Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Ma Mère l'Oye Suite
Pavane de la Belle au Bois Dormant
Petit Poucet
Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes
Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête
Jardin Féerique
Il était une fois. . . . (Once upon a time)–it is with this phrase that Maurice Ravel traveled with his friends’ children Jean and Mimie Godebska to places long ago and far away, reading fairy tales and looking at the pictures in the books. He was also fond of bringing them new toys, particularly those from afar such as a small boat with small Japanese figures, or a miniature oriental garden. It was for Mimie and Jean that Ravel composed his suite Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) based on some of their favorite fairy tales: Sleeping Beauty & Little Thumb by Charles Perrault, The Green Serpent by Madame Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy, and Beauty and the Beast by Madame Leprince de Beaumont. The composer wrote the suite in 1908 for piano duet with the hope that the Godebska children would enjoy it and give the first public presentation. The childrens’ fear of performance prevented this, so the premiere was given by two other children, Jeanne Leleu, aged eleven, and Geneviève Durony, aged fourteen, at a concert in 1910. Ravel made two other versions of this suite–the orchestration that we hear tonight–and in 1911, a little ballet focusing on the Sleeping Beauty story. Each of the tableaux of the suite is a small miniature, exquisite in form, orchestral color, and tone painting. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty) is given an antique feel through the use of the form of an ancient dance, the pavane, the the aeolian mode. The influence of Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies can be heard in the underlying repetitive structure. In Petit Poucent (Little Thumb), the desolation of the lost boy and his brothers is illustrated by the irregular rhythm of the opening string passages. Motives played by winds and strings depict night animals and the birds who eat the crumbs. Ravel’s love of exotic sounds is exhibited in Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes (Laideronnette: Empress of the Pagodas) through the use of the pentatonic scale and a brilliant palate of colors–various winds, celesta, harp, xylophone, and gong. Satie’s influence returns again as the Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Conversation of Beauty and the Beast) takes place against the background of a gentle waltz. Beauty is represented by a lovely clarinet solo, beast by the contrabassoon, and the moment of transformation is marked by a glissando on the harp and a solo violin recitative. No specific story is given for the epilogue, Le jardin féerique (The Fairy Garden), but the piece paints a delicate water color, evoking a growing sense of peace, and a beautiful place for happy ever-afters.
Script narration for Ma Mère l'Oye Suite
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No. 40 in g minor, K550
Molto Allegro
Andante
Menuetto~Allegretto
Allegro assai
Entire books, hundreds of book chapters and articles, and thousands of program notes have been written about Mozart’s last three symphonies which were composed three years before his death. Because we lack direct documentation of first performances of these great works, conjecture abounds that these pieces may not have been heard during the composer’s lifetime. We do know that he completed these three symphonies during the summer of 1788 (No. 39 on June 26; No. 40 on July 25; No. 41 (Jupiter), on August 10). We also know that Mozart, chronically short of money, often composed to pay the rent, providing small works for domestic use and the larger ones for performance in public spaces. It is possible that he planned Symphonies 39-41 for potential Viennese subscription concerts, to take them on tour to Germany, or even to publish them as a group. At any rate, there is evidence that these works were well-known by the time of Mozart’s death. Symphony No. 40 in g minor, K.550 has long been considered a manifestation of Mozart’s most personal voice. In addition to chronic financial problems, he was suffering from the feeling that the Viennese musical scene had passed him by–he was no longer the wunderkind pianist/composer. The symphony, scored without trumpets and drums, is one of passion and seriousness with few smiles. Its gravity and richness was enhanced further in a second edition with the addition of clarinets and the rewriting of the oboe parts. The restless first theme begins immediately with no formal introduction. Throughout the symphony, the strings generally lead the way with winds providing appropriate interjections. As many commentators have noted, this work is without peer in its clarity and balance. It is emotionally charged but never stormy. The relentless rhythm propels but does not force the flow. Daring harmonies make an appearance, but within the classical framework Mozart gently provides a prophetic glimpse into the overt musical emotional expressions to come in the next century. Words fail to explain what makes this work great. The voice of the composer speaks to us through music alone.
Program notes by Linda Mack. Copyright 2008.
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