project07:P1
Analysis of La Valse - Maurice Ravel (1920)
"Through whirling clouds, waltzing couples may be faintly distinguished. The clouds gradually scatter: one sees at letter A an immense hall peopled with a whirling crowd. The scene is gradually illuminated. The light of the chandeliers bursts forth at the fortissimo letter B. Set in an imperial court, about 1855." - Maurice Ravel
Short Analysis
Originally titled 'Wien', the music describes the setting of a ballroom dance in Vienna, as we can conclude from Ravel's own introduction to the work, as seen above. However, we will find the music to be much deeper than the single illustration as described. Many see the work as a commentary on the socio/economic situation of Europe at that time. It is a waltz cloaked in the musical language which is not unlike a nightmare. Even though the entire piece is entirely written as a waltz, that is in 3/4 measure, one often feels a more steady 4/4 measure. The essential waltz, as we well know it in the form of the classic 'Straussian' waltz, appears arguably only twice in the entire piece. As the piece unfolds from a quiet void of darkness and mist, it dies in an epic crash of chaos, as the "[...] whirlwind of destiny" as described by Ravel himself.
Relevance to Architecture
