La Valse could only have been possible under Ravel’s hand. Ravel’s orchestration, as always, is masterful, filled with color and textures, effects and timbres, and ebbing and flowing. Ravel’s interest in Classicism, coupled with the chromaticism of the time, results in harmonies that at once seem both indulgent yet precise. Finally, his love of the waltz imbues the piece with propulsion that brings the listener from the first rumble to the last chord.
After having heard the orchestral version for so long, I found Ravel’s piano arrangements to be lacking in certain things that I found exciting and crucial to the piece, with many textural and contrapuntal ideas being left out. I set out to recreate a solo piano version of the piece that I could reconcile with the orchestra version, trying very hard to translate the drama and excitement I heard into the piano. Armed with the full score of the orchestral piece, the two-piano score, and the solo version, I put together a version that I felt most accurately represented the orchestral version. What resulted was an immensely difficult transcription, but one I believe well worth the effort. Sean Chen
Classical Music | Piano Music
Maurice Ravel
La Valse Play
Recorded on 01/29/2014, uploaded on 07/21/2014
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
La Valse, Maurice Ravel, arr. by Sean Chen
La Valse could only have been possible under Ravel’s hand. Ravel’s orchestration, as always, is masterful, filled with color and textures, effects and timbres, and ebbing and flowing. Ravel’s interest in Classicism, coupled with the chromaticism of the time, results in harmonies that at once seem both indulgent yet precise. Finally, his love of the waltz imbues the piece with propulsion that brings the listener from the first rumble to the last chord.
After having heard the orchestral version for so long, I found Ravel’s piano arrangements to be lacking in certain things that I found exciting and crucial to the piece, with many textural and contrapuntal ideas being left out. I set out to recreate a solo piano version of the piece that I could reconcile with the orchestra version, trying very hard to translate the drama and excitement I heard into the piano. Armed with the full score of the orchestral piece, the two-piano score, and the solo version, I put together a version that I felt most accurately represented the orchestral version. What resulted was an immensely difficult transcription, but one I believe well worth the effort. Sean Chen
More music by Maurice Ravel
La Valse
Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Faure
Noctuelles from Miroirs
Daphnis and Chloé, Suite No. 2
Une barque sur l'océan, from Miroirs
Alborada del Gracioso, from Miroirs
Pièce en Forme de Habanera
Cinq Mélodies Populaires Grecques
Rhapsodie espagnole
Concerto No. 2 in D Major for Piano and Orchestra
Performances by same musician(s)
Impromptu no. 3 in G-flat major, op. 51
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp minor, Op. 66
Impromptu no. 1 in A-flat major Op. 29
Impromptu no. 2 in F sharp major Op.36
Sonatine
Sonata No. 2 in b-flat minor, Op. 36
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