project07:P1
Analysis of La Valse - Maurice Ravel (1920)
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: "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. 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.
Structure
The opening of the work paints a most mysterious picture. Dark clouds, mist and couples of waltzing shadows are the first thing that come to mind. However not much later little sparks of light enter the scene and as the melodies get more and more clear we find that the shadows are dancing in what we find out is a great and majestic hall, lit by huge chandeliers. At this point in the work we hear for the very first time a 'classic' waltz, reminiscent of those we know from Strauss. From this point on the waltz takes on many different forms and mutates through various moods and colors. After 9 different variations, the works suddenly falls back into the same darkness from which it came into being. We hear the same variations of the waltz we heard before, however they are now cloaked in a layer of darkness, as melodies, harmonies and rhythms seem to clash with one another. The variations seem to be structured like a collage, as they seem to quickly appear and disappear without any sense of indication or predictable structure. After a loud statement, the music suddenly falls quiet and piercing chromatic scales rise steadily but ominously to a grand finale, which is beautifully described by famous pianist Boris Giltzburg: Malevolent shrieks and whistles in the woodwinds and trumpets, beastly roars in the trombones and horns, collapsing blows in the timpani, tam-tam and cymbals – there is nothing human there, not a sliver of melody; this is the advent of mindless aggression, which has the sole aim of destroying everything on its path. And that’s it, our waltz – with all its melodies, so beautiful and elegant at first, so worried and determined later – goes under."
Relevance to Architecture
