Maurice Ravel
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Ravel had limitless admiration for Debussy’s famous orchestral work, going so far as to say in an interview that it was his innermost wish to die to the sounds of this “unique marvel in the whole of music”. Since Debussy had himself already published a version for two pianos, Ravel in 1910 undertook an arrangement for piano 4-hands. It was published that same year by Fromont in Paris, and made an impact all of its own. We have been able to recruit Debussy specialist Denis Herlin as editor of this Henle Urtext edition, the first to evaluate all the available sources. The fingerings are by Andreas Groethuysen of the famous Tal & Groethuysen Duo.
About the Composer
Claude Debussy
Most important French composer around 1900, whose music, primarily characterized by its sound, exhibits profound innovations. His oeuvre bears a close relationship to Symbolism.
| 1862 | Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on August 22. |
| 1872–84 | Studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. During this time, he travels with the family of Nadezhda von Meck to Switzerland, Italy, Vienna, and Russia, where he becomes acquainted with Russian and Gypsy music. |
| 1884 | Wins the Prix de Rome with his cantata “L’Enfant prodigue.” Thereafter resides in Rome until 1887. |
| 1887–89 | Songs, “Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire.” |
| 1888/89 | Visit to the Bayreuth Festival; criticism of Wagner. |
| 1889 | Exposition universelle (World Exposition) in Paris, where he learns about East Asian music, which influences his style. |
| 1890 | Connection to Mallarmé and his circle. |
| 1891/1903 | Series of songs, “Fêtes galantes,” after Verlaine. |
| 1891–94 | Orchestral work “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” (“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”) with arabesque-like melodies. |
| 1897–99 | Nocturnes for orchestra and women’s voices. |
| 1901 | Beginning of his activity as a music critic. |
| 1902 | Performance of the opera “Pelléas et Mélisande” after the Symbolist drama by Maeterlinck, which despite criticism spells his breakthrough. |
| 1903–05 | Orchestral work “La Mer” uses symphonic principles and “Impressionist” tonal language. |
| 1905–07 | Books one and two of “Images” for piano. |
| 1906–08 | “Children’s Corner,” children’s pieces for piano. |
| 1909–10/11–1913 | Books one and two of the “Préludes” for piano; the programmatic titles of these character pieces, some of which are quite esoteric, are listed at the end of each one. |
| 1913 | Songs “Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé.” |
| 1915–17 | Chamber music sonatas, drawing from the French tradition of the eighteenth century. |
| 1918 | Death in Paris on March 25. |
Maurice Ravel
Together with Satie and Debussy, Ravel numbers among the innovators who had a falling out with academic education and created their own avant-garde tonal languages – inspired, in Ravel’s case, by Russian and Spanish music, but also by exoticism – without abandoning tonality. This master of orchestration begins with piano works, which he orchestrates; songs with piano and piano compositions exist on an equal footing in orchestral versions.
| 1875 | Born in Ciboure on March 7; the family moves to Paris that same year. |
| 1882 | Lessons in piano, theory, and composition. |
| 1889 | Beginning of his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, from which he will never graduate.around 1893 Influence of Chabrier and Satie. |
| 1901 | “Jeux d’eau” for piano, in a new “Impressionist” tonal language, as is “Miroirs” (1904–05). |
| 1903 | “Shéhérazade” for voice and piano/orchestral accompaniment with orientalist tonal elements. |
| 1905 | Scandal surrounding Ravel’s third application for the Prix de Rome. |
| 1907 | Premiere of the “Histoires naturelles” after Jules Renard provokes astonishment in audiences and critics. |
| 1907–08 | Rhapsodie espagnole for orchestra. |
| 1908/10 | “Ma mère l’oye” (“Mother Goose”) for piano, four-hands, as a ballet in 1911. |
| 1911 | Premiere in Paris of his opera “L’Heure espagnole.” |
| 1911/12 | “Valses nobles et sentimentales” for piano/orchestra. Premiere of the ballet “Daphnis et Chloé” in 1912. |
| 1914/19 | “Le tombeau de Couperin” for piano/orchestra anticipates the coming neoclassicism. |
| from 1920 | Many concert tours through Europe and the United States. |
| 1925 | Premiere of his opera “L’Enfant et les sortilèges.” |
| 1928 | Conferral of an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. “Bolero” for orchestra. |
| 1929–31 | Piano Concerto in G major with elements of jazz. |
| 1937 | Death in Paris on December 28. |
About the Authors
Andreas Groethuysen (Fingering)
Prof. Andreas Groethuysen, born in 1956 in Munich, studied music with Ludwig Hoffmann in Munich and, on a scholarship from the “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes”, with Peter Feuchtwanger in London.
After several years as a soloist, Groethuysen formed a piano duo with Yaara Tal, which has now become the focus of his artistic work. The duo regularly performs in many European countries, in Israel, China, North and South America. In exclusive cooperation with SONY CLASSICAL the internationally acclaimed piano duo has released a great many CDs – 28 to date – almost all of which have been awarded prizes.
Product Safety Informations (GPSR)
G. Henle Verlag
Here you can find the information about the manufacturer of the product.G. Henle Verlag e.K.
Forstenrieder Allee 122
81476 München
Germany
info@henle.de
www.henle.com