@@monicasuarez7100 It means "Gaspard of the Night" Gaspard being a French form of Casper, is derived from Chaldean "Gizbar", denoting "the man in charge of the royal treasures". Gaspard de la Nuit thus suggestively means "treasurer of the night".[6] (Source from Wikipedia)
The piece is about hanged bodies left to rot for three years on a historical hill where an architecture the gallows was erected for that purpose. Is it all coming together for you ?
I feel ya. I have been into Western art music- aka 'classical' music- for a very long time, and I have only recently decided to check out Ravel. I think my being off put by the overexposure of Bolero was what kept me away. And here I find that I have deprived myself of some of the most amazing compositional efforts I have ever encountered. This is music that derives from the compositional traditions of Western Europe, but is in its own class all together. Aside from his amazing haromnic sensibility, the rhythmic aspect of Ravel is what truly floors me. His sense of rhythm is so fluid and amorphous, yet completely metrically strict and defined.
This is such a beautiful piece that I would even dare to say is above the term “music” itself. It feels like nothing but pure, unfiltered, raw emotion being effortlessly conveyed to the listener. I can’t begin to put into words the love and effort that must have went into this masterpiece, and I mean MASTERPIECE of a song. This isn’t even a song anymore, this is a soul-touching transcending of the art form made up of our brain’s processing of vibrations in the air around us. This piece feels like there is no barrier, no medium that limits our perception of it. You don’t just listen to this-you experience it; you really feel it. This is when art becomes so perfectly crafted that it isn’t even art anymore. I truly feel blessed just to be able to listen to this.
not just for raw emotion but in general you may also like what Bartok wrote, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_music_(Bart%C3%B3k), I certainly do, although those pieces are a bit harder to most people's ears. For an introduction here is Grand Master Schiff himself ruclips.net/video/Ibbkz2FxI74/видео.html
Decent response, we we were all young cringelords at some point. Just reminding you to stay humble. Classical music is the pop music of yesteryear - nobody is special for liking it.
Gaspard de la nuit est pour moi le meilleur triptyque pour piano que Maurice Ravel ai composé. Le premier poème "ondine" et celui qui m'a ensorcelé le plus, la première fois que je l'ai écouté c'est par Martha Argerich qui l'interprète à merveille. Quand je l'écoute j'ai l’impression de voyager vers d'autres terres très lointaines qui pour moi sont le paradis.
Each of these three pieces is spectacularly well performed by Mr. Bavouzet, but special recognition must be given to his performance of "Le Gibet;" he gets the eerie elegaic tone of the piece just exactly right, captures each of its nuances with every note. I really do not believe there could be a better performance of this masterwork.
It is also how i felt when i had known the piece for over a year. I still believe it is the best composition i have ever heard and I know the whole repertoire.
I can almost hear Ravel coming to this point in the composition (4:14) and realising that the piano cannot quite physically convey the musical thought. We can only imagine that had he orchestrated these poems, the emotion would be overwhelming.
I'm a artist and I create characters. I am currently writing the story of my character, Gaspard. A man from the 40's. And to discover that something as magnificent as this exists is really inspiring, to hear that as I put Gaspard's story down on paper, and illustrate his face with that background sound, is a wonderful thing.
That painting is one of the most inspired visions to accompany a timeless masterpiece I've ever seen. I've lingered in it so many times while listening that I thought I'd see if anyone else was so-moved.
The more correct painting for the piece would have the historical Gibet of Paris on Mountfaucond where countless criminals were hanged. The architecture of it was made so it could host 60 hanged bodies at the same time and was built on a Hill so the hanging bodies could be seen from very far away at sunset. Bodies were left 3 years until nothing of them was left. This gives you the more accurate background for the Gibet than the impressionistic painting.
I thoroughly enjoy the tone of this piece, it is interesting how music from over 100 years ago can be felt, it is a timeless emotion that Ravel composes. Music today does not posses this quality with such power. These feelings are so essential that they are not of the times, but transcendent of them.
+MultiMillett "music today", ahaha, Ravel himself (who was really interested in all sorts of stuff) would have found this a stupid thing to say. Each era has wonderful music, but unfortunately each era also has bitter people, all saying the same bulls***. Mozart, Turner, Picasso, Ravel, Parker, Davis and all the others had to face people like that, and I bet they were annoyed too...
+MultiMillett What 'music of today' do you mean? There's plenty of great stuff out here. Maybe doesn't fall in the classical music category, but plenty that will stand the test of time...
+Shawn Wooster THE ONLY GREAT MUSIC OF TODAY IS JAZZ AND MUCH OF IF INFLUENCED BY BLACK MUSICIANS. THE CLASSICAL COMPOSITIONS OF ANY BEAUTY STOPPED AFTER RACHMANINOFF STRAVINSKI, PROKOFIEV. MUSIC OF "TODAY" IS NOT WORTH EVEN PRETENDING THAT IT IS MUSIC. IT IS ONLY A BUSINESS FOR VARIOUS USES LIKE MOVIES, ETC. LIKE MODERN- ART WHICH STOPPED THE SAME TIME CLASSICAL MUSIC STOPPED. NOW ART IS JUST A BUSINESS FOR FOOLS.
The best is yet to come. Delve into his full orchestral compositions, always with eyes closed and imagination wide open. Look into one of his contemporaries, CLAUDE DEBUSSY and his works, as well!
Sadly, in mainstream media's wasteland. Find a commercial classical music formatted station, to enjoy more exposure to this and other artist l s, such as fellow Frenchman CLSUDE DEBUSSY.
Very beautiful. I've just listened to it for the 1st time in my life and didn't expect to come across a theme that is so well familiar to me. One of my favourite bands, Oceansize, borrowed the theme that starts here at 08:10. Oceansize used it as a segue for their first album, Efflorescence.
Was desperately scanning the comments thanks 😋 🙏 jeez what a painting. The Tate museum calls it Norham castle sunrise, but I do like your take better 😎
4:14 This part ! It's incredible. If someone has a music theory explaination of what's happening that would be great. It just seems like there's a modulation at each chord to my ears.
I agree that it's incredible. It's basically doing a descending whole note scale while playing the chords that are one note below the main note of the chords. For instance, it starts on C# and goes down to B in the first two notes of the melody while the chord is an B minor chord. Then it continues descending down the whole note scale, so the following two tones are A and G, with the chord being a G minor chord. The reason for starting on the second note is probably to create some tension before doing a semi-resolution by going back to the main note. On the third chord (which is a D# minor), the melody stops at the second note, probably because he wanted to create more tension before the final two tones, which are there to lead back to the main melody again. While this happens, the left hand is adding even more colour to the chords with its ascending and descending arpeggios, the most notable of these colours being the E added at the top for the B minor chord. To summarize, what he is doing here is using a well-known technique used for making the music sound emotional, which is to make the chord an add2 chord by simply adding the second note in the scale to the chord. It is truly genius to combine this with the whole tone scale that the impressionist music is known for. This piece is full of moments where the harmonies are even crazier, and that's why it's my favourite piano piece ever written. Sadly it is also one of the most difficult piano pieces ever written, and while I am pretty comfortable with playing things up to Henle 8, but this piece is beyond that. Hope you found my analysis useful, and I will be happy if anyone else has more things to add to my analysis.
I'm no theorist, but here's my two cents. Ravel repeats the same modulation three times in a cycle; i V7-i V7-i V7-i. He starts off in B minor, then adds C so that the i chord also functions as a pivot to V7 in G minor; then he repeats process this to get to D-sharp minor and finally back to B minor. Since the bass has a very stable progression V7-i, you constantly get strong cadences and a feeling of resolution. However, the root moves down by a major 3rd each time, which is highly unusual. The keys are evenly spaced out across circle of 5ths, creating an effect of tonal ambiguity. Incidentally, this is the same chord progression that John Coltrane used in his jazz hit "Giant Steps," see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltrane_changes.
Ravel was said to have had the most subtle harmonic ear of any composer. I think this is especially evident in the Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (for piano.)
Timothy Zhou I thought that John Coltrane seeing those chords before getting further down your comment,,,!,,I must be going in the right direction at last !.....
S30V It is objectively one of the most well written pieces in the sense that the understanding of the intricacies of not just piano playing but the writing of music itself is unbelievable. There really is layer upon layer of not just difficulty for difficulty’s sake but genuine and considerate attention to details expressed within the poems the three pieces are based upon. It is objective also that some people ( like Ravel ) possess abilities that cannot really be categorized as anything other than supernatural - there really is no plausible way of explaining how one man is capable of producing work such as this.
@@TomCL-vb6xc It is subjective. I feel that one of the most beautiful pieces for piano is Sorabji’s Fantaisie Espagnole, but it takes a very dignified ear to actually grasp the melody and theme in the music. It is so beautiful, although I do agree Ravel is a beautiful Imporessionist to listen to as well. This piece is as beautiful as you say, but not on everyone’s favourite pieces list.
Che magnifico pianista!!! Sulla genialità di Ravel e sulla bellezza incommensurabile di Gaspard de la nuit non c'è altro da dire se non "grazie, Maestro!"
I've never heard of this pianist, but this is a truly wonderful rendition- unmannered, clean, accurate, delicate, beautifully textured. Wow! I've been listening to recordings and live performances of Gaspard for decades, all the usual people -argerich, pogorelich, all the younger hot shot pianists in recital and competitions, and this for me hits the mark.
A: Creativity, B: Morosity, C: New Beginnings, D: All of the Above (cheat sheet: the answer is D - this artistic work elicits all three of these notions masterfully).
My short interpretation of the 3 pieces Ondine: A quite dance like piece that is surrounded by mist and fog around a mysterious island, as the day rises and the currents increase, the fog disappears and appears something colossal and unbelievable, where the listener has a pause to re think about the beauty of the climax before he/she is drawn back into a raging wave of ocean Gibet: A sunset stained with blood, like Edvard Munch's Scream, the landscape tainted with red and vibrant colors, as the blurry image of the hanged man appears, the scene turns into a vibrant but contrasting image of tragedy Scarbo: A Goblin who lurks at night, mischieve and devestating, as it creeps up into houses, suffocation begins and a violent rage happens out of nowhere, there is subtle beauty in the scenes. As the rambling continues, the climax and dramatic power arrives, with overwhelming technical difficulty and beauty, the curtains draws on this play temporarily, as the mists gather up, the goblin lurks back into the shadows, only to return with a wonderful passage of notes, as it continue its rampage, another drama appears to end the scene off with complete shock and leaving the listeners amazed at the masterpiece they just heard.
I have just experienced listening to this music with toads singing on the background. It imitated the ghastly presence of Scarbo in the poems of Aloysius Bertrand.
I have goosebumps just thinking about listening to any of Fauré's works for piano. Actually listening to him is like entering a new human dimension, full of mysteries, subtleties, discoveries and, last but not least, full of marvels.
lol Well put. At least this does constantly resolve. So much jazz does nothing of the kind. Lots of it is amazing too however. Just have to do a lot of sifting.
This is a beautiful performance by a pianist I did not know before. Also informative description of this work; I know this work very well indeed but did not know what "Gaspard" meant. Thank you!
+ComtedeMonteC GASPARD IS ALSO THE NAME OF THE BLACK KING OF WISE MAN FROM THE ORIENT WHO FOLLOWED THE STAR TO BETHLEM TO VISIT THE BABY CHRIST. BUT- WHO KNOWS REALLY?
Here are the actual poems corresponding to the three pieces: I. Ondine 00:00 . . . . . . . . I thought I heard A faint harmony that enchants my sleep. And close to me radiates an identical murmur Of songs interrupted by a sad and tender voice. CH. BRUGNOT - The two Spirits. - "Listen! - Listen! - It is I, it is Ondine who brushes drops of water on the resonant panes of your windows lit by the gloomy rays of the moon; and here in gown of watered silk, the mistress of the chateau gazes from her balcony on the beautiful starry night and the beautiful sleeping lake. "Each wave is a water sprite who swims in the stream, each stream is a footpath that winds towards my palace, and my palace is a fluid structure, at the bottom of the lake, in a triangle of fire, of earth and of air. "Listen! - Listen! - My father whips the croaking water with a branch of a green alder tree, and my sisters caress with their arms of foam the cool islands of herbs, of water lilies, and of corn flowers, or laugh at the decrepit and bearded willow who fishes at the line. » Her song murmured, she beseeches me to accept her ring on my finger, and be the husband of an Ondine, and to visit with her her palace and be king of the lakes. And as I was replying to her that I loved a mortal, sullen and spiteful, she wept some tears, uttered a burst of laughter, and vanished in a shower that streamed white down the length of my stained glass windows. II. The Gibbet 07:14 What do I see stirring around that gibbet? FAUST. Ah! that which I hear, was it the north wind that screeches in the night, or the hanged one who utters a sigh on the fork of the gibbet? Was it some cricket who sings lurking in the moss and the sterile ivy, which out of pity covers the floor of the forest? Was it some fly in chase sounding the horn around those ears deaf to the fanfare of the halloos* ? Was it some scarab beetle who gathers in his uneven flight a bloody hair from his bald skull? Or then, was it some spider who embroiders a half-measure of muslin for a tie on this strangled neck? It is the bell that tolls from the walls of a city, under the horizon, and the corpse of the hanged one that is reddened by the setting sun. III. Scarbo 13:43 He looked under the bed, in the chimney, in the cupboard; - nobody. He could not understand how he got in, or how he escaped. HOFFMANN. - Nocturnal Tales. Oh! how often have I heard and seen him, Scarbo, when at midnight the moon glitters in the sky like a silver shield on an azure banner strewn with golden bees. How often have I heard his laughter buzz in the shadow of my alcove, and his fingernail grate on the silk of the curtains of my bed! How often have I seen him alight on the floor, pirouette on a foot and roll through the room like the spindle fallen from the wand of a sorceress! Do I think him vanished then? the dwarf grows between the moon and me like the belfry of a gothic cathedral, a golden bell shakes on his pointed cap! But soon his body becomes blue, translucent like the wax of a candle, his face pales like the wax of a candle end - and suddenly he is extinguished.
Omg the beginning of this piece is the basis for the beginning of the Genesis song The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Nice job Tony Banks you borrowed very nicely.
imagine composing THAT thing! what's going on in Ravel's mind I'm so in love
Reading the description will answer your question.
And also looking for the meanings of Gaspard de la nuit.
@@monicasuarez7100 It means "Gaspard of the Night" Gaspard being a French form of Casper, is derived from Chaldean "Gizbar", denoting "the man in charge of the royal treasures". Gaspard de la Nuit thus suggestively means "treasurer of the night".[6]
(Source from Wikipedia)
Whats going on in your mind?
Not to detract from the beauty and intelligence of the music, but it feels a lot like a series of improvisations thrown together as a performance.
I. Ondine 0:00
II. Le Gibet 7:14
III. Scarbo 14:04
Thank you for the historical and thematic notes.
Paradoxically, the emptiness and deep sadness of the work is able to replenish what is missing now in the listener's soul...
Me, being named Gaspard and listening to this at night :
*Oh yeah, it's all coming together.*
Lol, you are funny man Mr. Gaspard.
@@jerrysmith7533Yes, I detain the power of the funny.
ajajajaj
love your name bro
The piece is about hanged bodies left to rot for three years on a historical hill where an architecture the gallows was erected for that purpose. Is it all coming together for you ?
Maurice Ravel was a gift to living!
How the hell can I say I have been alive when I didn't know about Ravel until 15 minutes ago? This is GOOD.
grumblekin wait till you hear Daphnis and Chloe
welcome
I feel ya. I have been into Western art music- aka 'classical' music- for a very long time, and I have only recently decided to check out Ravel. I think my being off put by the overexposure of Bolero was what kept me away. And here I find that I have deprived myself of some of the most amazing compositional efforts I have ever encountered. This is music that derives from the compositional traditions of Western Europe, but is in its own class all together. Aside from his amazing haromnic sensibility, the rhythmic aspect of Ravel is what truly floors me. His sense of rhythm is so fluid and amorphous, yet completely metrically strict and defined.
grumblekin I bet you've listened "Bolero" before this suite
grumblekin Dude you just earned a thumbs up from this jazz musician.
This is such a beautiful piece that I would even dare to say is above the term “music” itself. It feels like nothing but pure, unfiltered, raw emotion being effortlessly conveyed to the listener. I can’t begin to put into words the love and effort that must have went into this masterpiece, and I mean MASTERPIECE of a song. This isn’t even a song anymore, this is a soul-touching transcending of the art form made up of our brain’s processing of vibrations in the air around us. This piece feels like there is no barrier, no medium that limits our perception of it. You don’t just listen to this-you experience it; you really feel it. This is when art becomes so perfectly crafted that it isn’t even art anymore. I truly feel blessed just to be able to listen to this.
not just for raw emotion but in general you may also like what Bartok wrote, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_music_(Bart%C3%B3k), I certainly do, although those pieces are a bit harder to most people's ears. For an introduction here is Grand Master Schiff himself ruclips.net/video/Ibbkz2FxI74/видео.html
@@mygreneyhyportnex4182 thanks for sharing, i’ll look into this
In a few years time when you grow up you'll look back on this comment and cringe
@@Christian-rn1ur yeah probably, but it hasn’t been a few years yet so who cares
Decent response, we we were all young cringelords at some point. Just reminding you to stay humble. Classical music is the pop music of yesteryear - nobody is special for liking it.
The best music always comes from the blurriest pictures
You should stop drinking so much before listening.
Gaspard de la nuit est pour moi le meilleur triptyque pour piano que Maurice Ravel ai composé. Le premier poème "ondine" et celui qui m'a ensorcelé le plus, la première fois que je l'ai écouté c'est par Martha Argerich qui l'interprète à merveille. Quand je l'écoute j'ai l’impression de voyager vers d'autres terres très lointaines qui pour moi sont le paradis.
qu est ce que ça serait alors si tu entendais la voix d un ange , Ravel excellent , Debussy Magnifique
Et pourtant ce serait plutôt l'enfer...
C est un choc à chaque écoute
Gaspard nuit et jour !
Besides being the best arranger ever, Maurice Ravel astonishes us with the scope of his compositions, classical and modern at the same time.
By arranger, are you referring to his orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition? That is remarkable, for sure.
My favourite piece of all time. After years I can enjoy this like the first time, so colourful and mysterious..
so agreee....its just so good however that own compositions become easy victims of self-ridicule
It is incredible that a song manages to convey that level of immersion.
*piece
Turner the artist was able to travel so much further through his art than the realities of his life and times.
Each of these three pieces is spectacularly well performed by Mr. Bavouzet, but special recognition must be given to his performance of "Le Gibet;" he gets the eerie elegaic tone of the piece just exactly right, captures each of its nuances with every note. I really do not believe there could be a better performance of this masterwork.
My God, this is a beautiful piece and a tremendous performance! Thanks to all who made this possible!
Agreed, brother.
this is honestly the best thing i’ve ever heard
also, words cannot explain how breathtaking 4:14 sounds
It is also how i felt when i had known the piece for over a year. I still believe it is the best composition i have ever heard and I know the whole repertoire.
A testament to show what the piano really can do. its always when you think youve heard it all do you realise you havent
I. Ondine 0:00
II. Le Gibet 7:14
III. Scarbo 13:43
thank you so much
Cringe moment
@@Ethan-ib5hk Rly? Why?
@@Taunteur I don’t remember why I wrote that, the guy edited his comment so I suppose he fixed whatever I was talking about 🤷
sweet jesus thank you! I was dreading having to figure out where the scarbo began!!
This is what my mind, soul and body needed, thank you.
4:14...I am not satisfied but relieved at the same time...how is this even possible??
I can almost hear Ravel coming to this point in the composition (4:14) and realising that the piano cannot quite physically convey the musical thought. We can only imagine that had he orchestrated these poems, the emotion would be overwhelming.
One of the best performances of this masterpiece I've ever heard.
I'm a artist and I create characters. I am currently writing the story of my character, Gaspard. A man from the 40's. And to discover that something as magnificent as this exists is really inspiring, to hear that as I put Gaspard's story down on paper, and illustrate his face with that background sound, is a wonderful thing.
4:15 Listening to this part makes me feel like music didn’t exist before I heard this and this is in some sort of alternate dimension .
It’s amazing!
Those 2 metronomic notes in the second movement show how powerful quiet music can be.
That tolling of the bell..
That painting is one of the most inspired visions to accompany a timeless masterpiece I've ever seen. I've lingered in it so many times while listening that I thought I'd see if anyone else was so-moved.
The more correct painting for the piece would have the historical Gibet of Paris on Mountfaucond where countless criminals were hanged. The architecture of it was made so it could host 60 hanged bodies at the same time and was built on a Hill so the hanging bodies could be seen from very far away at sunset. Bodies were left 3 years until nothing of them was left. This gives you the more accurate background for the Gibet than the impressionistic painting.
The opening chords to Le Gibet are incredible.
The combinations of Minor 9ths and sevenths give it a tragically despairing and painful sound
I thoroughly enjoy the tone of this piece, it is interesting how music from over 100 years ago can be felt, it is a timeless emotion that Ravel composes. Music today does not posses this quality with such power. These feelings are so essential that they are not of the times, but transcendent of them.
+MultiMillett you talk like there was no jazz
+MultiMillett "music today", ahaha, Ravel himself (who was really interested in all sorts of stuff) would have found this a stupid thing to say. Each era has wonderful music, but unfortunately each era also has bitter people, all saying the same bulls***. Mozart, Turner, Picasso, Ravel, Parker, Davis and all the others had to face people like that, and I bet they were annoyed too...
+MultiMillett What 'music of today' do you mean? There's plenty of great stuff out here. Maybe doesn't fall in the classical music category, but plenty that will stand the test of time...
+Shawn Wooster THE ONLY GREAT MUSIC OF TODAY IS JAZZ AND MUCH OF IF INFLUENCED BY BLACK MUSICIANS. THE CLASSICAL COMPOSITIONS OF ANY BEAUTY STOPPED AFTER RACHMANINOFF STRAVINSKI, PROKOFIEV. MUSIC OF "TODAY" IS NOT WORTH EVEN PRETENDING THAT IT IS MUSIC.
IT IS ONLY A BUSINESS FOR VARIOUS USES LIKE MOVIES, ETC. LIKE MODERN- ART WHICH STOPPED THE SAME TIME CLASSICAL MUSIC STOPPED. NOW ART IS JUST A BUSINESS FOR FOOLS.
+Ron Walker Music was always a business after it left church/ritualistic setting. Get used to it.
where have I been.... Ravel is incredible
It's transcending
The best is yet to come. Delve into his full orchestral compositions, always with eyes closed and imagination wide open.
Look into one of his contemporaries, CLAUDE DEBUSSY and his works, as well!
Sadly, in mainstream media's wasteland.
Find a commercial classical music formatted station, to enjoy more exposure to this and other artist l s, such as fellow Frenchman CLSUDE DEBUSSY.
Very beautiful. I've just listened to it for the 1st time in my life and didn't expect to come across a theme that is so well familiar to me. One of my favourite bands, Oceansize, borrowed the theme that starts here at 08:10. Oceansize used it as a segue for their first album, Efflorescence.
That part sounded so modern on the Oceansize track that it's hard to believe this is where it came from
For those of you wondering, the painting is by JMW Turner, titled The Sun is God.
@@Dylonely_9274 why do I see you everywhere?
Was desperately scanning the comments thanks 😋 🙏 jeez what a painting. The Tate museum calls it Norham castle sunrise, but I do like your take better 😎
C'est hors du temps,on peut écouter ça en 2250,ça sera toujours un ovni d'émotions
Lindo! Gostaria muito de poder ouvir "Pavane pour une enfant défunt"( Maurice Ravel). É tão linda!
4:14 This part ! It's incredible. If someone has a music theory explaination of what's happening that would be great. It just seems like there's a modulation at each chord to my ears.
I agree that it's incredible. It's basically doing a descending whole note scale while playing the chords that are one note below the main note of the chords. For instance, it starts on C# and goes down to B in the first two notes of the melody while the chord is an B minor chord. Then it continues descending down the whole note scale, so the following two tones are A and G, with the chord being a G minor chord. The reason for starting on the second note is probably to create some tension before doing a semi-resolution by going back to the main note. On the third chord (which is a D# minor), the melody stops at the second note, probably because he wanted to create more tension before the final two tones, which are there to lead back to the main melody again. While this happens, the left hand is adding even more colour to the chords with its ascending and descending arpeggios, the most notable of these colours being the E added at the top for the B minor chord. To summarize, what he is doing here is using a well-known technique used for making the music sound emotional, which is to make the chord an add2 chord by simply adding the second note in the scale to the chord. It is truly genius to combine this with the whole tone scale that the impressionist music is known for. This piece is full of moments where the harmonies are even crazier, and that's why it's my favourite piano piece ever written. Sadly it is also one of the most difficult piano pieces ever written, and while I am pretty comfortable with playing things up to Henle 8, but this piece is beyond that. Hope you found my analysis useful, and I will be happy if anyone else has more things to add to my analysis.
I'm no theorist, but here's my two cents.
Ravel repeats the same modulation three times in a cycle; i V7-i V7-i V7-i. He starts off in B minor, then adds C so that the i chord also functions as a pivot to V7 in G minor; then he repeats process this to get to D-sharp minor and finally back to B minor. Since the bass has a very stable progression V7-i, you constantly get strong cadences and a feeling of resolution. However, the root moves down by a major 3rd each time, which is highly unusual. The keys are evenly spaced out across circle of 5ths, creating an effect of tonal ambiguity. Incidentally, this is the same chord progression that John Coltrane used in his jazz hit "Giant Steps," see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltrane_changes.
I agree, I just keep going back to 4:14 ! It's just so sad and powerful ...
Ravel was said to have had the most subtle harmonic ear of any composer. I think this is especially evident in the Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (for piano.)
Timothy Zhou I thought that John Coltrane seeing those chords before getting further down your comment,,,!,,I must be going in the right direction at last !.....
That heartbreaking moment when an ad plays in the middle of the piece... 🤯
Without adblock I would never use youtube.
There's always one in the comments section who hasn't discovered adblock lol
Everyone had adblocker. Except you.
Does adblocker actually work? I thought it was a scam.
yes, should be forbidden, it's really so disresptecful for the composer, the interpreter and those who listen at him !
This is perhaps one of the most beautiful pieces written for piano
Subjective.
S30V It is objectively one of the most well written pieces in the sense that the understanding of the intricacies of not just piano playing but the writing of music itself is unbelievable. There really is layer upon layer of not just difficulty for difficulty’s sake but genuine and considerate attention to details expressed within the poems the three pieces are based upon. It is objective also that some people ( like Ravel ) possess abilities that cannot really be categorized as anything other than supernatural - there really is no plausible way of explaining how one man is capable of producing work such as this.
@@TheJazzMemoir they are not even close to gaspard de la nuit.
@@TomCL-vb6xc It is subjective. I feel that one of the most beautiful pieces for piano is Sorabji’s Fantaisie Espagnole, but it takes a very dignified ear to actually grasp the melody and theme in the music. It is so beautiful, although I do agree Ravel is a beautiful Imporessionist to listen to as well. This piece is as beautiful as you say, but not on everyone’s favourite pieces list.
@@TheJazzMemoir bruh
Ravel was only 1.61 metres tall, but all of us can just look up and stare in awe at his spiritual height.
Ravel is such a genius, this piece is MAGICAL, my ears literally blessed
Un mot me vient à l'esprit chaque fois que j'écoute du Ravel....Féérique!
I'm not entirely sure what I listened to, but I know I'm inlove with it
What masterful compositions. Ravel did god’s work. Thanks
Magnífico! Ravel nos transporta para cada cenário de forma bastante nítida. Impossível ficar indiferente à beleza dessa obra.
I just gotta say, this music was made for that image, it perfectly encapsulates the essence and feel of the piece
Bavouzet always takes me to another planet with his playing, it's so distinct as well
Che magnifico pianista!!! Sulla genialità di Ravel e sulla bellezza incommensurabile di Gaspard de la nuit non c'è altro da dire se non "grazie, Maestro!"
It's by W.M.J. Turner, "Norham Castle, Sunrise".
Are you still alive??
Turner, a pre impressionist. Visionary.
This piece is so lovely...I am hypnotized ... Thank you for this soothing piece by Ravel☺️
I love this music. No lyrics but beautiful, pure sound.
The "lyrics" are in the sparse poems that inspired them, by Aloysius Bertrand. You'll hear everything he describes in Ravel's music
Just breathtaking...
My soul has been sadly kissed
sadly?
Daphnis and Chloe is his GREATEST work. The sounds of heaven.
Stunning, simply stunning.
la meilleure interprétation que j ai pu entendre..! bravo à mr Bavouzet
I've never heard of this pianist, but this is a truly wonderful rendition- unmannered, clean, accurate, delicate, beautifully textured. Wow! I've been listening to recordings and live performances of Gaspard for decades, all the usual people -argerich, pogorelich, all the younger hot shot pianists in recital and competitions, and this for me hits the mark.
To the 11 people who thumbs downed this magnificent performance of one of the greatest gifts to humanity.. what happened to you?
They don't know...
Maybe they're mis-clicks?
They didn't like the piece. Not everyone has the same taste.
Didn't like the lyrics
and one of my favourite paintings. beautiful.
Painting by John William Turner :)
An amazing painter! But his first name is Joseph, not John!
my mum wrote a book on him.....go buy it and read it
Joseph Mallord William Turner. Ravel should be better known.He is one of the Greats!!
Bootstraps Turner?
@@vincentcsmith102 which book is it?
Your description is always precise and perfect. In many times much better than Wikipedia!
I envision the dueling fates: Jedi vs Sith. This is one of the greatest performances on keys in human history.
A: Creativity, B: Morosity, C: New Beginnings, D: All of the Above (cheat sheet: the answer is D - this artistic work elicits all three of these notions masterfully).
My short interpretation of the 3 pieces
Ondine: A quite dance like piece that is surrounded by mist and fog around a mysterious island, as the day rises and the currents increase, the fog disappears and appears something colossal and unbelievable, where the listener has a pause to re think about the beauty of the climax before he/she is drawn back into a raging wave of ocean
Gibet: A sunset stained with blood, like Edvard Munch's Scream, the landscape tainted with red and vibrant colors, as the blurry image of the hanged man appears, the scene turns into a vibrant but contrasting image of tragedy
Scarbo: A Goblin who lurks at night, mischieve and devestating, as it creeps up into houses, suffocation begins and a violent rage happens out of nowhere, there is subtle beauty in the scenes. As the rambling continues, the climax and dramatic power arrives, with overwhelming technical difficulty and beauty, the curtains draws on this play temporarily, as the mists gather up, the goblin lurks back into the shadows, only to return with a wonderful passage of notes, as it continue its rampage, another drama appears to end the scene off with complete shock and leaving the listeners amazed at the masterpiece they just heard.
Yes, the pieces follow the narrative so closely, their almost like a film score. The words become visual through sound
this will always be my definitive recording of the piece.
I would like to hear your opinion on Ken Sasaki's interpretation.
Hmm, I've never heard it! I'll give it a listen and let you know what I think. @@starlodear2987
so? what do you think?
still like Bavouzet better! :x @@khorps4756
It’s amazing how much the part leading up to 4:14 seems like it’s going to resolve but doesn’t.
beautiful!This music is like Wonderland!
This is a really underrated recording. We always listen to the well-known masters like Hamelin or Pogorelich, but this is one of my favourites!
Bravo! That's a very beautiful interpretation! well done !
Bravo! Jean-Efflam Bavouzet such an inspiration. Thank you!
Compositore e pianista fanno vibrare tutte le corde dello spirito incantato dalla magica visione.
sounds so bizarrely space-age! love it
7.14 onwards in just beautiful, subtle and sublime
I have just experienced listening to this music with toads singing on the background. It imitated the ghastly presence of Scarbo in the poems of Aloysius Bertrand.
Wow! Nice liner notes to go with this beautiful work of music! Good job on them!
So calm, perfect to find rest in it.
Subtle mastery, oh Ravel! ❤️✨
Realmente maravilloso, cautivante, misterioso.
Ce tableau de Turner est un excellent choix pictural ;-).
Uno de mis compositores clásicos preferido, me resulta muy sugerente y original
I have goosebumps just thinking about listening to any of Fauré's works for piano. Actually listening to him is like entering a new human dimension, full of mysteries, subtleties, discoveries and, last but not least, full of marvels.
Yet this is Ravel, not Fauré.
what a beauty !!!!!
No wonder so many jazz pianists really like Ravel. Can you say chromatically altered harmonies in no hurry to resolve.
lol Well put. At least this does constantly resolve. So much jazz does nothing of the kind. Lots of it is amazing too however. Just have to do a lot of sifting.
This type of music is good for creating scenarios in ur head lol
Heard this at a concert, it was fantastic.
Just sublime.
wow ceci est quelquechose de très unique. J'adore
This is so serene in a beautiful way
Solo piano masterpiece of music. Undisputably.
this is a masterpiece
Certainement l'une des meilleures versions existantes à ce jour.
This is a beautiful performance by a pianist I did not know before. Also informative description of this work; I know this work very well indeed but did not know what "Gaspard" meant. Thank you!
+ComtedeMonteC GASPARD IS ALSO THE NAME OF THE BLACK KING OF WISE MAN FROM THE ORIENT WHO FOLLOWED THE STAR TO BETHLEM TO VISIT THE BABY CHRIST. BUT- WHO KNOWS REALLY?
Gaspard was also a nickname for the devil in French folklore, like Mr Scratch in English literature
Came here after reading Root Double *Before Crime After Days* and this is truly magnificent. I'm grateful to the autors of the visual novel.
1:22, simply magical
EXQUISITE.... HEAVENLY PIANO
As Aloysius Bertrand's poems, this is a bit strange but beautiful !
Here are the actual poems corresponding to the three pieces:
I. Ondine 00:00
. . . . . . . . I thought I heard
A faint harmony that enchants my sleep.
And close to me radiates an identical murmur
Of songs interrupted by a sad and tender voice.
CH. BRUGNOT - The two Spirits.
- "Listen! - Listen! - It is I, it is Ondine who brushes drops of water on the resonant panes of your windows lit by the gloomy rays of the moon; and here in gown of watered silk, the mistress of the chateau gazes from her balcony on the beautiful starry night and the beautiful sleeping lake.
"Each wave is a water sprite who swims in the stream, each stream is a footpath that winds towards my palace, and my palace is a fluid structure, at the bottom of the lake, in a triangle of fire, of earth and of air.
"Listen! - Listen! - My father whips the croaking water with a branch of a green alder tree, and my sisters caress with their arms of foam the cool islands of herbs, of water lilies, and of corn flowers, or laugh at the decrepit and bearded willow who fishes at the line. »
Her song murmured, she beseeches me to accept her ring on my finger, and be the husband of an Ondine, and to visit with her her palace and be king of the lakes.
And as I was replying to her that I loved a mortal, sullen and spiteful, she wept some tears, uttered a burst of laughter, and vanished in a shower that streamed white down the length of my stained glass windows.
II. The Gibbet 07:14
What do I see stirring around that gibbet?
FAUST.
Ah! that which I hear, was it the north wind that screeches in the night, or the hanged one who utters a sigh on the fork of the gibbet?
Was it some cricket who sings lurking in the moss and the sterile ivy, which out of pity covers the floor of the forest?
Was it some fly in chase sounding the horn around those ears deaf to the fanfare of the halloos* ?
Was it some scarab beetle who gathers in his uneven flight a bloody hair from his bald skull?
Or then, was it some spider who embroiders a half-measure of muslin for a tie on this strangled neck?
It is the bell that tolls from the walls of a city, under the horizon, and the corpse of the hanged one that is reddened by the setting sun.
III. Scarbo 13:43
He looked under the bed, in the chimney,
in the cupboard; - nobody. He could not
understand how he got in, or how he escaped.
HOFFMANN. - Nocturnal Tales.
Oh! how often have I heard and seen him, Scarbo, when at midnight the moon glitters in the sky like a silver shield on an azure banner strewn with golden bees.
How often have I heard his laughter buzz in the shadow of my alcove, and his fingernail grate on the silk of the curtains of my bed!
How often have I seen him alight on the floor, pirouette on a foot and roll through the room like the spindle fallen from the wand of a sorceress!
Do I think him vanished then? the dwarf grows between the moon and me like the belfry of a gothic cathedral, a golden bell shakes on his pointed cap!
But soon his body becomes blue, translucent like the wax of a candle, his face pales like the wax of a candle end - and suddenly he is extinguished.
many thanks for the all !
That is so beatiful.
Omg the beginning of this piece is the basis for the beginning of the Genesis song The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Nice job Tony Banks you borrowed very nicely.
Thanks for scholarly explanation from our room host!
I love the painting
discovered this masterpiece through twoset's painting video :)