Orchestrated Versions
In 1919 Ravel orchestrated four movements of the work (Prélude, Forlane, Menuet and Rigaudon); this version was first performed in 1920, and has remained one of his more popular works. Ravel transcribed many of his piano pieces for orchestra, but here he reaches the height of his orchestration skills, turning a very pianistic piece into a superb orchestral suite with very few hints of its origins. The orchestral version clarifies the harmonic language of the suite and brings sharpness to its classical dance rhythms; among the demands it places on the orchestra is the requirement for an oboe soloist of virtuosic skill.
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.
The first movement is a "Prelude" in a lively triple meter marked Vif. The "Menuet" opens with the theme in the oboe with mostly semi-staccato accompaniment figures and wonderful modal harmonies. The fourth movement "Rigaudon" is in two contrasting sections: an animated dance in C major and a charming pastoral-like C minor oboe melody accompanied by guitar-like pizzicati.
David Diamond has more recently made his own orchestration of the second movement fugue. Another orchestration of the fugue as well as the toccata was prepared and recorded by the Hungarian pianist and conductor Zoltán Kocsis. However, the toccata, scored for a very large orchestra, goes far beyond the limits of Ravel's own, small orchestra, and the fugue is set for winds only. Another instrumentation of Fugue and Toccata by pianist Michael Round was recorded by Vladimir Ashkenazy (Exton, 2003): the score is published (as two separate titles, 'Fugue' and 'Toccata' by Edwin F. Kalmus (Boca Raton, Florida). Round's version of the Toccata adds percussion, requiring up to 5 players. Kalmus omitted the percussion parts from the published score so as to exactly match the orchestration of the rest of the suite, but parts are available separately, directly from the orchestrator.
Read more about this topic: Le Tombeau De Couperin
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