Le Tombeau de Couperin

Composition#

The movements are as follows:

Reception#

Written after the death of Ravel’s mother in 1917 and of friends who died in the First World War, Le Tombeau de Couperin is a light-hearted, and sometimes reflective work rather than a sombre one that Ravel explained in response to criticism saying, “The dead are sad enough, in their eternal silence.” The first performance of the original piano version was given on 11 April 1919 by Marguerite Long, in the Salle Gaveau in Paris. Long was the widow of Joseph de Marliave, to whom the last movement of the piece, the Toccata, is dedicated.

Orchestrations and transcriptions#

In 1919 Ravel orchestrated four movements of the work (Prélude, Forlane, Menuet, and Rigaudon); this version was premiered in February 1920 by Rhené-Baton and the Pasdeloup Orchestra, and has remained one of the more popular works of Ravel. The orchestral version clarifies the harmonic language of the suite and brings sharpness to its classical dance rhythms. The oboe features prominently, taking the melody in the Prélude and the Menuet, as well as for the pastoral C minor section of the Rigaudon, where it is accompanied by guitar-like pizzicati. The orchestrated version is scored for two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes (one doubling cor anglais), two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, harp, and strings. Four movements (Prélude, Fugue, Menuet, and Rigaudon) have been arranged for wind quintet by American horn player Mason Jones (1919–2009). Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen has also transcribed four movements for wind quintet, and further, American composer Gunther Schuller has made a wind-quintet arrangement.

External links#

• Tombeau de Couperin - free complete recording at The Piano Society
• Listen to Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin orchestrated by Kenneth Hesketh
• Youtube: Orchestration of the Fugue and Toccata by Jack M. Jarrett (1982)
• Youtube: Jazz arrangement of the Prelude by Tamir Hendelman (piano), Marco Panascia (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) (2010)