Ravel's surreal orchestration

Описание: This sublime orchestral moment is surprising, not only because it's essentially an orchestral cadenza in a piano concerto that transitions into the actual piano cadenza, but also because its unique and rather strange orchestration seems to lend it an almost surreal and otherworldly soundscape which also contrasts greatly with the generally light and playful character of the first movement. The harp enters just as the piano soloist stops rather abruptly, continuing the melody on G but with an entirely different timbre of harmonics accompanied by a constant stream of glissando as if we've just entered a dream-like dimension. A huge wham on the bass drum brings us suddenly back into our senses and Ravel masterfully mixes a range of instrumental techniques like string glissandos and wind flutter tongue to create quite a vivid musical scene. What then follows is perhaps the strangest of them all, with instruments seemingly turned on their heads. The horn is placed in an extremely high register which almost mimics the fragility of the harp harmonics from before and it's accompanied by a rather thin background of woodwind instruments frantically dovetailing virtuosic figures in competition. A rather ludicrous scenario that seems to further emphasise a kind of surrealism and moment of reverie that eventually leads seamlessly back to the piano. It's also worth mentioning how static the harmony is in this extract, with practically an A major triad that's held for the most part. The harp solo, thus, sounds rather suspended in time while the horn solo seems to be advanced by the continuous movement in the woodwinds.

Recording(Cho):    • 모리스 라벨 피아노 협주곡 G. 조성진, 보스턴심포니오케스트라    RAVE...