describing siren-like creatures and powerful spectres. The poem-like structure, frequent references to the unusual,…
6. Le Tombeau de Couperin
The Tombeau de Couperin is a celebrated piano piece written by French composer Maurice Ravel between 1914 and 1917. It is a suite of six movements, originally written as a tribute to the French Baroque composer François Couperin, whose works Ravel had become enamoured with while researching music at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. History and Release The piece was completed by 1917 and first performed at the Salle Érard in Paris on 22 May 1919 by Marguerite Long, with whom Ravel had enjoyed a close working relationship since 1906. The entire suite was released in the same year by French publisher Durand, a leading source of French music publishing. At the time of the first performance, it was an immediate success, receiving rapturous applause from the audience. It remained in…
