Ravel Edition

Being not only a composer, but a teacher of composition and orchestration, I have guided many students through orchestrations of notable works for piano, Ravel‘s Sonatine being one such example.

 However, the affection in which so many people hold this piece encouraged my desire to prepare a chamber orchestra version of the original. From such humble beginnings as a competition piece for a weekly review (that subsequently went bankrupt), the Sonatine became a piece that Ravel played often, though only the first two movements due to the technical difficulties of the third. It is very much an idiomatically conceived piano work therefore giving an orchestrator constant pause to consider how to remain true to the spirit, and where possible the letter, of the original.

My experience with the styles and colours of this period of French music has proved that each individual musical situation must be judged on its own merits, whatever the popularity, charme or élan of the original, especially when seeking to illuminate novelties of structure and to reveal compositional details hidden or merely implied due to the timbre of the solo piano.

By choosing the instrumental forces of Ravel’s orchestration of his Tombeau de Couperin (with added celesta and bass clarinet) I was keen to interpret various details of the score in ways that reveal different aspects of each movement’s musical narrative. As an orchestrator, one must be prepared for the censure of the offended or purist listener, yet I trust there will be many more that enjoy this work in its new colouring, revelling in its emotional sensuality whilst marvelling at its compact structure.

Kenneth Hesketh - September 2024 (Any reproduction, in part or in whole, is prohibited without prior authorisation from RAVEL EDITION.)