Ravel

Summary

Dominique Pagani most often places Ravel alongside Debussy and Fauré, in the "great triad" of French musical impressionism1. In it he sees a way of overturning harmony and a French relay of enjoyment against the death drive2. He draws on Le Tombeau de Couperin and the Menuet antique to show that the return of archaism begins with the impressionists themselves: the baroque anapaest can be heard from the very start3. Ravel, more agogic than Debussy, has been criticised for being "motoric"4. He describes him as a great orchestrator and prefers his phrase "I am a nationalist only in music" to Debussy's patriotism5. He also notes the Arabic modes that reach the Alborada del gracioso by way of Spain, recommending Lipatti's performance of it6. Other points he raises are the line running from Liszt to Jeux d'eau, jazz musicians' fondness for Ravel's music, and his orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition, although in his view the piano version better keeps its raw quality.

1. 1Bartók: the unheard-of sound13 Jul 2022 · 1:03
2. 2#5 Happiness versus the death drive in music11 Dec 2020 · 1:10:21
3. 3#3 What is called modern music?3 Dec 2020 · 30:05
4. 4#3 What is called modern music?3 Dec 2020 · 1:09:14
5. 5#10 The two Klemperers and Bruno Walter in Wagner18 Jan 2021 · 18:25
6. 6#11 Modal and tonal music24 Jan 2021 · 1:05:55

Summary produced automatically from 26 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.