As I continue researching assignment two, I am now looking at the music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Maurice Ravel – Shéhérazade (1903)
This work was first performed at the Sociéte Nationale in Paris on May 17 1904 and is a work for orchestra and soprano based on three poems by the symbolist poet and fellow member of Les Apaches, Tristian Klinsgor (real name Léon Leclèrc). The first and easily longest poem, Asie, starts with a haunting oboe solo before the soprano voice joins (Renée Fleming in the recording I listened to). This first section (or poem) is the most orchestrated section, with a repeating melodic line, steady rhythm and varying dynamics. The second section, La Flûte enchantée, features a flute solo (hence the title) but uses only limited orchestral accompaniment and consists mainly of a flute and soprano duet. The third section, L’indifférent, is slower in tempo, although La Flûte enchantée was also slow, but involves a wider use of the orchestra. The whole tone scale of the work gives it an exotic tone throughout.
Maurice Ravel – Entre cloches (1897)
This earlier work consists of an ostinato structure giving it a rich texture through the use of modal forms. The work is for two pianos with varying dynamic and tempo changes.
Maurice Ravel – Sonata for violin and cello (1922)
Ravel dedicated this to the memory of Debussy and saw it as a turning point, following the set-backs caused by the war and the death of his mother. The economy of means that Ravel used is a fitting tribute to Debussy, who strove for this throughout his career. The first movement, allegro, has the two instruments almost independent of each other, as they both play individual parts, that then meet up to establish a rich harmony. The second movement opens with both instruments playing pizzicato, before alternating for most the movement between pizzicato and arco. The movement ends on a loud, low chord. There was a wide dynamic range throughout this movement. The third movement opens with a cello solo (as does the finale), before the two instruments come together. In this movement they work as a more harmonically related unit than previously. The defining feature of the finale is the changing rhythmic pattern. The movement opens with time signature alternating between 2/4 and 3/4 at every measure before settling down to 2/4 time in the middle, before returning to the alternating time signature at the end of the work. The work as a whole is of a rich timbrel quality and a fine tribute to Ravel’s older contemporary.
By coincidence last night I watched a programme with the violinist Nicola Benedetti, who played the second movement, subtitled ‘Blues’ from Ravels sonata for violin and piano, and explained that Ravel didn’t believe that the violin worked in conjunction with the piano, so wrote the sonata with the instruments playing separate melodic lines, only coming together in the violin’s pizzicato passages. Ravel at this time had a fascination with counterpoint which is reflected in these two sonatas.